Spice Rubbed Pork Chops

Pork chops often frighten people because of how dry they can end up.  I discussed this before in a previous post describing stuffed porkchops and how to combat the leather effect.  This time I used a dry rub to season the chops and ensured juiciness by purchasing thicker bone-in chops.  If you get too thin of chops, chances are they end up dry and unappealing. 

Again, the dry rub is a flavoring technique that doesn't involve as much pre-prep as the marinade because it doesn't necessarily require an overnight chill.  Choose your favorite spices, mix and apply to the chop, but don't go overboard because it will have a very strong flavor even with minimal spice rub.  I combined cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper, and a dash of cinnamon.  

Apply the spice rub to both sides and let sit for a few minutes to get an opportunity to adhere and flavor the chops.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat, and when the pan is nice and hot add your chops.  Cook for about 5 minutes per side.  You will see nice caramelization of the chops/spices.  This is a good thing, and the sear allows for the juices to remain inside the chops rather than seep out. 

To ensure a cooked-through pork chop, you can then place a lid over the pan or transfer the pan to the oven.  I mentioned this before, but trichinosis (the disease you get from eating undercooked pork) is killed at 145 degrees fahrenheit, which is actually a medium rare chop.  People are too afraid of eating pink pork that they always overcook pork to the point of it being way overdone.  I like to aim for a medium steak with pork.  Most of the pink is gone, but the meat hasn't turned gray and hard from overcooking.


Finally I served these chops with a side of basmati rice I prepared with corn and spinach.  The spice rub had a kick to it, so the rice helped cool it down.  I drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil at the end for flavor.