You can also grill these chops. Dry brining is very important for grilling, so don't skip that step. Instead of step 3, grill the pork chops on medium high for about 3-4 minutes to get those beautiful grill marks. Turn the heat down to medium, flip the pork chops and keep grilling, turning every 3 minutes or so until desired doneness. I prefer taking my chops out at about 150F or even a little bit more (I like my pork medium rather than medium rare) - this will take you about 10-13 minutes of total cooking time.
This is an optional step but it helps brine the pork, which helps the chops stay juicy.
Rub each pork chop with a good pinch of sugar and kosher salt. Place on wire racks on top of rimmed baking sheet; this way the air can circulate and dry out the exterior of the chop making it easier to brown. Store in the fridge, uncovered, between 1 and 24 hours.
For the horseradish sauce, mix all of the ingredients together, taste and adjust the flavour with any of the ingredients to fit your taste, I often end up adding more horseradish than called for. Refrigerate until ready to serve, ideally for at least 2 hours.
Coat a large heavy pan, ideally cast iron, with a bit of oil, over high heat until smoking - around 3-4 minutes.
In the meantime dry pork chops well with paper towels. Do not skip this step. If they are not dry - they will not brown; instead they will steam into unappealing grey coloured piece of meat.
Add the pork chops to the hot pan and cook undisturbed for about 1.5 minutes, watching closely not to burn. At that point, slide some butter under each chop and continue cooking until caramelized and golden brown, shaking the pan and ensuring the chop is browning evenly; maybe even gently press down on the meat to ensure it gets good contact with the hot pan. Turn the heat down to medium or medium high. Flip the chops and finish cooking on the other side, while basting the chops with the pan juices. Take a second to stand each chop on its side to cook the sides as well.
The total cooking time will be around 5 minutes, perhaps even less for a chop this thin. The internal temperature should register 145° and the chop should still be a bit pink on the inside, do not overcook!
Remove to a plate, allow to rest for a couple of minutes, and serve with optional horseradish sauce, freshly ground black pepper and minced chives.
Ingredients
Directions
This is an optional step but it helps brine the pork, which helps the chops stay juicy.
Rub each pork chop with a good pinch of sugar and kosher salt. Place on wire racks on top of rimmed baking sheet; this way the air can circulate and dry out the exterior of the chop making it easier to brown. Store in the fridge, uncovered, between 1 and 24 hours.
For the horseradish sauce, mix all of the ingredients together, taste and adjust the flavour with any of the ingredients to fit your taste, I often end up adding more horseradish than called for. Refrigerate until ready to serve, ideally for at least 2 hours.
Coat a large heavy pan, ideally cast iron, with a bit of oil, over high heat until smoking - around 3-4 minutes.
In the meantime dry pork chops well with paper towels. Do not skip this step. If they are not dry - they will not brown; instead they will steam into unappealing grey coloured piece of meat.
Add the pork chops to the hot pan and cook undisturbed for about 1.5 minutes, watching closely not to burn. At that point, slide some butter under each chop and continue cooking until caramelized and golden brown, shaking the pan and ensuring the chop is browning evenly; maybe even gently press down on the meat to ensure it gets good contact with the hot pan. Turn the heat down to medium or medium high. Flip the chops and finish cooking on the other side, while basting the chops with the pan juices. Take a second to stand each chop on its side to cook the sides as well.
The total cooking time will be around 5 minutes, perhaps even less for a chop this thin. The internal temperature should register 145° and the chop should still be a bit pink on the inside, do not overcook!
Remove to a plate, allow to rest for a couple of minutes, and serve with optional horseradish sauce, freshly ground black pepper and minced chives.
