With this trick, you’ll always fry perfectly juicy pork chops
If you can get pork chops from, for example, LIVAR (Limburg Monastery Pigs) or an organic pig farm from a butcher, then that’s the best choice as far as we’re concerned. At the supermarket, you should look for a two- or three-star Beter Leven quality mark. And when you’re going to fry those chops in a pan at home, you have to promise us one thing:
You must NOT cut off the fat! That’s a really terrible idea, but apparently there are people who do it anyway. What a waste! That strip of fat is a source of flavor, and it will help you fry those chops even juicier and more deliciously.
Perfectly cooked yet still pink
We think people who believe pork chops are tough and stringy meat have never eaten a perfectly cooked one. It’s easy to overcook this meat, because of the misconception that pork needs to be cooked through just like, for example, chicken. Pork does indeed carry a risk of salmonella or MRSA contamination, but you can eat it cooked pink (though never as rare as steak). And we can’t say it often enough: measuring is knowing. With a meat thermometer, you can keep a close eye on exactly when your pork has reached the minimum temperature of 60° C, at which point you’re out of the danger zone, and then remove it from the pan. Let it rest for a little while afterward.
On its side
And the golden tip regarding that strip of fat? Use a frying pan with a slightly higher raised edge. First sear one side of the chop until golden brown over high heat, then lower the heat to medium-high and turn the meat onto its side with tongs (on the fat edge). Let it rest against the side of the pan so you can gently ‘draw out’ the fat. Now place the uncooked side of the meat in the ‘extra’ fat that has been released, so it absorbs all those delicious flavors again.
The last bits
If you’re worried that the meat will curl up, you can also make a few cuts in the fat before the meat goes into the pan. Make sure you have enough roasted potatoes, or a piece of bread with a sturdy crust, to mop up all that delicious gravy from your plate later.
Read also:
- The right internal temperature for every cut of meat
- This is what we ate in the ’60s, part one
- Bizarre: this fake meat is almost indistinguishable from real meat (and comes from a printer?!)
