What’s the best way to get juicy pork chops when cooking indoors? The pork we buy today is very lean compared to what we used to get, unless you buy heritage pork. Because the meat is so lean, we have to adjust our cooking technique so we don’t end up with chops that have the consistency of shoe leather.

Keep in mind that most of us cook our pork way too long because we were told to cook our pork until it was well done many years ago. Things have changed and today, we only need to cook pork until it reaches 145 degrees F just like beef, veal and lamb.

Ingredients for Juicy Pork Chops

Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of oregano
1 garlic clove
¼ cup Olive oil
2 pork chops ¾ to 1 inch thick

Directions

  • Take your pork chops out of the fridge and let them come up to room temperature before you start cooking.
  • Mince the garlic and toss it into the olive oil along with a bit of thyme and oregano for 15 minutes or so to flavour the oil.
  • Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Scrape the chops clean with a butter knife and then pat them dry with a paper towel.
  • Brush both sides of the chops with the flavoured olive oil and then salt and pepper both sides as well. Keep a bit of oil to brush the chops just before you place them in the oven.
  • Take a heavy cast iron or stainless steel frying pan and pre-heat on medium heat stove.
  • As you place each chop into the frying pan, hold the fat side of each chop on the hot frying pan to brown the edge and move it enough to grease the pan where that chop will sit. Repeat for the second chop.
  • Just sear the first side for about 30 seconds to seal in the juices and then flip them onto the other side for about 2 minutes until they brown. Flip them back onto the first side for about 1 ½ minutes until browned.
  • Flip the chops once more and brush the top with the leftover oil and spices and put the uncovered frying pan in a preheated oven for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how well done you like your meat.

Remember the meat will keep cooking a bit when you take it out of the oven, so adjust accordingly.

Try leaving it a bit pink and check with a thermometer – 145 degrees F is all you need!

Delicious and simple! Garnish with a sprig of fresh herb and a few peppercorns and serve with a salad and some fresh green beans.