What temperature should pork be cooked to?

It is generally recommended that pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F to be considered safe and to reduce the risk of food borne illness. That said, people do tend to overcook pork in the fear that not doing so will incur food poisoning and while I certainly want you to fully cook your pork - I'd love for you to keep things nice and juicy. To accomplish this, be sure to only cook it to that temperature, or if you don't measure (I don't measure), just until the interior is no longer visibly pink.

What is the secret to juicy pork chops?

As mentioned above, it's important to not overcook pork if you're interested in retaining its moisture and juiciness (the best part!). A pork chop can quickly go from one of the most delicious things to a sad, overly dry piece of meat that peaked before it was ever able to show off. So, just try to avoid overcooking your pork chops. An easy way to do this is to use a meat thermometer (145 degrees and no more!). Brining is also a really cool way to lock moisture in your chops. I have a recipe for moonshine brined chops in my first cookbook, Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest , if you're interested in that method.

Do pork chops need to rest?

Yes! They really do. Pork chops, especially thick-cut ones like these, will release much more liquid when they're really hot. That liquid will leave the chops if you cut them too soon, ending up all over your cutting board - which isn't what we want. But, if you let them rest for about 10 minutes before slicing, they will re-distribute all of those hot juices, and hang on to them better than they would have had you sliced into things too soon.

New! Amazing Caramelized Pork Chops with Fennel and Apples

Caramelized Pork Chops with Fennel and Apples

Print Recipe

Perfectly crusted in a sweet and salty spice blend, these thick-cut, bone-in pork chops are one of my go-to choices when I’m trying to treat myself (and any lucky others) without breaking the bank. If you don’t care for fennel, try skipping the toasted seeds in the crust and using smoked paprika instead. You can swap thinly sliced fresh radishes (any kid!) in for the fresh sliced fennel, and while it will have a different flavor profile – it will be smoky and peppery – it will still be a wonderful way to wield some beautiful chops.

Author: Lauren McDuffie

Ingredients

Units Scale

4 thick-cut, bone-in pork chops (about 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick is great)
Olive oil, as needed
Salt and pepper, as needed
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
2 to 3 teaspoons honey, or to taste
1 fennel bulb, very finely shaved (see note for substitutions)
1/2 Honeycrisp apple, thinly shaved/sliced (or any kind you love)
1/8 head of red cabbage, finely shredded (optional)
1/4 small red onion, thinly shaved/sliced
1/2 to 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (or goat cheese)
A couple handfuls of arugula
1 lemon

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Instructions

Pat the chops dry and coat them with a little olive oil. Season them well with salt and pepper all over.
Put the fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and barely golden; 2 to 3 minutes (the anise aroma will tell you they’re nice and toasty). Transfer the seeds to a cutting board or a spice grinder and, when cool enough, either chop or grind until they’re mostly broken down and pretty well round.
Add the brown sugar and garlic powder to the toasted fennel seeds and stir to blend. Rub this blend all over your pork chops, coating generously. Let the chops sit to “dry brine” for around 30 minutes, if you’ve got the time. If not, no worries.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the center position. Combine the salted butter and the honey in a small bowl.
Scatter the shaved fennel, apples, cabbage, onion, blue cheese and arugula all over a large platter, tossing gently to mix. Squeeze over half the lemon and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.
Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Taking care not to crowd the pan and working in batches as needed, sear the seasoned chops for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden and crusty (the sugars will want to get really dark on you – when that begins to occur, they’re ready to flip). After you flip them, add a big pat of honey butter to the pan. Tilt the pan slightly and, using a spoon, spoon those buttery pan drippings over the tops of your chops several times, basting them nicely.
Once both sides have gotten nice and crusty, transfer the chops to a sheet pan and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, or just until the pork isn’t visibly pink (145 degrees F if you’re checking).
Let the chops rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing against the grain. While the pork is resting, squeeze the other lemon half into the pan with all of the warm drippings from the pork. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or more honey butter if you like (yes!) and stir to combine. Serve the pork over the salad with the warm, lemony honey butter dressing poured over top.

Notes

If you don’t love fennel, you can swap the toasted seeds and fresh bulb out for other things and still get to a very happy place, when all is said and done. You can use smoked paprika in place of the seeds, making a delicious sweet-smoky-garlicky rub that is SO great. Use freshly sliced radishes in place of the freshly sliced fennel – they’re great with apples, too.

Find it online: https://mykitchenlittle.com/2024/03/12/pork-chops-with-fennel-and-apples/