Luscious Pork Chops (in Butter)
Luscious Pork Chops (in butter)
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Frying Pan (optional)
- Baking Tray
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 6 Pork Chops
- Grape Seed Oil
- 2 Heads Garlic (thinly sliced)
- 12 Pats Butter (one for each side)
Instructions
- Take the pork chops out of the refrigerator and remove them from the package.
- Pat them down with a paper towel so the surface is very dry.
- Salt both sides of each chop and let them sit for 20 minutes.
- In small frying pan, add enough grape seed oil to submerge and fry the fatty edge of the chops. Fry until browned, about 5 minutes (optional, byrecommended).
- While the edges are frying, thinly slice the garlic.
- Pre-heat the over to 180c (350f).
- Put the pork chops to the baking tray. Place a few slices of garlic on top of each pork chop and then put a tiny pat of butter on top of each chop.
- Cook for 20 minutes at 180c.
- Remove from the oven and thurn the pork chops over. Put the rest of the sliced garlic on top of the chops and another tiny pat of butter.
- Cook for 20 minutes at 180c.
Luscious Pork Chops; More That Just a Meal
While these luscious pork chops work as the main dish of a meal, they are bit naked. There are a number of side dishes that pair with these chops that will infinitely elevate this dish into something out of this world.
Not only do these pair well, but the pork chops can act as a hop on. Start by making your vegetables and then add the pork chops right on top of them after they are half way cooked. No extra pots and pans, plus you are getting the most value out of your oven.
Sautéed mushrooms were made for this dish! There is nothing more appropriate. You will need to put in a little extra effort, but it’s well worth it.
If you’re looking for simplicity, than broccoli is the way to go. Easy to prepare, takes less than 10 minutes, and also goes really well with these pork chops. These will add some nice color to your dinner, especially if you’re skipping the roasted vegetables.
A Bone of My Own
For best results, you should use bone in pork chops. The bone will help keep the chop juicy and tender. Sadly, if you’re in Japan they might be very hard to find. I have never seen any for sale. Cooking is sometimes making do with what you can source. Luckily, it is possible to find pork chops that are thick.
When it comes to thickness, finding something that is 2 to 3cm (3/4 to inch) thick will be yield great results. If it’s thinner, it will cook too fast and dry out. If it’s thicker, it might not cook fully through. Adjust your time in the oven accordingly.
If you are worried about cooking thoroughly enough, invest in a meat thermometer. They are fairly cheap and good to have around.
Don’t Skimp on Fat
Along with a good thickness, I also like selecting chops that have a nice thick fat layer along the side. When that fat is cooked right, it is quite tasty. Do avoid chops that have fat looking areas that run through the chop, as those won’t taste nice. Generally these cuts might come from closer to the shoulder, the hip, or the back of the loin (called a sirloin chop). They simply don’t work well here.
On the topic of fat, there is the optional step of frying the fat edge before putting the chops in the oven. I can’t recommend doing this enough. It really makes the fat flavorful and crispy without having to sacrifice the juicy properties of the whole pork chop. While any extra steps are pain, especially if they require using an extra pan, this one is really worth it.
Spice Your Pork Chops
If salt isn’t enough for you, you can add a few extra spices to put the taste into overdrive. Honestly, I don’t think you need to, but to each their own. The follow spices can be added before you put the garlic and butter on top of the chops. They are to taste, so add as much or as little as you want.
Black pepper almost always pairs with salt. A dash can add a lot here. Red pepper flakes will add a nice bite. Fennel seeds will also work nicely and most always pair well with pork. A pinch of dried oregano adds some nice flavor. If you happen to have fresh rosemary, it will also add need dimension to the flavor.
On one last note; do NOT over do it on the pats of butter. Less is more. If you dump too much on top, you’re going to send up with a lake of butter in the baking pan. You don’t want that. It’s going add too many calories and make the vegetables mushy. I aim for just enough to melt over the pork chop and lightly coat the top.
If you haven’t made these chops yet, than you need a damn good whacking!