Lately I've been experimenting with sweet and savory combination's. I have always enjoyed this and was looking to make a great meal. This one turned out wonderfully, a juicy thick cut chop with a savory crust, and topped with a pans sauce made from dried cherries. balsamic and a little bit of butter. The sweet and savory combo was terrific!
This is a bit labor intensive but worth it in my opinion. I'm a pork chop lover and the time was well spent in creating a juicy chop that still had a nice crust. This is difficult especially with thicker cuts. Here's how.
First a bone in chop is best for flavor. Salt the chop on both sides and let stand for 45 minutes. This allows the salt to pull moisture from the chop and then allows time for the moisture to be reabsorbed evenly, in effect basting the chop. The time also allows the meat to come to room temperature. While the chop is sitting pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees.
When the chop is done basting pat it dry if needed. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. This low temp allows the chop to cook slowly. There is a chemical released in pork when it reaches 120 degrees that helps to break down the fiber and will make the chop more tender. Slow cooking the chop keeps the temp at the 120 range longer. When the 45 minutes are up the surface of the chop should be dry and the internal temperature around 130-140 degrees.
The dry surface of the chop is perfect to get a nice crust when placed in a hot saute' pan with some oil. About 4 minutes a side should be enough, then use tongs to hold the chop and brown the edges.
Sauce
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup water
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
No comments:
Post a Comment