The Best Way to Cook a Pork Chop

The Best Way to Cook a Pork Chop

Cooking a perfect pork chop is easy, especially when you start with thick-cut Kurobuta pork chops from Snake River Farms. Sourced from 100% Berkshire pork, these heritage pork chops cook up juicy and full of flavor.

The best way to cook a pork chop is to utilize your oven and a skillet to provide both a beautiful brown sear and a tender juicy interior. This can be accomplished by searing, then baking or reversing this process by baking first and finishing with a pan sear. 

For the best results, start with pork chops cut at least 1” thick. Choosing heritage pork, like Kurobuta (also known as Berkshire), ensures you’ll serve an appetizing chop. Commodity pork is bred to be lean and doesn’t provide the same delicious eating experience. 


Here are two ways to cook the perfect pork chop:

1. Pan Searing

The general idea for this method is to brown both sides of a thick-cut chop in a skillet, then place it in the oven to finish cooking. This technique works well with Snake River Farms pork porterhouse, tomahawk, frenched and boneless chops. 

How to pan sear a pork chop: 

1. Start with a fully thawed pork chop. Place frozen chops on a plate or baking sheet to catch any drips. A metal pan helps to speed up the thawing process. Allow 24 hours to gently thaw.
2. Heat oven to 350°F.
3. Season each chop generously with salt and pepper. You can also use a rub, like the Snake River Farms Perfect Pork Rub.
4. Place a cast iron or other heavy skillet on the burner and set to medium high.
5. Add a tablespoon or two of neutral vegetable oil - grapeseed and avocado are good choices. 
6. When the oil is shimmering, place chops in the skillet. Brown the chops for about 2 minutes, then flip and brown the other side.
7. Place the skillet and chops in the oven. Remove from the oven when the chops are 135°F, about 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Remove the pork chops from the skillet and set on a cutting board. Loosely cover with aluminum foil. Rest for 10 minutes. This allows the temperature to equalize evenly inside the chop. Carryover cooking will cause the internal temperature to rise about 3 to 5 degrees.
9. After the chops have rested, serve. 

2. Reverse Sear

This method flips the script from pan searing. The chops are slowly roasted in the oven until they reach 135°F. After a brief rest, the chops are finished in a hot skillet. The advantage of the reverse sear is an even internal cook and an exterior that is crispier when it comes to the table. This method works well for any Snake River Farms Kurobuta pork chop, but it is the recommended way to cook the extra thick double bone pork chop.  

How to reverse sear a pork chop: 

1. Start with a fully thawed pork chop. Place frozen chops on a plate or baking sheet to catch any drips. A metal pan helps to speed up the thawing process. Allow 24 hours to gently thaw. The double bone pork chop may take 8 hours longer.
2. Heat oven to 275°F.
3. Season each chop generously with salt and pepper. You can also use a rub like the Snake River Farms Perfect Pork Rub.
4. Place chops on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. This elevates the pork away from the metal and allows heat to flow underneath.
5. Remove from the oven when the internal temperature is 135°F. Approximate cook times are 35 minutes for single boned and boneless chops and 60 minutes for double bone chops. Times will vary based on each oven, so start checking temperatures about 15 to 20 minutes into the cook.
6. Place the pork chops on a cutting board and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Rest for 10 minutes. This allows the temperature to equalize and continue cooking. The internal temperature will continue to rise about 3 to 5 degrees.
7. Place a cast iron or other heavy skillet on the burner and set to medium high.
8. Add a tablespoon or two of neutral vegetable oil - grapeseed and avocado are good choices.
9. When the oil is shimmering, place chops in the skillet. Brown the chops for about 2 minutes, then flip and brown the other side.
10. Remove from the pan and serve. No additional resting is required.

Doneness Temp for pork chops 

The ideal internal temperature for cooked pork chops should be 145°F,  essentially a medium rare doneness with a pink center. When resting from 135°F, the pork chop will gradually rise to the proper doneness.

In the 1960s and 70s, rare pork was associated with trichinosis. This fear continues to cause contemporary home cooks to overcook their chops. Today’s production methods are improved and very food safe. This means for the best results pork chops should be served closer to medium to maintain a high level of juicy flavor.

Our Favorite pork chop recipes 

The culinary experts at Snake River Farms have put together some of the most flavorful recipes for the Kurobuta pork chop. 

Here are just a few of our favorite pork chop recipes:

Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce, Mushrooms, and Sauteed Spinach

Double Bone Kurobuta Pork Chops with Romesco & Fennel Salad

Spicy Harissa Pork Chops with Tzatziki