Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic & Herbs
Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic and Herbs are as delicious as they sound. The sweet brown sugar sauce is perfectly balanced by garlic and dried herbs, like thyme and oregano. A juicy pork chops dish that comes together in no time at all.
Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic and Herbs are as delicious as they sound. The sweet brown sugar sauce is perfectly balanced by garlic and dried herbs, like thyme and oregano. A juicy pork chops dish that comes together in no time at all.
- Carbohydrate 0.0834490625036505 g
- Cholesterol 30.503125013081 mg
- Fat 11.5112506299349 g
- Fiber 0.030640625 g
- Protein 0.133254687551716 g
- Saturated Fat 7.28896812812533 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (24g)
- Sodium 81.7708750350449 mg
- Sugar 0.0528084375036505 g
- Trans Fat 0.805728125345461 g
- Calories 102 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F;
- In the oven proof skillet heat up oil or ghee;
- Pat dry the the pork chops and season with salt and pepper on each side;
- Sear the chops on each side for about 3 minutes and then take them out;
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and add butter, brown sugar, chopped garlic and herbs. Mix it all together;
- Return chops to the skillet and smother them with the sauce on each side.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the pork chops until cooked through (140F to 145F) for about 6 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat;
- Once cooked remove the pork chops from the skillet and let rest for 5 minutes;
- Spoon the sauce on the pork and enjoy.
Replacing butter with ghee entirely alters the cooking fat's smoke point, allowing searing at higher temperatures without burning the milk solids. Bone-in cuts demand careful heat management because the bone conducts thermal energy differently than surrounding muscle tissue, often causing uneven browning near the center. Searing thick proteins requires dry surfaces, so moisture removal via paper towels prevents steam from blocking the Maillard reaction. Butter added directly to hot pans burns rapidly unless tempered with neutral oils or removed from direct flame as specified in pan sauce techniques.
Sugars caramelize swiftly under intense dry heat, meaning brown sugar blends integrated into pan drippings require precise oversight to prevent bitterness. Roasting at 400 degrees Fahrenheit provides rapid thermal transfer, sealing exterior juices while finishing the interior safely. Monitoring internal density without instrumentation relies on tactile resistance, where flesh yielding softly to finger pressure indicates medium-rare states while firm tension signals overcooked fibers. Pulling meat at 140 degrees Fahrenheit ensures residual carryover cooking safely lands the center within USDA guidelines during the mandated five-minute resting window.
Dietary adjustments accommodate various needs by swapping standard sweeteners for maple syrup at a three-fourths ratio, though moisture levels adjust accordingly. Dried oregano and thyme outperform fresh varieties in high-heat roasting environments where fresh tender leaves scorch and turn acrid within minutes. Heavy oven-proof skillets like cast iron retain thermal mass effectively, stabilizing pan temperatures during the transition from stovetop sear to oven roast.
