Thin cuts of pork chops make for a fast dinner on busy nights. Their charm and ease is that they cook quickly.
It's a good idea to have some of these tucked away in your freezer for a quick dinner. They thaw quickly in the microwave or in several hours in the refrigerator. How thin is thin? You're looking for the pork chops to be 1/4- to 1/3-inch thick. Most packages will have them labeled "thin."
Today's recipe for thin sliced pork chops has a basic seasoning, are pan seared and are topped with an easy pan sauce. The sauce is made in the same skillet from the pan drippings along with a few other ingredients. Using the same skillet makes cleanup a breeze.
Seasonings, of course, add flavor depending on what's in them. But when you use salt to season something like, say, fish or meats, it's also to bring out their natural flavors. That's why most chefs will say season generously with salt and pepper. But seasoning with too much becomes problematic, too. You don't want it overly salty or favoring one seasoning more than the other. Strive for balance.
In this recipe, the thin-cut pork chops are seasoned first with salt and pepper. Once seasoned, the chops are dredged in a seasoned flour mixture. Dredging the chops in flour will give them a somewhat crispy texture once they hit the hot pan. The flour mixture is seasoned with Morton's Nature Seasons Seasoning Blend -- one of my go-to seasoning blends. What I like about this seasoning blend is it does have some salt, but also garlic, celery, onion and pepper.
I use the two seasonings because pork is generally bland. The additional salt brings out the meat's natural flavor.
Before you season and cook the chops, take them out of the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking. You don't want to put a cold chop, especially a thin one, in a hot pan. If you do, chances are it won't cook evenly.
Also, take care not to overcook the chops. Several years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered the safe internal cooking temperature recommendation for whole pork cuts to 145 degrees. Pork cooked to 145 degrees might still have a pinkish hue, but it's safe to eat, according to the USDA.
Sweet Skillet Pork Loin Chops
4 thin-cut boneless pork loin chops, 1/4- to 1/3-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Morton Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
Pat the pork chops dry. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish or pie plate, mix together the flour and seasoning blend.
Dredge each pork chop in the flour mixture, making sure to coat all sides.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter together, swirling the pan so the oil coats the bottom.
Add the pork chops and cook until nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side about 2 minutes more, depending on the thickness. Thicker pork chops will take longer.
Remove the pork chops to a plate, cover and keep warm.
In the same skillet, add the white wine. Bring to a boil while stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium and add the apricot preserves and chicken broth. Stir and cook until the sauce is thickened and reduced some.
Use 2 pork chops per serving, drizzled with sauce.
Makes 2 servings.
Food on 05/10/2017