The Basics: How to Pan-Fry Pork Chops

Published on Friday, May 22, 2009, by CHOW Food Team / Edit Post

From the store to the kitchen to the table: We outline the steps that get you from raw ingredients to your dinner tonight, free of measurements and complicated techniques. It’s a method you’ll remember and whip out whenever you like. It is the most basic way to make the thing you’re making.

  • WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
  • - an oven-safe frying pan, or a frying pan and a baking dish
  • - paper towels
  • - tongs or a spatula
  • - a meat thermometer
  • - aluminum foil
  • - two pork chops
  • - vegetable oil
  • - salt and pepper
  • - meat spice rub, dried ground cumin, ground sage, or ground mustard (optional)

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

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  • 1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (it will take at least 20 minutes to warm up). Let the pork chops come to room temperature while you are heating the oven. Coat the bottom of your frying pan with oil.

  • 2. Spread the oil around with a paper towel. Heat the pan over medium-high heat on the stove until the oil’s almost smoking, about four minutes.

  • 3. Meanwhile, season the chops generously with salt and pepper. Rub the spice rub, cumin, sage, or mustard on all sides of the chops, if using.

  • 4. Once the pan is hot, place the chops in the pan and cook for five to six minutes without moving. A nice brown crust should form. Flip the chops.

  • 5. If you’re using an oven-safe pan, transfer the pan to the oven. If you aren’t, place the chops, cooked side down, in a baking dish and transfer that to the oven.

  • 6. Roast until the chops are well browned, firm, and have an internal temperature between 135 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part, about five minutes. If the chops aren’t ready, put them back in for another five minutes and recheck. When they’re finished, remove the chops from the oven and loosely cover the pan with foil. Let the meat rest for two to five minutes before serving.

Illustrations by Bill Russell

ALLThe Basics
POST A COMMENT |12 Comments

COMMENT

  • deglaze the pan to make a sauce: when chop is removed from the pan & resting (don't ever cut into meat that just finished cooking- all the juices run out) - add some cream or milk or chicken broth to the still hot pan. stir it around & scrape up bottom bits & let it bubble until its a little thickened. pour it over the chop. (for milk or broth you may want to add a few pinches of flour to the pan...+READ

    deglaze the pan to make a sauce: when chop is removed from the pan & resting (don't ever cut into meat that just finished cooking- all the juices run out) - add some cream or milk or chicken broth to the still hot pan. stir it around & scrape up bottom bits & let it bubble until its a little thickened. pour it over the chop. (for milk or broth you may want to add a few pinches of flour to the pan b4 you add the liquid.)-COLLAPSE

  • The impressive pork chop with the long bone is frenched. I actually cooked some last night., that I bought at Trader Joe's.

  • Where is the pork chop with the long, curved bone? Like the kind you see on the front of Shake n' Bake or Oven Fry? Every chop you buy now has that little T-bone in it and frankly, I don't love the flavor of these. That curved bone chop is the best for pan frying. Am I crazy... does this pork chop exist? Is it a rib chop... WHAT IS IT????

  • I like to buy pork tenderloin, and cut slices that are about 1/2 - 1 inch thick. Follow the above for a delicious meal.

  • I confess that I haven't looked at all the comments, but those I did read did not mention that many pork chops are cut from the tougher part of 'la pig.
    To keep from having a disaster at the table, I buy a top loin and cut my own chops. No bone, and some may say that's where all the taste is, especially if you have bone suckers in your group. (who doesn't)?
    If you buy pork chops at the store...+READ

    I confess that I haven't looked at all the comments, but those I did read did not mention that many pork chops are cut from the tougher part of 'la pig.
    To keep from having a disaster at the table, I buy a top loin and cut my own chops. No bone, and some may say that's where all the taste is, especially if you have bone suckers in your group. (who doesn't)?
    If you buy pork chops at the store already cut, you can fry as indicated in the recipe, cut through one of the chops to see if it's edible, and if not, open a can of chicken broth, and steam those suckers for 15 -30 minutes. You can then make a gravy and top those chops, and they'll still be great, along with your favorite sides.-COLLAPSE

  • I only use the pan - Pork has enough fat that it does not need oil - when the edges of the pork chops are browning you turn them over (doesn't matter how thick or thin..it always works) - cook until there is no blood on top of the chop - If the pan is getting too hot drizzle 1/4 cup of water

  • I agree that it's supposed to be the basics. But if someone doesn't already know how to cook a pork chop, then how are they going to figure out on their own how to tweak the instructions?

    I use a method similar to buzzy715 that's waaaaaay simpler than the stove/oven method: heat a deep pan, brown the chop on each side for 30 seconds (I like my meat brown but not crusty -- crusty equals leathery...+READ

    I agree that it's supposed to be the basics. But if someone doesn't already know how to cook a pork chop, then how are they going to figure out on their own how to tweak the instructions?

    I use a method similar to buzzy715 that's waaaaaay simpler than the stove/oven method: heat a deep pan, brown the chop on each side for 30 seconds (I like my meat brown but not crusty -- crusty equals leathery to me -- if you like it crusty, you can do it longer), cover the pan and lower the heat to medium-low and cook for three-four minutes, turn and cook for another three-four minutes (depending on the thickness of the chop). Don't forget to let it rest! The covered, deep pan basically turns into a convection oven -- no need to waste time and energy heating up the big oven.

    Also, instead of using oil, I render a bit of the fat from the meat in the pan and use that -- for this chop, I just cut off a little piece of fat and let it "melt" in the pan. For chicken, if I'm going to take the skin off (if I'm going to slice and saute it) I render the skin: it's kind of scary how much fat comes out from a piece of chicken skin. As a bonus, you end up with a nice piece of chicken crackling. For a steak, I usually hold the steak fat-edge down in the pan for 30 seconds or so until enough fat renders out to coat the pan. You get the best flavor out of the meat when you cook it in its own fat.-COLLAPSE

  • This is similar to Alton Brown's way to cook a steak. For beef you crank up the heat under the pan so it's smmookin' first.
    You are searing the outside quickly in the hot pan to give "the Browning", and finish roasting it in the oven to keep it tender & moist. A cast iron pan does well for this. A simple method that works a treat!

  • 'two pork chops" seems pretty vague, particularly since pan-frying is a pretty horrendous technique for some cuts. I do agree with other comments that there should be discussion of the chops' size/thickness, because
    1. you don't need to bake a thin cut chop--browning both sides thoroughly is sufficient--leading to leathery chops & disappointment and
    2. it's darn difficult to get a meat...+READ

    'two pork chops" seems pretty vague, particularly since pan-frying is a pretty horrendous technique for some cuts. I do agree with other comments that there should be discussion of the chops' size/thickness, because
    1. you don't need to bake a thin cut chop--browning both sides thoroughly is sufficient--leading to leathery chops & disappointment and
    2. it's darn difficult to get a meat thermometer into a thin chop horizontally.
    kind of disappointing: other "The Basics" I've seen have been excellent.-COLLAPSE

  • Ok, for sticklers of information you must have overlooked the description at the top of the page: "free of measurements and complicated techniques".

    The idea here is to give you the basic technique so you can figure it out on your own. It's exhausting to depend on recipes for everything...especially how much oil is required to brown a chop. Use your imagination and/or common sense, it's much...+READ

    Ok, for sticklers of information you must have overlooked the description at the top of the page: "free of measurements and complicated techniques".

    The idea here is to give you the basic technique so you can figure it out on your own. It's exhausting to depend on recipes for everything...especially how much oil is required to brown a chop. Use your imagination and/or common sense, it's much more fun and then if you're lucky you'll have lucky accidents every now and then and before you know it you'll be writing your own recipes and sending them to your friends:)-COLLAPSE

  • The chops must not be very thick. I buy a big thick bone-in chop from Whole Foods a few times a month, and I generally do a minute a side on high, five minutes a side on medium low (covered), and then covered in a 350 oven for about 5 minutes.

  • Two issues come to mind.
    1. How thick are the pork chops?
    2. Your drawing of an oven proof fry pan looks like an old fashion cast iron pan, if so would you be applying to much heat, thus over cooking the chops.

    Otherwise I like the recipe.