chops

Not all pork chops are created equal. Several of my devoted readers have far more experience with this than I do, and as always, plenty of others have written about this on the internet. In fact I found a pretty good description of all the different cuts here. I'll let you read that if you want, but in the meantime here are a few basic rules to ensure you get a perfectly cooked chop at home.

1. Fat is good - very good. Fat provides flavor and moisture. It'll reduce the likelihood of overcooking and will help you get a nice crust on your chop. Look for a well marbled cut, usually from the end of the loin closest to the shoulder - the blade chop or blade loin. This is typically a cheaper cut anyway. The completely lean pink pork chops will invariably be dry. If you are watching your weight, just eat less of it, but at least this way you make it count!

2. Salt is good. You can brine your chop or roast, but then its hard to achieve a nice exterior crust. In my opinion its better to salt immediately before you cook the meat. Be generous with the salt, though if you salt the chop too early, the salt will draw the moisture out of the chop and you'll get a drier chop and find it harder to get a nice crust.

3. Bones are good. Bones add flavor. That's why we make stock out of them. They also help prevent overcooking. Boneless chops are not the end of the world, but if you have a choice, bone-in will yield a better tasting chop.

4. Thick is good. Do not buy those paper thin chops. That's a recipe for disaster, they'll be dry before you know it. A nice thick 1.5"-2" chop is perfect. If that's too much for one person, slice it later and give each person part of a chop. A thicker chop gives you more control over the internal temperature of the meat.

5. Bring your chop to room temperature before cooking it. Let it sit out of the fridge for up to an hour. This makes it easier to cook it through properly without having to burn the outside. If you have flies at your house, you'll probably want it to be covered!

6. Most good restaurants will cook the chops on a hot skillet with a fat to get a crispy salty golden exterior and then finish it in a 400-450F oven until it reaches the desired doneness.This is a great way to cook chops, but you might want to open the windows if you don't have a commercial grade vent. You don't need the skillet to be smoking, in fact i find that a medium hot to hot pan is perfect. Just don't touch the chop until its crisp. You can use a non-stick skillet, but you'll get better results with a stainless steel or cast iron skillet.

7. The wonderful USDA recommends cooking pork to 160F. This will result in terribly dry meat. Use a thermometer and pull your meat when the center (or close to the bone if it's bone in) reads 135F.

8. Resting the meat after cooking is critical. After you pull it off the heat, let it rest 10 minutes. The chop will continue to cook to about 145F on its own. The meat will also be more likely to retain its juices once you cut into it. You'll get a slightly pink interior that is juicy and flavorful that way.

Enjoy!