Pan-Seared, Oven-Roasted Thick-Cut Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Pan Sauce with Bacon and Tomatoes
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 19, 2011
Time
1½ hours, plus 1 hour brining
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pork Chops
¾ cup dark brown sugar ½ cup kosher salt (or ¼ cup table salt)10 medium cloves garlic, crushed4 bay leaves, crumbled8 whole cloves 3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed4 bone-in rib loin pork chops (12-ounces each), 1 ½-inches-thick2 tablespoons vegetable oilSauce
5 slices bacon (about 5 ounces), cut into ¼-inch pieces2 large shallots, mincedpinch granulated sugar 1 medium clove garlic, minced4 medium plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch pieces½ cup balsamic vinegar 1 cup dry Marsala wine or sweet vermouth4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 4 pieces1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves Salt and ground black pepperBefore You Begin
You may opt to use only water, sugar, and salt in the brine and omit the other flavorings if you feel the sauce provides enough flavor. If the chops aren’t being cooked immediately after brining, simply wipe off the excess brine, place the them on a wire rack set on top of a rimmed sheet pan, and keep them in the refrigerator, uncovered, to air dry for up to 3 hours. Have all the sauce ingredients ready before browning the chops, and begin the sauce while the chops are in the oven.
Instructions
- For Pork: In gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag, dissolve sugar and salt in 2 cups hot water. Add garlic, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns (if using),and 4 cups cold water; cool mixture to room temperature. Add pork chops, then seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour, turning bag once. Remove chops from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place shallow roasting pan or jelly-roll pan on oven rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven reaches 450 degrees, heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Place chops in skillet; cook until well-browned and nice crust has formed on surface, about 2 minutes. Turn chops over with tongs; cook until well-browned and a nice crust has formed on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Using tongs, transfer chops to preheated pan in oven. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each chop registers 125-127 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes, turning chops over once halfway through cooking time. Transfer each chop to platter; cover loosely with foil (be sure not to wrap foil tightly around meat), and let rest about 5 minutes. (Check internal temperature; it should register about 145 degrees).
- For Sauce: Pour off fat from skillet used to brown chops; place over medium-high heat and sauté bacon until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate; pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Reduce heat to low; add shallots and sugar and cook until softened, about 1 minute (do not brown). Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in tomatoes and vinegar, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add Marsala or vermouth; simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Whisk in butter one piece at a time. Stir in parsley and bacon, season to taste with salt and pepper; serve with pork chops.
Time
1½ hours, plus 1 hour briningYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Pork Chops
¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt (or ¼ cup table salt)
10 medium cloves garlic, crushed
4 bay leaves, crumbled
8 whole cloves
3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed
4 bone-in rib loin pork chops (12-ounces each), 1 ½-inches-thick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce
5 slices bacon (about 5 ounces), cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 large shallots, minced
pinch granulated sugar
1 medium clove garlic, minced
4 medium plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry Marsala wine or sweet vermouth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork Chops
¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt (or ¼ cup table salt)
10 medium cloves garlic, crushed
4 bay leaves, crumbled
8 whole cloves
3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed
4 bone-in rib loin pork chops (12-ounces each), 1 ½-inches-thick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce
5 slices bacon (about 5 ounces), cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 large shallots, minced
pinch granulated sugar
1 medium clove garlic, minced
4 medium plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry Marsala wine or sweet vermouth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork Chops
¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt (or ¼ cup table salt)
10 medium cloves garlic, crushed
4 bay leaves, crumbled
8 whole cloves
3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed
4 bone-in rib loin pork chops (12-ounces each), 1 ½-inches-thick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce
5 slices bacon (about 5 ounces), cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 large shallots, minced
pinch granulated sugar
1 medium clove garlic, minced
4 medium plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry Marsala wine or sweet vermouth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We knew our pork chop recipe would have to take into consideration today’s leaner pork and employ a cooking method that would maximize flavor while preserving moisture. So we brined the pork in a concentrated solution of water, sugar, and salt for a short time, improving the flavor and gaining a desirable degree of caramelization during pan-searing. Then we cooked the chops to a fairly low temperature—125 degrees—and allowed them to finish cooking off heat, covered with aluminum foil, while they rested to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
Before You Begin
You may opt to use only water, sugar, and salt in the brine and omit the other flavorings if you feel the sauce provides enough flavor. If the chops aren’t being cooked immediately after brining, simply wipe off the excess brine, place the them on a wire rack set on top of a rimmed sheet pan, and keep them in the refrigerator, uncovered, to air dry for up to 3 hours. Have all the sauce ingredients ready before browning the chops, and begin the sauce while the chops are in the oven.
Instructions
- For Pork: In gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag, dissolve sugar and salt in 2 cups hot water. Add garlic, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns (if using),and 4 cups cold water; cool mixture to room temperature. Add pork chops, then seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour, turning bag once. Remove chops from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place shallow roasting pan or jelly-roll pan on oven rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven reaches 450 degrees, heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Place chops in skillet; cook until well-browned and nice crust has formed on surface, about 2 minutes. Turn chops over with tongs; cook until well-browned and a nice crust has formed on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Using tongs, transfer chops to preheated pan in oven. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each chop registers 125-127 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes, turning chops over once halfway through cooking time. Transfer each chop to platter; cover loosely with foil (be sure not to wrap foil tightly around meat), and let rest about 5 minutes. (Check internal temperature; it should register about 145 degrees).
- For Sauce: Pour off fat from skillet used to brown chops; place over medium-high heat and sauté bacon until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate; pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Reduce heat to low; add shallots and sugar and cook until softened, about 1 minute (do not brown). Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in tomatoes and vinegar, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add Marsala or vermouth; simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Whisk in butter one piece at a time. Stir in parsley and bacon, season to taste with salt and pepper; serve with pork chops.
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