I bought a ton of boneless pork chops the other day. Now, while I’m looking forward to trying out all the recipes I’ve found on recipezaar, what I really need is a basic pork chop recipe/method for those nights when I just wanna throw a chop in a pan and eat 'em up.
So, what’s your fall-back, standard pork chop recipe?
As a side note (snerk), what’s your favorite side for pork chops?
Our “not really trying” pork chop recipe is to marinade them in Jack Daniels marinade (it comes in pouches - very convenient!) and slap them on the grill. Nothing fancy at all. As sides, we’ll either do Twice-Baked Potatoes, or greens. If we feel like cooking, then collards cooked down with fatback. If we just feel like eating, then greens from a can. Glory makes some decent ones. There’s just something about pork and greens that stirs my Southern soul.
It can be really hard to beat just throwing a little garlic olive oil in the pan and some Lawry’s salt on the chop and frying the pork chop.
I am also quite fond of Shake and Bake’s pork chop breading.
Another old standby that takes a little bit more work is pan fry the chops to brown them then throw them in a casserole for a while with a can of mushroom soup on top of them. (this I always serve with white rice and peas. I think it is law or something.)
As to what to serve with chops. Apple sauce is nice, as is almost anything a little sweet. I also like corn on the cob, but I would probably eat corn on the cob with anything.
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, hickory smoke grill.
Boom.
This thread is being printed out and stuck to my fridge.
Yay!!!
Dry them, dip them in an egg/milk mix, and then a bread crumb mix (add parmesan and Italian spices if you want to get fancy). Saute in a pan 5 minutes to a side, then stick the whole pan with them into an oven at 325 for 25 minutes.
(it’s what I’m having for dinner tonight)
Do what **TommyTutone **did, but add some marinara to the baking pan, with a bit on top, and a sprinkling of mozzarella. Serve with bowties and some extra marinara, with a ton of parmesan. Green salad and crusty bread. Yum!
Warning: stoopid question -> I don’t know if any of my pans can be put in the oven. What are the rules?
(I do have pans, of course, that I can transfer the chops to, but figured since we’re on the topic… I have fairly inexpensive non-stick pans and one grill pan, but no iron, for example.)
Don’t use any of those in the oven. Go to the store and get yourself some cast iron.
(Meekly: That’s what I thought, but whadda I know??? Thanks for steering me of a fire… )
My quick and easy method for braising pork chops is a can of pineapple (juice and all) and about a third of cup of soy sauce. Put it in a baking dish, put the chops in it, cover, and into the oven on 350 for about thirty minutes (though that will vary with the size and thickness of the chop).
I don’t add any oil. I take a bit of the pork fat and wipe it around the hot pan. Then start frying in it’s own juice, just as you would fry a hamburger.
Give a nudge now and then so it won’t stick. Just like a burger, when the juices run clear turn it over.
I find pork chops to be nice light meat.
I like to cut it up into narrow short strips and stir fry them. It makes a nice stir fry meat.
The pork chops my family requests most often is the simplest and most ‘comfort food’ way I prepare them. I season the chops (almost always boneless pork loin) with kosher salt, coarse grind pepper, garlic powder and sage and then pan fry them in about 4 tablespoons of butter. The pork fat, butter and sage makes a really awesome pan gravy.
wash 'em, flour 'em, salt & pepper 'em, and toss 'em in frying pan full of hot oil. Fry until deep golden brown. Done.
Make rice in whatever usual way you make rice. Or biscuits if you are a maker of biscuits.
After removing chops from hot oil, pour most of it off (saving it for NEXT time you want to fry) leaving 2-3 tbsp oil+ fragments of fried-up flour that fell off chops; toss in 2 tbsp fresh flour and stir it and fry it until it, too, starts to brown. Reduce heat. Pour in milk 1/4 cup or so, a bit at a time, stir into mixture. Think of the desired gravy consistency: if this looks too thin to be good gravy, stir a bit more flour. If this looks too thick, stir in a bit more milk. When it looks about right, take it up. Pour over rice or biscuits.
Hellfire
On a plate, sprinkle on both sides with salt and plenty of pepper and lots of dry mustard, patting the spices onto the meat with a fork. Drizzle your favorite hot sauce (I like that Asian chili garlic sauce, but Tabasco is fine) over the chops, again patting it on with a fork. These are best grilled. The mustard and hot sauce really meld and complement each other.
This is pretty much what I do. Pork chops, biscuits, gravy, and eggs makes a damn fine breakfast, or brinner. The gravy does double duty, in that it tastes great, and if you accidentally overcook the chops, they won’t seem as dry. I am now kicking myself for not getting pork chops last time we went grocery shopping.
Butter, fresh minced garlic, coarse sea salt or kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
Can I inquire to the OP, what thickness pork chops are we discussing? Those 1/4" very thin pork chops, vs the 1/2" medium-thick kind, vs the 1 to 1-1/2" kind? I’ve seen all three at my grocer, and the butcher will gladly sell you very thick 2" or more pork chops. All of those sizes lend themselves to slightly different cooking approaches.
This takes some time for the marinating, but it’s awesome:
1 - 2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil
Combine all the above in a shallow bowl to make a paste. Press both sides of your pork chops into the rosemary paste, then pop them into a ziplock and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Panfry in a hot pan, 2 - 4 minutes per side.
I think the above recipe provides a rub for 4 1" thick chops, but I’ve made it with just 2 as well. It’s pretty flexible.
I usually serve with oven roasted potatoes: 2ish pounds of potatoes cut into small wedges, 1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix, 1/3 cup olive oil. Combine all three in a big ziplock, pour into a shallow pan, roast at 450 for 40ish minutes.
Fantastic!