One of my favorite ways to cook a pork chop is to do a traditional apple pork chop. I am not sure what it is but since pork is a sweet meat it goes so well with apples. The key to cooking a great juicy pork chop is taking the time to properly prepare your pork chop then just make sure to NOT over cook it. Here is what I do:
- Buy bone in or boneless pork chop that is from the rib section, not the loin.
- Make sure your pork chop is at least 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick. It will shrink during cooking so you need a nice thick pork chop or else you will end up with a pancake thin pork chop that is dry.
- In a pot add 3 cups of unfiltered apple juice, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg, 1 tsp whole black pepper corn, 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup of sugar. Heat pot with contents until it comes to a boil then remove from the heat and add in one cup of ice to bring brine temperature down.
- Add pork chops to the apple juice brine and refrigerate over night.
- When you are ready to cook remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Then pound your meat to help tenderize the meat. Make sure not to pound too hard to flatten the meat, you just want to tenderize it a bit (1 inch thick pork chop should not be pounded to more than 3/4 inch thick).
- In a cast iron skillet add a little cooking oil and crack up to high heat. Once hot, add in your pork chop(s). Make sure not to crowed the pan, so each pork chop needs at least 1 inch of room in between itself and the next pork chop. Cook on high until a nice brown crust forms. Once a nice crust forms flip your pork chop and keep on high heat until both sides have a nice brown crust. Reduce heat down to low and continue cooking until internal temperature is 138 degrees F. Remove your pork chops from the heat and let them rest on a plate covered in foil for at least 10 minutes.
- While pork chops are resting cut up an apple into 1/2inch thick slices and cook with medium heat in butter and brown sugar. Cook until apples are soft. At the end of cooking add in 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and a pinch of fresh ground nutmeg. Serve your pork chops and add your apples on top. Enjoy with a ice cold beer!
- Sirloin Pork Chop – This cut has multiple muscle groups in it and it has a lot of connective tissue so it is not ideal of pan frying as a pork chop. This peice of meat requires braising (low temp cooking with liquid). This part of the pig is closest to the back leg so it does a lot of work and is a tough piece of meat.
Derrick Chan
Sr. Manager eCommerce Innovation at Taco Bell
Ever since I was 5 years old my mom had me helping out in the kitchen.So it didn’t come as a surprise that I ended up loving food.Whether eating, cooking, smelling, seeing, or reviewing I enjoy all aspects of food.
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