Pan Seared Pork Chops with Garlic Butter and Cider Pan Sauce

Why is a slightly pink pork chop safe at 145°F?

For decades the standard advice was to cook pork to 160°F, and plenty of people still picture a pork chop as gray all the way through. In 2011 the USDA lowered its recommendation for whole cuts. The USDA safe minimum temperature chart now lists 145°F for pork steaks, chops and roasts, followed by a 3 minute rest. At that point the center is juicy and faintly pink, and the meat is safe to eat.

The rest counts as part of the cooking. Heat keeps moving from the hot outside toward the center, and that time at temperature does its share of the work. Ground pork is different. Grinding spreads surface bacteria through the meat, which is why the safe internal cooking temperatures for sausage and burgers sit at 160°F rather than where a chop does.

Color is a poor guide in either direction, so use an instant read thermometer pushed in from the side, away from the bone. Bone conducts heat differently and gives a false reading if the probe touches it.

Bone in vs boneless: which chop sears better?

Bone in rib chops are the better choice for searing. The bone slows the heat near the center, giving the crust a little more time to form, and the rib chop carries a strip of fat and some darker meat that stay juicier than lean loin. Look for chops 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick with pale pink meat and creamy white fat. Thin chops, the 1/2 inch kind sold in value packs, overcook before they brown.

Center cut loin chops, with the T shaped bone, have a lean loin side and a small piece of tenderloin. They're good but cook unevenly, because the tenderloin side finishes first. Boneless chops work with this method if they're thick, though they'll be done a minute or two sooner, so check them early.

Heritage breeds such as Berkshire have more marbling and a deeper color, and they're more forgiving if you go a few degrees over. Supermarket pork labeled enhanced has been injected with a salt solution. Skip the dry brine for those, or they'll taste too salty.

How long do pork chops take to sear by thickness?

Thickness matters far more than weight. These totals assume a preheated skillet over medium high heat and chops straight from the fridge, and they count the fat render, the sear and the butter baste together.

Start checking the temperature 2 minutes before the low end of the range. Pull the chops at 140°F, since a thick chop climbs about 5 degrees as it sits on the board. Rest them 5 minutes before slicing. That brings them to the USDA minimum and gives them the full 3 minute rest with time to spare.

Does dry brining pork chops make a difference?

Yes, and it costs you nothing but time. Salt first pulls moisture to the surface, dissolves in it, then gets drawn back into the meat over about 45 minutes, seasoning it deeper than salt sprinkled on at the last second. Left uncovered on a rack in the fridge, the surface dries too, and a dry surface browns faster.

• 45 minutes: enough for the salt to soak back in. The surface may look slightly damp, so pat it dry before cooking.
• 4 to 24 hours: deeper seasoning and a drier surface. This is the best option if you can plan a day ahead.
• Right before cooking: fine when you're short on time, as long as the chops go straight into the pan.

A wet brine in salt water also keeps lean pork juicy, but it leaves the surface waterlogged and the crust suffers. With a thermometer in hand you don't need that insurance. Use about 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt per chop, or a little less fine table salt, which packs more salt into each spoonful.

Rendering the fat cap and basting with butter

Rib chops have a band of fat along one edge, and a few minutes of flat searing won't render it. Before laying the chops down, grip them together with tongs and stand them on that fat edge in the hot pan. In about 2 minutes the fat turns golden and crisp and leaves behind a spoonful of rendered pork fat for the sear.

Then lay them flat and leave them for 3 minutes. The underside should be deep golden and release without tugging; if it sticks, give it another 30 seconds. Flip, sear 2 minutes, and lower the heat to medium before the butter goes in, or the milk solids will scorch.

Tilt the skillet so the melted butter pools on one side with the garlic and thyme, and spoon it over the chops in steady passes. Flipping every minute or so cooks them evenly from both sides, and the foaming butter browns the crust a shade further. Keep basting until the thermometer reads 140°F at the thickest point.

What goes into a cider pan sauce?

Apple and pork go together because the fruit's acidity cuts the richness. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat, keep the browned bits, and soften a minced shallot for a minute over medium heat. Add unfiltered apple cider and a splash of chicken stock, scrape the pan, and boil for 3 to 4 minutes until it's reduced by about half and looks syrupy at the edges. Whisk in Dijon and the juices from the resting board.

Off the heat, swirl in a tablespoon of cold butter until the sauce turns glossy. A teaspoon of cider vinegar sharpens it if your cider was sweet. Taste, then salt.

Slice the chops off the bone and fan them on warm plates with the sauce spooned over. Crispy Brussels sprouts can roast while the chops salt, and garlic mashed potatoes soak up any extra sauce.