Name: Thick-Cut Pork Chops with Smoked Salt
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: 4 (12-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops , 1½ inches thick, trimmed; Kosher salt and pepper; 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

If cooked properly, a simple rib pork chop on the bone, large and impressive at 12 ounces, is appealing: a brown sear on succulent meat that's tender with just enough bite. If you go a step further by finishing with a flavored salt you make yourself and you call attention to the browned sear, enhance the perception of the meat's richness, and introduce some extra flavor without covering up any of the sweetness of the pork as a sauce might do. Smoke and pork work well together so we picked our Smoked Salt from the pantry. For a seared pork chop that lived up to our ideal, we turned the conventional method upside down, first cooking chops (that we salted and rested before cooking) in a low oven and then searing them. Slowly cooking the meat first rather than starting in the smoking pan allowed enzymes to break down protein, tenderizing the thick chops. The surface gently dried out in the oven and then became beautifully caramelized in the pan.

Before You Begin

If the pork is enhanced (injected with a salt solution), do not salt in step 1. We like to use our Smoked Salt for this recipe.

Instructions

Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silverskin on each pork chop. Sprinkle entire surface of each chop with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Transfer sheet to oven and cook until pork registers 120 to 125 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Place 2 chops in skillet and sear until well browned and crusty, 2 to 3 minutes, lifting once halfway through cooking to redistribute fat underneath. Flip chops and cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chops to plate and repeat with remaining 2 chops, adding 1 tablespoon oil if skillet is dry.

Reduce heat to medium. Use tongs to stand 2 pork chops on their sides. Holding chops together with tongs, return to skillet and sear sides of chops (with exception of bone side) until browned and pork registers 145 degrees, about 2 minutes; transfer to clean plate. Repeat with remaining 2 chops; transfer to plate, tent with aluminum foil, and rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle chops with smoked salt to taste. Serve.