Germany GP 2019: Perfect Pork Chops
Germany always makes me think meat and potatoes. I just rolled with it this year! Delicious combination of tangy potatoes and green beans and perfectly cooked pork chops.
We also enticed one of our meat and potatoes loving friends over for this meal and introduced her to F1 while we were at it. I think we may have recruited a new fan! It is always fun to share something you love with people you love. What a crazy race to introduce someone to the sport! It was wet and unpredictable, only 13 finishers, spins galore, passing in unexpected corners, Max the winner, and Kvyat on the podium! Bonkers race and so much fun to watch.
Ok, back to this dinner, have you seen a more beautiful pork chop? I have discovered the secret to great pork chops (and great steaks) is time. And a sous vide. Mostly the sous vide, the time is just how the sous vide works its magic. Allowing the meat to cook at the intended final temperature for a longer period of time makes it so tender and juicy. If you are a steak and meat lover and haven’t experimented with this kitchen tool yet, I’d recommend checking it out!
We served the pork chops with a side of Sweet and Sour German Green Beans and a German Potato Salad with Dill.
Perfect Pork Chops
Adapted from Anova Culinary
Note: This recipe requires a 1-4 hour cook time in the sous vide water bath followed by a couple minutes in a ripping hot cast iron to sear the chops before serving.
(Ingredients for 2)
2 pork chops
salt and pepper
4 sprigs rosemary, divided
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
Optional: additional 1 Tbsp butter and thyme, rosemary, or other aromatics
1. Set the sous vide to 140ºF (or your preferred temperature, see options below).
2. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
3. Slide the pork chops into a Ziploc bag along with 2 rosemary sprigs.
4. Seal the ziplock bag, by using the displacement method. (To do this, slowly lower your bagged pork chops into a pot of water, letting the pressure of the water press air out through the top of the bag. Once most of the air is out of the bag, carefully seal the bag just above the waterline.)
5. Place the bag in the water bath. Depending on the size and preferred done-ness of your pork chop, cook, according to the instructions below (1-4 hours).
6. When sous vide cooking is complete, remove the pork from the bag, discard rosemary and place pork chops on a paper towel-lined plate. Pat dry very carefully on both sides.
7. Place a heavy cast-iron or stainless steel skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over high heat. Swirl until the butter is melted and starting to brown.
8. Carefully place the pork chops into the skillet, laying them down away from you in order to prevent accidentally splashing oil up.
9. Carefully lift and peek under the pork as it cooks to gauge how quickly it is browning. Let it continue to cook until the crust is deep brown and very crisp, this will on take about 45 seconds!
10. Once you’ve flipped the pork chops, you can continue to cook them until browned on the second side, or for more flavor, add another tablespoon of butter along with some thyme, rosemary, garlic, and/or shallots. Spoon the butter over the pork chops as they cook.
11. When the pork is browned, pick them with a pair of tongs and make sure to brown the edges as well.
12. Transfer the cooked chops to a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and let them rest for just a couple of minutes. Serve!
Sous vide temperature/ time instructions (care of J. Kenji López-Alt)
The time and temperature below is given for pork chops that are around 1 1/2-inches thick. Add 15 minutes to the minimum time for each half inch if you have thicker double-cut chops.
Rare: 130°F / 54°C, 1 to 4 hours - Tender, juicy, and a little slippery.
Medium-Rare: 140°F / 60°C, 1 to 4 hours - Tender, juicy, and meaty.
Medium-Well: 150°F / 66°C, 1 to 4 hours - Quite firm and just starting to dry out.
Well Done: 160°F / 71°C, 1 to 4 hours - Firm, a little dry and tough, but still moist.