Lemon and Rosemary Pork Chops | Recipe
Spruce up the pork chop with a punch of flavor. A quick and easy addition of freshly minced rosemary and lemon zest set these pan-seared beauties apart from the rest.
Working moms, this one's for you. This is a super quick, super easy dinner idea to help you get dinner ready for the family in a flash. Easy dinners don't have to revolve around salt and pepper baked chicken. It barely takes any time at all to prepare your meat with a few extra flavor enhancing ingredeints and you'd be shocked to taste the difference a little garlic, lemon zest and fresh rosemary can make on a piece of protein.
You'll simply mix up those goodies with a little bit of butter, rub down your pork chops and hit 'em with a quick sear. Then their off to the oven to finish baking. That doesn't sound too bad right? Sooner than later, you'll be be sitting at the dinner table enjoying a nice, healthy meal with the fam. Please, enjoy.
4 (1/2 - 3/4" thick) center loin cut pork chops*
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons freshly minced rosemary
Zest of a lemon
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
*Note: The thickness pork chop will effect total cook time.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Pull the pork chops from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you are ready to cook them to take off the chill and pat dry with a paper towel.
To make the compound butter, in a small bowl combine butter, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, salt and pepper using a fork or a whisk. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and rub each chop with the compound butter on both sides.
Add the olive oil to a large, preferably nonstick, oven-safe saute pan over medium heat.* Carefully, place the pork chops in the pan, searing in batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding. Once the chops are in the pan, do not jostle or move. Allow them to cook for 4 minutes on the first side, turn and cook 4 minutes more. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your pork.
Remove from the oven. Allow to rest 10 minutes, serve and enjoy.
Makes 4 servings.
*If you do not have a pan large enough to house all of the pork chops or a pan that is oven safe, you can still complete this dish. Have ready a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a rack, transfer the pork chops to the rack after the searing process is complete and bake as instructed.
Would pair well with:
