Former FTY contributor and force of nature Shannon Hayes shared her pork primer with us a few years ago. Here is her go-to recipe for juicy pork chops, taken from her cookbook, Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lover’s Guide to Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies, and Living Deliciously:
I never had very good luck turning out a consistently juicy and tender pan-cooked pork chop until I came across this technique, adapted from Bruce Aidell’s Complete Book of Pork. Now I have success every time.
Ingredients:
2 bone-in pork rib or sirloin chops, 1¼-inches thick
3 large cloves fresh garlic, 1 minced and 2 peeled but left whole
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup broth
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Blot the chops dry.
Melt 2 T of butter in a large skillet, then stir the garlic, thyme, black pepper and salt.
Brush this on the chops and allow them to come to room temperature.
Put the whole garlic cloves and broth in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the garlic is soft and the broth is reduced by half, about 15 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, heat the skillet over a medium-high flame.
Add the remaining butter and swirl to coat the pan.
Add the chops and sear 2-3 minutes, or until browned on the bottom.
Turn and cook 2 minutes longer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. The chops should still be sputtering. If you don’t hear this sound, the heat is too low, and your chops run the risk of sweating, which causes them to dry out. Once you hear a gentle sizzle, cover and cook until the chops reach an internal temperature between 145-to-160-degrees, depending on how done you like them, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the chops to a platter and allow the meat to rest while you prepare the pan sauce.
Using a fork, thoroughly mash the softened garlic into the reduced broth.
Return the skillet to a medium flame, then pour in the garlic reduction and bring it to a simmer, gently scraping up the browned bits from the pan.
Simmer until the liquid is reduced by one third.
Stir in the bourbon, simmer a minute more, then whisk in the mustard and cream.
Pour over the chops and serve.
