My mother's pork chops were legendary, but for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, what made them memorable was their resemblance to shoe leather. And while I doubt that was the outcome she was hoping for, as she was normally an excellent cook, I grew up in a time when everyone worried about trichinosis and, in order to avoid it, cooked pork to well done, all the time.
In addition, white meat was becoming more of a trend in the pork industry. Since, as we all know, fat carries flavor, ultra-lean meat left us, well, wanting.
Luckily, safer pork means we no longer have to overcook our chops. This, along with the availability of thicker cuts, well-marbled heritage breeds and a better understanding of cooking methods, means our chances of getting juicy, delicious chops have definitely improved.
In this week's Seared Pork Chops with Cider Vinegar Pan Sauce, we employ a couple of techniques to bring out flavor and keep in moisture, a recipe quick and easy enough to accomplish on a busy weeknight.
It starts with thick pork chops. Bone-in chops are great, as the bone can help keep the chop juicy and flavorful. But sometimes a thick, bone-in chop is hard to find, so this recipe is designed to make thick, boneless chops all they can be. That said, if you have bone-in, definitely use them.
While fat carries flavor, so does browning, but the high heat that's necessary to create a seriously browned chop can also tip us into well-done territory. To get the browning that brings big flavor quickly and without blasting the heat, we add a little sugar to our salt-and-pepper seasoning.
We also cook one side on medium-high, which starts the development of a deeply dark brown crust, and then flip the chops and turn the heat to low, which gently finishes the cooking process.
A quick and easy pan sauce also takes advantage of that key browning process as it's made in the same skillet and pulls all those dark-brown bits into the sauce, along with sautéed onions, wine, broth, a splash of cider vinegar and, of course, butter.
