I love cooking with cast iron. I love pork chops. I love cooking pork chops in cast iron. And when the pork chops cooked in cast iron turn out in a spectacular, moist, tender fashion, a fairy tale is born.
Let me tell you ’bout the fairy tale I just birthed. I should also tell you that same fairy tale got eaten shortly after it got birthed.
Pork chops can either be delectable or garbage can worthy. There’s no in-between. Some cuts are so lean they wind up being dry as a bone when cooked. Brining helps and I do that for all my pork roasts.
For smaller pieces, like the aforementioned fairy tale pork chops, season well in advance of cooking and let salt work its magic to start breaking down tissue and getting the molecules to behave properly and play nice with juices.
The list of ingredients for this mind-altering experience is impressive. And short. There’s two. One. Two.
The method by which I prepared the chops today is gumdrops, candy canes, rainbows and Leprechauns. It’s the best of the best. Rogers and Hammerstein should write a song about the pork chops that came out of my kitchen.
Cast iron skillet met pork chops and the result made us sing….with our mouths full. The chops were flavorful, tender and moist. Easy as pie preparation is an added bonus, too.
Don’t let the big, Fred Flintstone type knife shown in the picture scare you. The chops are tender enough to eat with a fork.
I must run now and get the Unicorn out of the kitchen….. again.
Y’all come see us!
Skillet Roasted Pork Chops
yield: 3 to 4 servings
Choose bone-in chops cut from the rib section. Season with seasoned salt at least one hour prior to cooking. Longer is even better. Bring the chops to room temperature prior to cooking.
3 to 4 (1 inch thick) bone-in pork chops
seasoned salt (I prefer Morton’s Season-all seasoned salt and list it as one of my Favorites.)
Season both sides of chops with seasoned salt at least one hour prior to cooking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat well-seasoned iron skillet. When screaming hot, place in chops in a single layer. Sear for about three minutes on one side or until the chops take on a gorgeous brown color. Turn the chops when brown, cover the skillet and place in preheated oven. Roast for one hour. Remove from oven, leave covered and let sit for 10 minutes.
Eat them all and then write to me and tell me about the fairy tale you created.
Skillet Roasted Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 1 inch thick bone-in pork chops
- seasoned salt I prefer Morton’s Season-all seasoned salt and list it as one of my Favorites.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Season both sides of chops with seasoned salt at least one hour prior to cooking.
- Heat well-seasoned iron skillet. When screaming hot, place in chops in a single layer. Sear for about three minutes on one side or until the chops take on a gorgeous brown color. Turn the chops when brown, cover the skillet and place in preheated oven. Roast for one hour. Remove from oven, leave covered and let sit for 10 minutes.
cookingrookie says
These pork chops look amazing! Next time I will try seasoning the chops for 2 hours before cooking and bringing them to room temperature. I have never done that. Thank you for the tips and Happy New Year!
Jackie Garvin says
Happy New Year!
elaine avaritt says
will definitely try this next time, big believer in iron skillets,especially cornbread. everything you cook i could eat. thanks for sharing
Jackie Garvin says
Elaine,
Cooking with cast iron just makes me feel good all over!
Happy New Year!
Hope says
These are a work of art! Happy New Year to you and your pork chops!
Jackie Garvin says
Hope,
Thanks so much. Happy New Year to you and everyone in Fairhope, AL!
laurabun says
Yes, anything cooked in an iron skillet, griddle or dutch oven will be better than any other method. I was lucky enough to inherit my mother’s iron cookware plus my grandmother’s dutch oven and feel like they are in the room with me whenever I use them. After many years of use by herself then me, the 12-inch skillet was hopelessly crudded on the outside. I had to resort to using my brother-in-law’s fire pit to burn it off. Of course it also burned off the seasoning INSIDE the skillet as well, so there I was, having to season it all over again. I could hear my mother chastising me for letting it get in that condition to begin with. Isn’t that the way, hearing the voices of our loved ones years later when we mess up? But we know it’s a good-natured fussing ’cause we can also still feel the hugs we would get afterwards. Oh, the memories of hand-me-downs!
Jackie Garvin says
Laurabun,
I hear my relatives talking to me all the time! It’s our way of keeping them alive in our hearts.
I hope you have a safe, prosperous and peaceful New Year!
Elaine Stant says
Thats the way my mother and my mother In-law cooked them. I still have the skillet that my mother used.Delicious but probably not the healthly way to cooked them. Elaine
Jackie Garvin says
Elaine,
This is a verb healthy way of cooking. It’s whole food.
Adam J. Holland says
You’re right about the either/or when it comes to pork chops. I notice that yours are bone-in (which is very important). And I’m guessing they were fairly thick, another key. — Thank you for posting this simple, yet delicious recipe.
Jackie Garvin says
Yes, yes, and you’re might welcome. Thanks for stopping by, Adam!
atasteofmadess says
This looks fantastic! If you can believe it, I have never made pork chops before. I think I should try this out soon
Jackie Garvin says
This is a good place to start for pork chops! I hope you love them. 🙂
Linda J. Vincent says
I also love anything cooked in my cast iron cook wear. I can hardly wait to try the pork chops, Thanks for sharing.
Jackie Garvin says
Linda,
You’re most welcome! 🙂
De Powell says
These sound scrumptious! I want to make these today and I so hope you will have a moment to answer my question because I want to have fairy tale chops too. I have the Morton’s Season All on hand but it is the 25% less sodium version. Will this work or do I need to wait until I have the regular type? I thought maybe it wouldn’t have the needed salt to work the magic. Thanks so much. I love your blog!!!
Jackie Garvin says
Hi De! I think the reduced sodium will work just fine. Go ahead and them seasoned up now so it will have plenty of time to work it’s magic. 🙂
De Powell says
Thank you so much Jackie for getting back to me so fast! I have them babies all fixed up now. I can’t wait for supper!
Jackie Garvin says
Enjoy the fairy tale, De! 🙂
De Powell says
and we joined the song, sing we did……with our mouths full! Absolutely DE-LISH!
Jackie Garvin says
Hurray!!! Thanks so much for letting me know it turned out for you, De. I’m cooking those pork chops tomorrow. I just bought a bigger cast iron skillet so I can cook more at one time! 🙂
De Powell says
and now you have made my mouth water again so back to the store I go! https://syrupandbiscuits.com/sweet-and-tangy-chicken/
Jackie Garvin says
You’re really going to like this one, De!!
Sara says
Just made these for dinner tonight and they were amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Jackie Garvin says
Sara,
So glad you enjoyed the pork chops. This is my favorite way to make them, too!
Susan says
Lets talk about how fabbbbulous these chops are! My husband scraped the plate and asked me to always cook chops this way! I used an all purpose seasoned salt from our vendor at the local farmers market. During the rest period, i topped them with a slice of butter. Served with pimento white cheddar Mac and cheese and pan roasted broccoli.. Perfect, perfect, perfect! We had this on a casual, snowy Wednesday night, but these come highly recommended for guests, as most of the cooking is in the oven so you can actually hang out.
Jackie Garvin says
Susan,
I absolutely loved the description of your meal! I feel like I was an invited dinner guest. I wish you and your family many more enjoyable meals. 🙂
Nancy says
I have always used a cast iron griddle until recently when we purchased a glass top stove. The manufacturer warns against using cast iron on the glass-top. I almost threw out my griddle. However, I am going to try heating the skillet in the over at 500 for 30 minutes so that it is really hot and see if I can seer the meat that way. Then lower the temperature and roast as you have suggested. I am hoping that this will work! I just hate not being able to use my Cast iron!!!! Pork chops and white gravy is our favorite! Will be trying this tonight! Thanks for posting your recipe!
Jackie Garvin says
Nancy,
I use cast iron on my glass top stove all the time. The manufacturers recommend against using it because some of the pieces of cast iron have sharp edges as opposed to smooth or rounded. I’m very careful to pick it up and not scoot it across the surface. I’ve found a cast iron users group on FB and posed the question to them regarding the use of cast iron on glass top cook surfaces. 100% of them use it following the same precautions I stated. Just giving you some “food for thought”. 🙂
Nancy says
Thank you Jackie! I did seer my chops in the oven and it turned out very good and moist. My preference, however, is to use the stove-top. I will just have to be extra careful not to slide it like you suggested. So happy to know that I don’t have to give up my cast iron skillets! Yay!!!! The sales guys told me that he thought the cast iron might get too hot and cause the glass to crack. Since you haven’t had any problems, nor that cast iron users group, he probably didn’t know what he was talking about. You just made my day! Thank You!!!
Marcia Darsey says
I was also warned not to use the cast iron on my glass top. Rather than give up my cast iron I went out and bought a good hot plate. Problem solved!
Jackie Garvin says
Marcia,
I found a cast iron user’s group on Facebook. They have lots of discussion about that issue. The vast majority of them who have glass top stoves, cook with cast iron and have been doing so for years. They are careful to lift their cast iron and not slide it across the top. It’s a personal decision. I use cast iron on my glass top.
Jerry says
I love me some pork chops and have been making them for about 27 years and the ones that I made according to your recipe are the best that I have ever made. Thanks lots man for the Epic Chops that i made last night.
Jackie Garvin says
Jerry,
I am tickled pink that you like this recipe. It’s just about the only way I cook pork chops anymore. 🙂
Autumn says
I made these a little while back and they were amazing! So simple and has become my go to pork chop recipe. Highly recommend. I’m thinking the next time I might use a spicy brown sugar rub. Mmmm!!.
Jackie Garvin says
Autumn,
Spicy brown sugar would be a great flavor for rub. I use half brown sugar/half kosher salt run for Boston butt roasts. Wrap them in plastic wrap and leave them in the frig overnight.
rhonda says
Made these for my family today. They were super easy & good! Thank you for posting the recipe!! I made fried honeycrisp apples, and stewed tomatoes with okra & corn to go with. My family loved all.of it.
Jackie Garvin says
Rhonda,
So glad you found something you like. Your dinner sounds divine!
Brooke Cherry says
?? What can I use as a lid on my cast iron skillet in the oven? I have four cast iron skill it’s, but no lids. Can you buy lids for them? Thanks!!
Jackie Garvin says
Brooke,
Just cover it well with aluminum foil. I have a smaller skillet that doesn’t have a lid that fits. I cover it with aluminum foil and then put a heavy baking sheet on top. The baking sheet isn’t really necessary. You could get by just fine without it.
Jill Hayes says
Making these tonight! Will let you know how they turned out!!
Jackie Garvin says
Can’t wait to hear, Jill!
Jayne Cress says
1 hour seems like such a long time ? Is this correct?
Jackie Garvin says
Yes, one hour is correct for one inch thick pork chops.
Jackie says
I cooked these tonight and they were the best pork chops I’ve ever eaten. Thank you for sharing!
Lorrie says
Is it the same cook time for boneless?
Jackie Garvin says
Lorrie,
A bone conducts heat which could make the meat cook faster. However, all ovens cook at different rates. If your chop is about the same thickness as the ones in the recipe, plan on cooking for the same amount of time and check it 10 minutes early.
Lorrie says
Thank you for the reply!!! I am new to cast iron cooking and so far am loving it!
Jackie Garvin says
I love it, too, and use cast iron more than I use anything else. Be sure to keep your boneless chops covered well during cooking so they won’t dry out.