tonight's midnight meal

butter-basted pork chop, seared and spooned in foaming butter

Name: butter-basted pork chop, seared and spooned in foaming butter
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1 to 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 thick bone-in pork chop, about 1.5 inches (4 cm) thick, 10 to 12 oz (300 to 340 g); kosher salt, to season generously; freshly ground black pepper, to season; 1 Tbsp neutral oil, for searing; 3 Tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter; 4 cloves garlic, smashed, skins left on; 4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme; flaky sea salt, to finish (optional)

⏱ 25 min🍽 1 to 2

Ingredients · tap to check

1 thick bone-in pork chop, about 1.5 inches (4 cm) thick, 10 to 12 oz (300 to 340 g)
kosher salt, to season generously
freshly ground black pepper, to season
1 Tbsp neutral oil, for searing
3 Tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, smashed, skins left on
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
flaky sea salt, to finish (optional)

The Way

Pat the pork chop very dry and season it all over, including the fat cap, with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes so it cooks evenly.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high until it just begins to smoke, then add the neutral oil. Lay the chop in away from you and sear without moving it until a deep golden-brown crust forms, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. Hold it on its fat edge with tongs for about a minute to render and brown.
Lower the heat to medium and add the butter, smashed garlic and thyme. As the butter melts and foams, tilt the pan toward you and spoon the foaming butter over the chop again and again, basting for 1 to 2 minutes until it smells nutty and the center reaches about 145F (63C).
Move the chop to a board or warm plate and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The juices settle back in and the center finishes to a juicy blush-pink.
Slice thick against the bone, spoon over the garlicky pan butter, and finish with a pinch of flaky salt.

midnight tip. keep the butter foaming and nutty, never smoking or brown-black, so the garlic perfumes the fat instead of burning. and pull the chop a few degrees early, the rest carries it up to a rosy 145F while the juices settle back in.

Questions

what pork chop should I buy?

a thick bone-in chop, at least 1.5 inches, ideally rib or center-cut. the bone and the extra thickness are what let you build a deep crust and still keep the inside juicy. thin chops overcook before they ever brown.

what temperature is a juicy pork chop?

pull it at 140 to 145F (60 to 63C) in the center and let it rest. it carries over a few degrees to a safe, rosy blush-pink. cook it past 160F and it turns dry and pale, exactly what the basting is meant to avoid.

why baste with butter instead of just frying?

spooning the foaming butter over the top cooks the chop gently from above while the garlic and thyme perfume the fat. it bastes the surface, layers in flavor, and finishes the chop evenly without scorching the crust you already built.

butter-basted pork chop, seared and spooned in foaming butter

Ingredients · tap to check

The Way

Questions

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