One of the tastiest ways to make pork chops is to pan-sear them. I made these for dinner this week, and they were phenomenal. I have always loved pork chops. As a little girl, my mom and dad would serve them to me and my sister with apple sauce, mashed potatoes, corn, and broccoli. I ate every single bite. Making pork chops certainly brings back fond childhood memories.
For this recipe, I decided to cook the pork chops differently than my parents did. I used bone-in pork chops and decided to make an herby Italian dry rub for them. To do so, I finely chopped up some fresh sage and rosemary that I had in my fridge. Then, I added it to a bowl and mixed it with a little bit of garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. It was the perfect combination!
Afterward, I added the seasoned herb mixture to the pork chops. Then, I generously coated them with some grape seed oil. I placed the herb-seasoned pork chops in a hot skillet with some more grape seed oil. As a simple rule of thumb, when you place the pork chops in the pan you should hear a sizzle. That is how you know that they are getting a good sear.
I gave them a good sear for about 5 minutes per side. They were able to get nicely browned and cooked all the way through. Be sure to sear the sides of each pork chop for about 2 minutes as well. I find the best part of the pork chop to be the fatty part. It is so good and if seasoned right, like these pork chops, it is full of flavor!
Once cook time was over, I used an internal thermometer to make sure the inside of each pork chop reached 145° F. 145° F is the temperature that pork must reach for it to be edible and safely consumed. I then removed the chops from the pan and placed them on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Be sure that you allow the pork chops to rest. Do not squeeze out any juices. This helps them to stay juicy.
Serve this with some mashed potatoes, cabbage, or Brussels sprouts, and you have yourself a delicious and quick meal. I hope you enjoy this recipe and keep it in your rotation. Happy Cooking and Eating!