The Cooking Tip You Need For Perfectly Juicy Thin Pork Chops

At some point in our lives, we've all soldiered through the nightmare that is a dry, chewy pork chop. While there are those who argue for well-done steak, the same is rarely said for pork. If you offer someone pork chops for dinner, they might recoil just at the memory of that bad chop they had that one time.

One way people can combat their dry pork chop woes is to just go for really thick pork chops. When the meat is thicker, it's harder to overcook it completely and leave the middle dry. However, it's also easier to end up with a burnt exterior while the middle is still too pink. Sometimes, you want those thin, crispy seared pork chops and not a huge slab of meat.

Fortunately, the cooking tip you need to get those thin pork chops to come out nice and juicy is shockingly simple: Cook them quickly. If you have the rest of your meal ready and a hot pan with hot oil in it, you're on the right path. A short time on each side and you can be sitting down for pork chops that are seared on the outside and juicy in the middle for a dinner that is delicious and has a great mouth feel.

Pan-cooking pork is a dangerous game if you're worried about the meat drying out. A nice, long cook can work if you're looking for baked pork chops, but the stove top with no lid needs a different playbook. In a frying pan, when you mix your sauce up separately, you can get the pork chop fully done before the moisture gets cooked off and you can add some good flavor in the meantime.

For the best results, dip your pork chop in seasoned flour before you cook. Get the oil in your pan hot to the point that it appears to shimmer, then carefully add your pork chops. Let it sizzle for just a few minutes, then flip it to see the delicious caramelization you've already got on there.

The quick cook allows for good browning but when you cut in the middle, it will still be nice and moist. Of course, this requires the right type of pork chop. There won't be as much time for fat to render down as there would be with other cooking methods. Ideally, you'll want a nice lean set of pork chops.

One reason that people tend to end up with dry pork chops is because they want to make sure it's cooked enough to be safe to consume. In part, this problem was caused by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We had all been carefully following their guidance for cooking pork, but it seemed they had been playing it a bit too cautiously. In 2011, the FDA changed its recommendations for a safe internal temperature for pork from 160 to 145 F. In the world of cooking meat, 15 degrees can be the difference between succulent and leathery.

If you're worried about internal temperatures and food safety, thin pork chops don't need to be a concern. A thin chop might be too small for a meat thermometer, even an instant-read, to easily get an accurate measurement without being thrown off by the metal of the pan. But if you have high heat, then the pork will be done on the inside by the time it's done on the outside.