A good pork chop is a thing of beauty. When handled properly — with a nicely caramelized crust encasing moist, flavorful meat — it can give even your favorite cut of steak a run for its money. But anyone who has eaten this cut of meat often has likely encountered at least one tough, dry chop, compelling them to try to choke it down anyway to save face or avoid food waste.
The oven is one avenue for avoiding dried-out pork chops, but that can take more time than I am willing to devote on a weeknight. When I'm hungry, cooking pork chops on the stove can get them onto my plate in minutes, but without the right care these weeknight warriors can easily turn into shoe leather.
For fast, moist and juicy pork chops on the stove, here's what you need to know.
Choose the right pork chop cut
Cooking great pork chops starts at the grocery store. They come in a variety of cuts and thicknesses, but the best choice for searing in a skillet is bone-in, thick cut chops. The bone slows down the cooking process ever so slightly, which can be a lifesaver for lean cuts of meat. My personal favorite cut is shown in the photos accompanying this article, with the curved bone on one side. These can be labeled rib or center cut chops, but porterhouse or loin chops, which have a T-shaped bone, also work for quick-cooking meals. (Sirloin chops require braising.)
In terms of thickness, I find one inch to be the sweet spot. "Thin cuts easily dry out, because by the time you get the outside sufficiently seared, the meat inside is overdone," my colleague Becky Krystal wrote, and they are better reserved for frying. "Thick cuts can be hard to get an even cook on, because you may overcook the outside before the inside can even finish." So unless you're confident in your cookery, save the extra-thick, double-cut pork chops for the pros.
from What to Cook https://ift.tt/uWjf582