Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (183 page)
SERVES 4
Buy chops of similar thickness so that they cook at the same rate. If the pork is enhanced (injected with a salt solution), do not salt in step 1, but season with salt in step 2. Serve the chops with a pan sauce (recipes follow) or with applesauce.
4 | (12-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, 1¹⁄ |
Kosher salt and pepper | |
1–2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
1 | recipe pan sauce (recipes follow) |
1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silver skin on each chop. Sprinkle each chop with 1 teaspoon salt. Place chops on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.
2.
Season chops with pepper; transfer baking sheet to oven. Cook until chops register 120 to 125 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes.
3.
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, 1¹⁄
2
to 3 minutes, lifting once halfway through to redistribute fat underneath each chop. (Reduce heat if browned bits in pan start to burn.) Using tongs, turn chops and cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chops to plate and repeat with remaining 2 chops, adding extra 1 tablespoon oil if pan is dry.
4.
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 chops
register 145 degrees, about 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 chops. Let chops rest, tented loosely with aluminum foil, for 10 minutes while preparing sauce.
MAKES
¹⁄
2
CUP, ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
PAN-SEARED THICK-CUT PORK CHOPS
1 | large shallot, minced |
1 | tablespoon grated fresh ginger |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
³⁄ | cup coconut milk |
¹⁄ | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | teaspoon sugar |
¹⁄ | cup chopped fresh cilantro |
2 | teaspoons lime juice |
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
Pour off all but 1 teaspoon oil from pan used to cook chops and return pan to medium heat. Add shallot, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute. Add coconut milk, broth, and sugar, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Simmer until reduced to ¹⁄
2
cup, 6 to 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in cilantro and lime juice, then whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with chops.
MAKES
¹⁄
2
CUP, ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
PAN-SEARED THICK-CUT PORK CHOPS
1 | large shallot, minced |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
³⁄ | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
¹⁄ | cup dry white wine |
1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme |
¹⁄ | teaspoon white wine vinegar |
3 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces and chilled |
Pour off all but 1 teaspoon oil from pan used to cook chops and return pan to medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute. Add broth and wine, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Simmer until reduced to ¹⁄
2
cup, 6 to 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in thyme and vinegar, then whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with chops.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Pork chops cooked with sweet peppers and tart vinegar is an Italian dish full of big flavors, at least in theory. But pairing the lean supermarket pork found in this country with the traditional braising method results in chalky chops. We found that brining tender rib chops added much-needed flavor and moisture, and sautéing them created a good crust. And instead of using jarred peppers—which tend to be bitter and dull—we decided to make our own vinegar peppers. We chose white wine vinegar for its clean, sweet taste. Sautéing the peppers briefly, just enough to eliminate their raw crunch, then adding vinegar to the pan and simmering the lot was much easier than roasting the peppers and gave us the perfect accompaniment to our tender chops.
SERVES 4
For this recipe, we prefer rib chops, but center-cut chops, which contain a portion of tenderloin, can be used instead. If the pork is enhanced (injected with a salt solution), do not brine in step 1, and season with salt in step 1. To keep the chops from overcooking and becoming tough and dry, they are removed from the oven when they are just shy of fully cooked; as they sit in the hot skillet, they continue to cook with residual heat. The vinegar stirred into the sauce at the end adds a bright, fresh flavor. However, taste the sauce before you add the vinegar—you may prefer to omit it.
Salt | |
3 | tablespoons sugar |
4 | (8- to 10-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, ³⁄ |
Pepper | |
2 | tablespoons olive oil |
1 | large onion, chopped fine |
1 | large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¹⁄ |
2 | anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced |
1 | sprig fresh rosemary |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
³⁄ | cup water |
¹⁄ | cup plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh parsley |
1.
Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt and sugar in 1¹⁄
2
quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chops in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove chops from brine; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels, season with ³⁄
4
teaspoon pepper, and set aside.
2.
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking; swirl skillet to coat with oil. Place chops in skillet; cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes, using spoon or spatula to press down on center of chops to aid in browning. Using tongs, flip chops and brown lightly on second side, about 1 minute. Transfer chops to large plate; set aside.
3.
Set skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add peppers, anchovies, and rosemary; cook, stirring frequently, until peppers just begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water and ¹⁄
2
cup vinegar and bring to boil, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid is reduced to about ¹⁄
3
cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, discard rosemary.
4.
Return pork chops, browned side up, to skillet; nestle chops in peppers, but do not cover chops with peppers. Add any accumulated juices to skillet; set skillet in oven and cook until chops registers 145 degrees, 8 to 12 minutes (begin checking temperature after 6 minutes). Using potholders, carefully remove skillet from oven (handle will be very hot) and cover skillet with lid or aluminum foil; let rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer chops to platter or individual plates. Swirl butter into sauce and peppers in skillet; stir in 2 tablespoons vinegar (if using) and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour or spoon sauce and peppers over chops. Serve.
Substitute balsamic vinegar for white wine vinegar and add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme along with parsley in step 4.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Smothered pork chops is a homey dish of chops braised in deeply flavored onion gravy—that is, if dry pork and near-tasteless, gelatinous gravy don’t ruin it. We determined that bone-in pork rib chops were the most juicy and flavorful. Further, we found that thin, ¹⁄
2
-inch chops picked up more flavor than thick chops and didn’t overwhelm the gravy. The best cooking method was to sear the chops in bacon fat, then braise them in an onion gravy thickened with a bacon fat and flour roux; the sweet, salty, smoky flavor of the roux underscored and deepened all of the other flavors.
SERVES 4
Serve these smothered chops with a starch to soak up the rich gravy. Simple egg noodles are our favorite, but rice or mashed potatoes also taste great.
3 | slices bacon, cut into ¹⁄ |
2 | tablespoons all-purpose flour |
1³⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra as needed |
4 | (6- to 8-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, ¹⁄ |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | onions, halved and sliced thin |
2 | tablespoons water |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme |
2 | bay leaves |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh parsley |
1.
Fry bacon in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate, leaving fat in saucepan (you should have 2 tablespoons bacon fat; if not, supplement with vegetable oil). Reduce heat to medium-low and gradually whisk flour into fat until smooth. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is light brown, about the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth in slow, steady stream; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring occasionally; cover and set aside off heat.
2.
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and season with ¹⁄
2
teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Brown chops in single layer until deep golden brown on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip chops and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chops to large plate and set aside.
3.
Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and water to now-empty skillet. Scrape bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return chops to skillet in single layer, covering chops with onions. Pour in warm sauce and any accumulated juices from pork; add bay leaves. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until pork is tender and paring knife inserted in chops meets very little resistance, about 30 minutes.
4.
Transfer chops to warmed serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer sauce rapidly, stirring frequently, until thickened to gravylike consistency, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves, stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chops, sprinkle with reserved bacon, and serve.
Substitute apple cider for chicken broth and 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ³⁄
8
-inch wedges, for one of the onions, and increase salt added to onions to ¹⁄
2
teaspoon.
Increase oil in step 3 to 2 tablespoons, omit 1 onion, and increase garlic to 4 cloves. Just before returning browned chops to pan in step 3, add 4 cups stemmed and thinly sliced collard greens and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon red pepper flakes.
