Lemon Pepper Pork Chops

I discovered this spice shop a few weeks ago in Chicago, and I. am. in. LOVE. It’s called The Spice House, and it’s got about everything you could possibly want to flavor any kind of food. It smells amazing inside, like pepper and cinnamon and cumin and garlic and onion, and there are friendly, smiling salespeople milling around filling little plastic baggies full of spices you can buy by the ounce. All of the spices have a tasting bottle, where you sprinkle the contents onto your hand and then lap them up. The store has every single kind of spice you can possibly need, but it also has hundreds of incredibly varied, tantalizing spice blends like Ozark Fried Chicken Seasoning, Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper Butcher’s Rub, Fajita Seasoning, and Dill Dip Mix, for when you just need a shortcut of flavor. The place is amazing. Just writing about it makes my mouth water.

Now I’ve wanted to buy a premium lemon pepper blend for a long time, ever since I last visited my parents in California and my mom made these amazing oven ribs that were marinated simply in some salt, soy sauce, and lemon pepper seasoning. The lemon pepper added a zing, a tartness, a spice that really played well with the pork. And at the Spice House, I fell in love with the Sunny Spain Salt-Free Seasoning. This is a simple blend containing just black pepper, lemon peel, garlic powder, onion powder, and citric acid for extra tang. I prefer salt-free spice blends because I like the flexibility of adjusting salt levels to my own taste and needs. Lemon pepper is such a versatile, easy spice blend that you can’t really add too much of it, but you can definitely add too much salt, so I like keeping these two seasonings separate. Since I’ve gotten this spice blend, I’ve been just sprinkling it on random things – chicken stir fries, roasted vegetables, baked fish – the world can be flavored with lemon pepper!

I really love it on pork chops, however. Pork can be a little boring for me. It’s not as flavorful as beef, but it’s not as versatile as chicken. Most of the pork I eat seems to come in heavily seasoned, fatty sausage form. But pork chops – easy breezy pork chops – are a gold mine in Fuss Factor 1 weeknight cooking! Punched up with lemon pepper, I find them to be juicy, flavorful, and tender.

For pork chop novices, here is an excellent guide to all the different cuts you can buy. Cliffs notes version: try to buy bone-in rib chops or loin chops – these will yield the most flavorful, tenderest results (the bone both adds flavor and also slows down the meat’s cooking, reducing the chance of overcooking). Also try to buy the thickest cuts you can find (they’re sometimes labeled as double-cut pork chops: aim for at least 3/4-inch thick) – these will also be less prone to overcooking and be more tender. You will see from the pictures that I did not follow my own advice – my pork chops are boneless loin chops. It’s just because there was an incredible meat sale going on at my local supermarket – I am a sucker for sales and could not resist 3.36 pounds of meat for $6.72 (fellow Chicagoans, Mariano’s Market has the most outrageous meat sales – am I right??). These cuts were rather lean, and in hindsight, probably would have benefited from a brine for maximum flavor and tenderness.

Anyway, we served these pork chops with some roasted carrots and quinoa (which James did not like). Total time for dinner, including sides: about 40 minutes.

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Lemon Pepper Pork chops

Adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients

• Pork chops (at least 3/4-inch thick, preferably bone-in)
• Olive oil
• Your favorite salt-free lemon pepper seasoning
• Salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. On the middle rack of the oven, place a large ovensafe skillet (I used a 12-inch cast-iron pan) to heat as well.

2. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with olive oil, then season liberally with the lemon pepper seasoning and salt. I sprinkle lots of lemon pepper on both sides of the pork chop, covering the entire surface, and also rub some on the sides. It's really hard to have too much lemon pepper if the seasoning blend doesn't contain salt, so feel free to be heavy handed. Salt is what tenderizes and flavors the pork chop, so feel free to be liberal with that too - I use about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or 1/4 teaspoon of table salt) per pork chop. 

3. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven (be sure to use oven mitts) and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop.

4. Place the pork chops in the hot skillet. They should immediately begin to sizzle. Sear until the bottom of the chops are golden-brown, about 3 minutes. It's okay if the chops start to smoke. If too much smoke is coming out, turn the heat down a bit.

5. Flip the pork chops using tongs, and transfer the skillet immediately to the oven (don't forget those oven mitts!).

6. Roast the pork chops until they are cooked through and register 145°F in the thickest part of the meat with a digital thermometer. Cooking time will be 6 to 12 minutes depending on the thickness of the chops and the temperature they were at the start of cooking. Start checking the chops at 6 minutes, and then check every one to two minutes, as needed, until they're ready.

7. Transfer the pork chops to a plate, along with any pan juices in the skillet. Tent loosely with foil and let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving or cutting.