Reverse Sear Garlic Pork Chops
March 24, 2018
Introduction
Pork chops are a classic, but we’ve created a new way to cook up an old favorite. These are the juiciest, most tender pork chops you’ll ever eat!
Growing up, I didn’t care much for pork chops. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed them, but they were never really a favorite. I’ll put it this way: I never begged my mom to make pork chops for dinner. But recently, a whole new world has opened up to me – a world where pork chops are delicious!
The Seasoning
I’ve always heard that the seasonings make the dish, and I think that is true. You can make an old boot appetizing if you season it properly. Okay, maybe not quite, but you get the idea. The same is true when it comes to pork chops. For this recipe, we didn’t use anything unusual for seasoning. We used salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder (basically, the classics). In addition to the seasonings, we drizzled these pork chops with some olive oil and threw in a handful of uncapped garlic cloves. It made all the difference!
Baking Them
It seems like the standard way to make pork chops is in the oven. That is also the case here, at least to begin. We baked these in a medium sized dish at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes (cook time depends on thickness). This allowed some of the natural fats to melt and the chops were able to marinate in their own juices. Naturally, the result is juicy, flavorful, and tender pork chops!
Searing Them
It seems that searing pork chops is not a common practice, and to be honest, that makes me a little sad. When you sear a pork chop, just like when you sear a steak, you end up with a crispy, flavorful crust. Trust me, it makes all the difference. We seared these pork chops in the hottest cast iron skillet we could find for about 60 seconds on each side. Then, once both sides were seared, we took the skillet off the heat and poured in the juices that were left behind in the dish we originally baked them in. Then we let them simmer for about 60 seconds. In some ways, this almost defeats the point of the sear. I’ll admit, some of the crunchiness of the sear is lost when you pour the juices in. However, trust me when I say that it is totally worth it!
The juices penetrate the chop, but the top of the cuts (the part that is untouched by the juices) remain dry and crispy. It really is the perfect combination!
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Enjoy!