Pork chops are great for cooking on the stovetop. There are several ways you can make meat juicier. Here are the methods to try.
Ingredients
Pork chop saute
Servings: 4
- 4 pork chops
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) garlic or onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried herbs (parsley, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, or oregano)
Pickled and pan-fried pork chops
Servings: 4
- 4 pork chops
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter or vegetable oil
Braised pork chops
Servings: 4
- 4 pork chops
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry Italian seasoning mixture
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable or olive oil
- 1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
Fried pork chops
Servings: 4
- 4 pork chops
- 6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) paprika
- 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (250 ml) flour
- 1 egg
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Pork Chop Saute
Step 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet
Add butter or olive oil to the skillet, place on the stove over medium heat, and heat until the butter melts or warms up and covers the entire bottom of the skillet.
Step 2. Season the pork chops on both sides
Sprinkle both sides of the chops with equal amounts of salt, black pepper, dried herbs, and garlic or onion powder. Rub gently to allow the spices to penetrate the meat.
Step 3. Place the pork chops in the hot skillet
Cook for 2 minutes on each side, until the meat is browned.
As you know, pork chops dry when cooking, but there are several ways to solve this problem. Roasting meat quickly is one of the easiest ways. Roasting creates a barrier on the surface of the meat and all juices remain in the chops
Step 4. Fry until tender
Reduce heat to medium, cover skillet and cook chops for another 5-10 minutes.
- To determine if pork chops are actually safe to eat, pierce the center of the thickest pork chop with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of a chop must be at least 63 degrees Celsius to be safe to eat.
- If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can determine if the chop is done by cutting it in the thickest part. If the meat is white, it can be eaten.
Step 5. Serve hot
Let the pork chops sit for about 3 minutes, then transfer to serving plates and enjoy.
Method 2 of 4: Pickled and Pan-Fried Pork Chops
Step 1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the apple cider vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper.
- If you're worried that the bag might leak out as soon as you add the pork, place it on a large plate or small baking dish.
- If you don't have a bag that is tight or large enough, combine the marinade in a small glass baking dish.
Step 2. Place the pork chops in the marinade, close the bag and shake it lightly to marinade the meat thoroughly
If using a glass dish, place the pork in it and turn it over several times to soak the meat from all sides. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil
Step 3. Marinate pork chops for 4-8 hours
Place the pork chops in the refrigerator and turn the bag or meat over every few hours to ensure an even marinating process.
Generally, the longer you marinate the meat, the softer it will be. However, if you marinate for too long, the meat will become tough. Try not to marinate pork for longer than 8-12 hours
Step 4. Heat oil in a skillet
Add butter or olive oil to the skillet, place on the stove over medium heat, and heat until the butter melts or warms up and covers the entire bottom of the skillet.
Step 5. Fry the chopped garlic
Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. It should become fragrant and lightly browned.
Stir the garlic constantly as it cooks. Garlic fries quickly and can burn easily if you don't follow it. If this happens, remove the pan from heat, wait for it to cool, discard the garlic and oil, and start over
Step 6. Saute the pork chops until tender
Cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side.
- To determine if pork chops are actually safe to eat, pierce the center of the thickest pork chop with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of a chop must be at least 63 degrees Celsius to be safe to eat.
- If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can determine if the chop is done by cutting it in the thickest part. If the meat is white, it can be eaten.
- Note that the colored marinade can tint the meat, so it won't look white when cooked. However, as long as the pork does not look pink and firm on the inside, it can be safely eaten.
Step 7. Serve hot
Let the pork chops sit for about 3 minutes, then transfer to serving plates and enjoy.
Method 3 of 4: Braised Pork Chops
Step 1. Heat oil in a skillet
Add butter or olive oil to the skillet and place on the stove over medium heat until the butter melts or warms up and covers the entire bottom of the skillet.
Step 2. Season the pork chops on both sides
Sprinkle both sides of the chops with equal amounts of salt, pepper and Italian seasoning mixture. Rub gently to allow the spices to penetrate the meat.
Step 3. Place the pork chops in the hot skillet
Cook for 2 minutes on each side, until the meat is browned.
The roasting and braising process prevents moisture loss. The fried surface does not allow the meat juice to come out, and the stewing saturates the meat with additional moisture during the cooking process
Step 4. Add chicken broth
Pour the stock into a skillet and bring to a steady boil.
Cook the chops in the broth at a full boil for 30-60 seconds. During this time, the broth will completely warm up
Step 5. Cook until tender
Cover skillet with lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the chops for 20-25 minutes.
- To determine if pork chops are actually safe to eat, pierce the center of the thickest pork chop with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of a chop must be at least 63 degrees Celsius to be safe to eat.
- If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can determine if the chop is done by cutting it in the thickest part. If the meat is white, it can be eaten.
- Note that colored broth can color the meat. However, as long as the pork does not look pink and firm on the inside, it can be safely eaten.
Step 6. Serve hot
Let the pork chops sit for about 3 minutes, then transfer to serving plates and enjoy.
Method 4 of 4: Grilled Pork Chops
Step 1. Heat oil in a large skillet
Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed skillet and heat it over medium-high heat until it reaches 180 degrees Celsius.
- Check the temperature with a pastry thermometer that can handle high levels of heat.
- You can also use a deep fat fryer for this cooking method, but you can fry pork chops in breadcrumbs and in a heavy skillet.
Step 2. Combine flour and seasonings in a shallow bowl
Gently combine flour, red pepper, salt, garlic powder and black pepper until smooth.
Step 3. Whisk eggs and buttermilk together
Add the egg and buttermilk to a shallow bowl and beat for 30 to 60 seconds, until a uniform color is formed.
If dark yellow streaks of egg yolk are still visible in the mixture, continue beating. The egg and buttermilk should be blended as thoroughly as possible
Step 4. Dip the pork chops in the flour mixture
In turn, thoroughly coat each chop in flour and shake off excess mixture.
This mixture helps to set the egg mixture. You may not need to apply the first layer of flour, but in the end, the layer of dough may simply slip off the fried chops
Step 5. Dip in the egg mixture
Dip each chop in turn in the egg and buttermilk mixture. Hold the meat over a bowl for a few seconds to drain off excess eggs.
Buttermilk helps preserve the juiciness of the chop and also binds the coating during the roasting process
Step 6. Cover with flour again
Again, dip each piece of meat in the flour mixture in turn and shake off the excess.
This is the finishing layer, which will become a delicious crispy crust after roasting. If you want something even crunchier, roll the chops in breadcrumbs instead of flour when you apply the finishing coat
Step 7. Add pork chops to hot oil
Using long-handled tongs, gently dip each chop into the hot oil. Do not be alarmed if the oil sizzles immediately upon contact with the pork.
You can make the process easier by frying one or two chops at the same time. If you try to fry four at once, you may overload the pan and this will affect the end result
Step 8. Fry until tender
For each pork chop, you need 6-8 minutes.
- To determine if pork chops are actually safe to eat, pierce the center of the thickest pork chop with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of a chop must be at least 63 degrees Celsius to be safe to eat.
- If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can determine if the chop is done by cutting it in the thickest part. If the meat is white, it can be eaten.
Step 9. Remove excess fat and serve hot
Transfer the pork chops to several layers of paper towels or clean brown paper bags. Leave the chops for 3-5 minutes and then serve.
