Tender Pan Seared Pork Chops | How-To Brine

Easy Tender Pan Seared Pork Chops is a great recipe and technique to add to your weekly menu. We'll cover a few options below to take this easy recipe over the top.

I love creating posts that help lower the burden of weeknight dinner plans, made honestly easy. Weeknight dinner plans are easy for the sake of being easy. 

If you love pork as much as we do, you might want to check out our Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs post.

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How Do I Sear Pork Chops?

To sear pork chops, start by patting the chops dry with a paper towel. Then, season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Next, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the pork chops in the pan.

Cook pork chops for 2-3 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful not to overcook the pork chops, as they will become tough.

The USDA states an internal temperature of 145, but chefs have widely accepted that an internal temperature of 140 is safe in recent years. When cooking for someone with any health issues I encourage you to cook to 145.

Be careful to remove them at an internal temperature of 141 and allow the pork chops to rest; during this rest time, the pork chops will finish cooking off the heat and come to 145.

I have great memories of eating Mom's thin-cut bone-in pork chops, dredged in seasoned flour and pan-fried. Boneless pork chops are great, too; do not cook them as long.

The recipe we are working on today has some great eating points. The pork chop recipe is gluten-free and not deep-fried. The flavor profile is ramped up with fresh herbs and an easy spice rub.

One thing is for sure: when you cook with fresh herbs & quality spices, whatever you're cooking is on a one-way ticket to flavor town.

Equipment

• Cast Iron Pan
• Stainless Steel Skillet (optional)
• Roasting pan with a wire rack (optional)
• Kitchen Tongs
• Plastic Bag (for the brine)

Best Cuts of Pork For Searing

The best cuts of pork for searing are those that have a fair amount of marbling and a bit of fat. This will help to ensure that the pork is cooked evenly and stays moist. Some good options include the loin, the rib roast, and the tenderloin.

💭 How To Brine Pork Chops

Let's talk about our simple brine. I want you to think about Sunday fried chicken after church. Probably some of the best memories you have around the dinner table.

Grandma's untold magical secret to the best country fried chicken?

The answer is they brine the chicken overnight. in simple salt, sometimes plus sugar. #grandmasfriedchicken

A simple mixture of equal parts sugar and salt does something you could say is nothing short of a food miracle. The main reason you would want to brine anything is to add moisture. The meat becomes moister by the process of osmosis. Another reason people started brining meats is to extend the shelf life of the meat.

When meats are submerged in a liquid such as water /salt/sugar, it creates the perfect seal around the food, protecting it from the air and from denaturing. Hence the longer shelf life.

📋 Pork Chop Brine Recipe

• 4 Cups of water (add water to the same container the pork will end up inside the refrigerator)
• 12-15 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme, Dried works also, crush the thyme in your hands first to release the natural oils
• 5 Garlic Cloves minced
• ½ Cup of Salt ( The salt is the main ingredient that creates the additional moisture in the pork; fantastic use of salt, right? But it works all so well...and the pork will not be salty
• ½ Cup of Sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground Black Pepper

Side Note- The Brine:  You could bring the brine water to a boil, then turn it off, then add your brine ingredients, and cool it down over an ice bath. This step is not required this time; the reason is the pork will have enough time to absorb the flavors. Yet, bringing it to a boil does offer a more robust brine flavor.

Allow the pork to sit overnight and let the brine do its magic. Do not store for more than 2 days as the salt and sugar will start to break down the protein and become too soft and salty. Once out of the brine, rinse off under cold water, then get the pork chops as dry as possible with a paper towel.

🧂  Pork Spice Rub

Ok, the pork has been brining for a minimum of 2 hours or, best - one day; now, it's time to move over to phase two, the spice rub.

Rub Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme
• 4 cloves of Garlic minced/pasted ( Pasting- Smash the garlic with your knife, crushing the cellular walls in the garlic, Increasing flavor profile doing this ). Run your knife flat over the garlic on a cutting board to paste. You can add some coarse salt to help the pasting process.
• 5 Star Anise  (Crush with the bottom of a bowl ) ( If you can't find star anise in the store, do not use it, no problem)
• 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds ( Crush with the Star Anise )
• 1 tablespoon Paprika
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder

The flavor is going to be heavenly. I was really impressed the first time I made this. I got the marinate idea from Chef Gordon Ramsey. ( He's really not as mean as people think he is due to the show Hells Kitchen; he's a strong family man and former professional soccer star from the UK )

Add the "patted dry pork chops" to the spice rub, then into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes overnight is best. Place inside a plastic bag.

Photo of Star Anise

This is so easy, people. Set your oven to 225 degrees or the lowest setting. Generally, pork chops will overcook in seconds, which is why the low temperature is 225 degrees.

On the stovetop, heat a pan to medium-high heat, closer to medium heat. Add olive oil to the pan (4-5 Tbsp) (I like cast iron here; it helps achieve a better crust). Don't just use butter; it will burn. The milk solids in the butter want to burn at high temperatures. You could use clarified butter.

The second option is adding butter to the pan and basting the pork with the yummy butter once the pork chops come out of the oven.

Note: Remove as much of the spice rub leftover pieces as you can from the pork chops so they will not burn in the pan.

Add the pork to the pan, one at a time. Every piece you add to the pan causes the heat from the pan to drop. Add each piece of pork chop about 10-15 seconds apart.

Sear one side for about 2 minutes, then flip them over and start basing the pork chops with a spoon, covering the pork chops with the olive oil already in the pan. Add more if you like, even butter.

After both sides are seared, place the pork chops into the oven for 6 to 12 minutes or until you hit 140 internal temperature. The timing will vary depending on how thick the pork chops are purchased. Thick, thin, bone-in, bone-out makes a difference in cook time.

 Once out of the oven, remove the pork chops from the cooking tray or roasting pan and rest the pork for 3 minutes, covered with aluminum foil. Pork chops rest time is the key to tender juicy chops.

Sides For Easy Pan Seared Pork Chops

1. Roasted potatoes
2. Mashed Potatoes
3. Steamed broccoli
4. A simple salad
5. Roasted Brussels sprouts
6. Mashed sweet potatoes
7. Grilled asparagus
8. Fried rice
9. Quinoa salad
10. Roasted carrots
11. Baked sweet potato fries