very good and easy pork chops!!!!!

Pork Chops!
recipe originally by my brother, Tom Carlisle

bone in pork chops, amount and cut up to you

salt & pepper, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic or onion powder or both, red chili flakes

bacon fat or another high heat cooking oil

This recipe is pretty dependent on the cut of your chops. For thiccums (1”+) you’ll want to preheat your oven and your cast iron skillet; that’s the method I’ll share below. For slimmer cuts you won’t have to finish them in the oven, so just don’t do that, and make sure your skillet is quite hot on the stove top to get a nice sear. Pork chops under an inch in thickness take about 5 minutes on either side over medium-high heat– use a meat thermometer to ensure they’ve fully cooked to 145 F, and give them a 3-5 minute covered rest before serving.

Remove chops from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you plan to start cooking to get em close to room temp. Once they’ve warmed up a bit, preheat the oven to 400 F. Put your big cast iron skillet in to preheat as well.

Pat dry and then coat the chops in oil before seasoning them very well with salt and pepper, making sure to get both sides and the circumference, especially the fatty bits. You can do just salt and pepper if you want, or spice it up with the seasonings I suggest above. A premixed Italian seasoning might also do the trick! I use about half a teaspoon of each spice when I am making 2 thick pork chops. Measure with your heart!!!!

Carefully remove your preheated pan from the oven and put a couple tablespoons of bacon fat or another high heat oil in it, and then turn the burner to medium high. Place the chops in to sear, giving the first side about 5 minutes without moving it. Using tongs, you can pick up each chop to get a lil color on the edges/render the fat a bit if you like. Once you flip the chops over to the other side, put the pan back in the oven for about 10 minutes. Pork should be cooked to 145F, so take the temp if you like, but 10 minutes at 400 should do it with the preheated pan and initial sear. Remove the pan from the oven, pull the pork chops onto a plate or cutting board, and give them a lil foil tent to rest under for 5 or so minutes.

While the pork chops are resting, I like to saute some yellow onions in the hot pork fat left in the skillet. Sometimes I'll get em close to caramelized; other times they’re just soft lovely browned half moons. I deglaze the pan with fancy vinegar (this, made by my friend Rodrigo, is my favorite) and sometimes add in some of my frozen roasted cherry tomatoes for extra flavor. The cooked onions get served on top of or as a side to the pork chops and a starch– usually roasted garlic potatoes, but recently I’ve been enjoying basmati rice with a couple handfuls of frozen spinach mixed in right at the end.

Unfortunately but probably no surprise, I don’t have a good picture of plated pork chops but I doooo have this one of well seasoned chops in a cast iron!!! Sorry and you’re welcome!!!