Let’s cook some pork chops for dinner! Pork is a very versatile meat. You can cook it in a wide variety of ways. It’s easy to make ethnic as well as hearty home style. And the price is usually less than beef.
Watch this video for some inspiration on a healthier fried pork chop for dinner.
What Would I Change
Ree suggests olive oil. I’d use grapeseed oil and have a higher temperature for a good sear on the chop. After I flip, I wait a minute and then turn down the heat a bit while it finishes up cooking.
The smoke point of an oil is important. Olive oil has a low smoke point. That means you don’t want to be cooking at a temperature over medium or else the good stuff in the oil starts to break down. Also the flavor tastes off.
Grapeseed oil is like peanut oil. You can crank up the heat with those two.
Now you don’t want it to be too hot or you’ll scorch the flour. You just want to find that nice medium high that sears the meat, renders out the fat, and slowly cooks the insides.
Also, I know some people recommend around 150F for their pork. I’m a bit old fashioned. I don’t like any pink so I cook mine to 160F and then let it sit under foil for ten minutes. It does loose some of the crispiness when you let it rest under foil. That’s a decision you’ll have to make as the chef. Try it out and see.
Pulling It Together
I do love some fresh lemon juice on my pork chop. It makes everything taste brighter.
My husband likes putting red wine vinegar on the spinach. I like a splash of balsamic vinegar. And if I were really feeling it, I’d put a little olive oil in the second pan and add in some chopped shallot. After that cooks a minute, I’d put in the beans and then the spinach to wilt.
The flour makes a nice crust. If you’re gluten free, I’d suggest looking at cornstarch or rice flour for a more neutral taste.
You can find the 16 minute pork chop recipe here at the Food Network.
One last tip. There’s a lot of people that recommend cutting off all the fat before you cook. I wouldn’t do that. It cooks up better with some fat. Just cut it off before you eat it. Remember, some fat is necessary for absorbing all the nutrients in vegetables. So don’t short change yourself.
