Pork chops are a favorite among meat eaters. They are a delicious cut of meat and so much fun to cook with. My preference is always bone-in, but when cooked well any pork chop will come out delicious. Learn how to cook a pork chop properly whether you are grilling, sautéing or using a sous vide.
Ingredients
- 1 pork chop
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tbsp of butter
- Salt and pepper
Directions
Grill Method
Wait until your charcoal is ready and the grill grate is hot. The charcoal should be burning orange-red and there should be no flames higher than a couple of inches.
Season the pork chop with salt and pepper and place it on the grill grate, close to the flame but not directly on top of it. Cook the pork chop 3/4 of the way through. Then turn it and seal the other side as the pork chop is fully cooked.
Be patient and get that charcoal going with care 
Adding some wet wood creates a delicious smoky flavor 
El diablo charcoal burns for hours, giving you best bang for your buck 
make sure the flame settles and that charcoal turns orange-red. This is ready for the pork chop 
Get those grill marks right! Check out this tutorial on how to grill the perfect pork chop.
Sauté Method
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Season the pork chop with salt and pepper.
Bring a skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter and spread well (optional: add one or two sticks of thyme and a garlic clove to infuse the butter and oil). Add the pork chop, setting it down on the oil away from you, and cook it for 2 minutes until golden brown. Then Turn it and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes until golden brown.
Once you have sealed both sides of the pork chop place it in the oven and let it cook for 8-12 minutes, until desired internal temp. The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145ºF. When I sous vide the pork chop I typically cook it at 140ºF.
Always use fresh ingredients for your seasoning. Rubs are always good too 
Make sure to always get good color when you sear 
This is a beautifully sealed pork chop. Look at the color! 
Cut the pork chop for plating
Sous Vide Method
Turn on your sous vide to 140ºF.
Season your pork chop and place it in a vacuum sealed bag. If you are not cooking the pork chop immediately make sure NOT to use salt in your seasoning. You can always salt the pork chop before finishing it off in the pan.
Place the vacuum sealed bag inside the sous vide water (make sure it is fully submerged) and cook for 1 hour.
I like adding fresh herbs and trying new spices with the sous vide 
A good vacuum seal kit is key. Plus, it’s an excellent way to preserve all kinds of food 
The sous vide method is so convenient, just drop in the water and come back 1 hour later
Note: I usually have small jars of spices that I typically use for sous vide already mixed (with no salt), like my steak rub.
Once the pork chop is cooked…
Bring a skillet to high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter and spread well (optional: add one or two sticks of thyme and a garlic clove to infuse the butter and oil). Add the pork chop, setting it down on the oil away from you, and cook it for 60 seconds on each side. You only want to achieve the nice golden brown color here, the pork chop is already cooked.
Plating
Plating is as important as the preparation of the food. When it comes to food first impressions are important. I don’t mean you have to plate like a Michelin star restaurant but the better the food looks, the more appetizing it will be and the better it will taste to your guests.
Some quick things to consider when plating:
- Make sure the plate is clean to begin with
- Carefully place the food on the plate – don’t just pour it from the pan
- Garnish to add some color – some of my favorite things to use here are fresh chopped herbs, radishes and sauces
- Wipe the plate clean around the food before serving
Here is some plating examples for pork chops, some more elaborate than others:
Pork chop with shiitake mushrooms 
Plating is as important as the preparation 
Why not a pok chop on a salad. This pork chop was crusted with with some herbs and parmesan cheese 
Another take on pork chop with a salad, in this case the pork chop is clearly the main attraction 
Explore different ways of presenting your pork chop making it easy for your guests to eat it