Golden, juicy, pork chops with potatoes and peas
Try these juicy 15 min pork chops in garlic butter for your next midweek meal.
- SERVES: 2
- PREP TIME: 5 mins
- COOK TIME: 10 mins
- DIFFICULTY: easy
- IDEAL FOR: midweek meal, family meal, BBQ
Juicy 15 min pork chops in garlic butter
It’s hard to call this a recipe, it’s so simple.
But it is worth following a few tips to make this your new favourite midweek meal.
And who doesn’t love whipping up a lush meal in 15 mins?!
The key is quality ingredients.
And it comes down to buying high-welfare, free-range meat.
You want to know your pigs have had a good lifestyle, a good diet and get to roam about.
This makes for happy pigs and ultimately sweeter, tastier pork.
It is more expensive but it’s worth knowing your meat is coming from a good farmer.
And only have it as a treat.
Pork chops
There are a number of different cuts that you can buy.
So, it’s worth knowing how to use them to get the best out of them.
The shoulder/blade
Shoulder chop
- Shoulder chops generally have more fat and connective tissue, darker-coloured meat, and some blade bones.
- Full of flavour, but more gristle and bone.
- For the best results, it should be braised before cooking.
Rib chop
- The rib chop is lean loin meat and no tenderloin meat.
- It is a bone-in chop, often with a layer of fat on the outside.
- It’s mild and tender.
- Use a quick-cooking method.
Loin chop
- Very lean and very mild pork flavour.
- Pork loin chops come with loin on one side and tenderloin on the other.
- Grill or sear-roast these loin chops.
Boneless chop
- Top loin or rib chops with the bones removed.
- Boneless cuts are typically less flavourful and more likely to dry out.
Tips on cooking pork chops
- Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Avoid dry and chewy pork chops by buying thick chops, at least 1-inch thick to 1.5-inches thick.
- Use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking – internal temperature, 75°C/145°F.
- Rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Bone-in chops are have more flavour.
Tips on cooking juicy 15 min pork chops in garlic butter
- Remove your pork chops from the fridge and bring them to room temp.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Searing the outside helps lock in the juices so make sure your skillet/frying pan is nice and hot before you add the chops.
- Butter; a bit like cooking a steak, add 2 tablespoons butter (then your herbs) and spoon the butter over the chops.
- Cook for 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until the outside is golden brown and the internal temperature reads 75°C/145°F (or a little below to allow for resting) with a meat thermometer.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the minced garlic, and chopped thyme to the pan and spoon the garlic butter sauce over the pork chops before flipping the chops over and spooning the garlic butter on the other side.
- Repeat for 1-2 minutes.
For another great pork recipe, try Spicy Korean pork ribs
Recipe: The Forked Spoon