Do you know what you’re making for dinner tonight? No? Well, don’t worry because we’ve got you covered.
We’ve found the easiest recipe for making tender, juicy pork chops.
There’s nothing worse than dry pork chops. They’re tough to cut and tough to chew, and quite frankly, not a lot of fun to eat.
When cooking pork chops, the trick is to brine them. Brining means to soak the meat in a salty liquid. This is the way to guarantee that you’ll have moist, delicious pork chops. While you may have heard that brining is just a time consuming, extra step, we assure you that even brining your pork chops for just 30 minutes (as opposed to the hours you may have seen on other recipes) will make a world of difference.
Check out how to brine and roast your pork chops below.
What You’ll Need:
3 c. of cold water
2 1/2 tbs. of salt
2 to 4 pork chops (center cut, bone on)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1. First, brine the pork chops. To do this, bring one cup of water to a boil, then add all of your salt. Stir it until it dissolves and then remove the pot from the heat. Add the other two cups of cold water to bring it down to room temperature. Place the pork chops in a shallow dish, and pour the brine over them so that they are completely covered in the brine. Cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
2. Once the pork chops have brined for the desired amount of time, position your oven rack to the middle and preheat the oven to 400° F. Place an oven-safe skillet in the oven while it preheats.
3. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat them dry with a paper towel. Rub both sides of the pork chops with olive oil, then season them with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Once the oven is preheated, grab oven mitts and carefully remove your skillet. Set it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Lay the pork chops in the skillet and sear them until the undersides are golden. It should take about 3 minutes. Smoking is normal, but if it becomes excessive, lower the heat.
5. Next, flip the pork chops and carefully transfer the skillet back to the oven. Roast the pork chops for 6-10 minutes. The temperature of the thickest part of the pork chops should register between 140° F to 145° F when they are done.
6. Transfer the pork chops onto a plate and pour any of the juices in the pan over them. Loosely cover the plate with foil and let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving them. Enjoy these perfectly cooked pork chops with your favorite side dish.
It’s that easy. Bon appétit!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
