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. 

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

My apologies for the extremely long blog hiatus.  Would you believe I went the entire month of April without making a single new dinner item?  Lots of restaurants and boxed meals meant a little neglect for LND.  Now I've got a little backlog from May that it's probably about time to address.  So I bring you: pork tenderloin.

I'm a fan of baking pork tenderloin and then slicing it before serving.  I find the pork remains rather juicy/tender this way, and one of my biggest gripes about pork is that it can be prepared and served too dry, ending up like shoe leather.  Baking the pork tenderloin in its entirety at a low enough heat and not overdoing it is the key.

This meal is rather simple.  Purchase a tenderloin, and season accordingly.  If you plan on using a wet marinade, soak at least overnight (I opted for a simple teriyaki marinade).  If using a dry rub, you don't need to let it sit before you bake.  Place your tenderloin in a roasting pan and heat in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness.

Interesting fact about trichinosis: it is actually killed at 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which translates to a medium-rare pork.  But the FDA or whoever is so worried about undercooked meat that they scare us into thinking pork has to be completely well-done to be safe.  I know if I was served pink pork, I'd be a little nervous.  Thanks a lot government scare tactics.  The best way to check doneness is to use a meat thermometer.  Determining temperature based on color and how cooked the meat is isn't the best.  If you're still wary about eating rare pork, let it go to 150 or 155 degrees.  A nice medium to medium well.  The flavor and juiciness will turn you into a believer that overcooking pork is no longer necessary.

Once out of the oven, slice and serve.  I quickly seared the pork slices after I cut them because I was starving and they weren't cooked enough, hence why the picture indicates a charred exterior on all the slices.  Don't be lazy or start cooking this meal when you're already starving.  It still tasted great, but I lost a little bit of the juiciness thanks to my impatience.

Stuffed Pork Chops

I've become quite a fan of stuffing pork chops because I find it helps keep them tender thanks to the slight moisture from the stuffing.  I first started stuffing pork chops when I had leftover stuffing from thanksgiving, but you don't have to stuff them with just bread.  Some people like apples with their porkchops, or you could do all veggies, or maybe even rice if you wanted something else starchy.  But here's what I did this time around.

Stuffing: toasted bread cubes, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, chicken broth, oil/butter
Sauce (optional): white wine, butter, flour

Preheat your oven to 375.

I didn't have any leftover stuffing this time, so I made my own.  I took two slices of sourdough and two slices of wheat bread, chopped them into cubes, put them on a cookie sheet, drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil, and baked for about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan, I added the chopped leeks, mushrooms, and garlic to a little oil or butter.  Once softened, add the toasted bread and cook for about a minute or two.  Then add the chicken broth.  I eyeball it.  Starting with a small amount, maybe 1/4 of a cup for this quantity of bread.  You want the bread to absorb the liquid, but you don't want extra sauce sitting in the pan, and you don't want your bread to be too soggy.  It should look like this:

 

To prep the pork chops, you'll want to butterfly them.  Basically use a paring knife to cut directly in the center of the chop and make a little pocket for the stuffing.  Once butterflied, stuff the chops, and you may want to use a skewer or toothpick to help keep the stuffing in place while they cook.  If you have a skillet that can be used on the stove and in the oven, cook your chops in that, otherwise you'll have to transfer them to an oven proof roasting pan.  In said skillet with a little butter or olive oil, sear the outside of the chops.  

After about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chops) turn them over and sear the other side.  After another 5 minutes transfer to the oven to cook through.  This will probably take about ten to fifteen minutes or so.  You don't want to overcook and dry out the chops, but you don't want the inside to be pink.  Though, trichinosis is actually destroyed at 145 degrees F, which corresponds to a medium rare pork chop.  Most people are afraid to eat a pink chop, but just know if your temp is hot enough, you don't have to worry about disease.  

When done, plate the chops and add a little more stuffing on top if you'd like (I served with mashed potatoes, big surprise there), and I made a quick sauce to pour over.  Deglaze your skillet with some white wine to soak up all those great pan drippings.  As the sauce cooks and thickens, you can add a tiny bit of flour if you want it to be thick and creamy, otherwise you can add a little bit of butter to have a similar, but less thickening effect.  Spoon over the chops, and enjoy!