Bone-In Pork Loin Chops in a Skillet

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make bone-in pork loin chops in a skillet so they come out juicy, tasty, and fragrant? Very simply. Start by gathering the ingredients on the list. You can buy the loin already cut into chops or get a whole piece and slice it between the bones yourself. I marinated two fairly large chops weighing about 12 oz (350 g) each, but there's enough marinade for 3 chops or even more if they're smaller.

2. Step 2:

   

   First make the marinade. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and pepper. I usually don't add salt to marinades that already contain soy sauce, since they come out salty on their own. If you do want to add salt, use just a little or you risk over-salting. Beyond the listed spices, add your own to taste — a pork seasoning blend, dried garlic, and so on.

3. Step 3:

   

   Rinse and pat the pork chops dry. If you'd rather not deal with the bone, cut it out or use boneless loin instead.

4. Step 4:

   

   Put the pork in a bowl and coat it with the marinade on all sides. Let it marinate for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature, or better yet overnight in the fridge. The longer it marinates, the tastier and juicier it gets. You can skip the marinade entirely — just salt and pepper the meat, brush it with oil on both sides, and sear it in a dry pan until golden. But it's much tastier with the marinade.

5. Step 5:

   

   Heat a dry skillet until very hot, lay in the chop, and sear over high heat until golden, 5–8 minutes depending on how done you like it.

6. Step 6:

   

   Then flip the chop and sear the other side for another 5–8 minutes.

7. Step 7:

   

   My chops were big, so I cooked them one at a time. I seared the first in a grill pan and the second in a regular nonstick pan to compare which came out tastier and better-looking. While the second cooked, I kept the first one covered with foil. It's better, of course, to cook them at the same time.

8. Step 8:

   

   Transfer the hot meat to a plate and tent it with foil. Let it rest for 5–7 minutes so the juices redistribute through the meat.

9. Step 9:

   

   In the end both chops came out equally delicious, but the one cooked in the grill pan had those pretty grill marks. Enjoy!