Sous Vide Pork Chops

December 7, 2013

Sous Vide Pork Chops

Pork chops are an easy cut to overcook. A few minutes too long on the heat and a chop that should be juicy turns dry and stringy, especially the leaner loin end. Cooking it in a water bath first removes that risk almost entirely: the chop cooks gently to an exact internal temperature and cannot go past it, no matter how long it sits there within reason.

The chops go into a sealed bag straight after seasoning, no marinade or rub needed, and hold in water set to the doneness you want. Most people land on 140°F (60°C), which gives a light pink center and a texture most sources describe as tender and juicy rather than firm. Only after the bath does the chop see real heat, a brief, hard sear in a hot pan, which is what builds the brown crust and the flavor that goes with it. Sous vide alone never browns anything.

Bone-in rib or center-cut loin chops work best for this method. A thick chop, at least an inch and a quarter, holds up well in the bath and still sears properly afterward, while a thin one can dry out during the finishing step. Blade or sirloin chops are a different story: they carry more connective tissue and need a much longer hold to become tender, so this timing does not apply to them.

This technique traces back to the same precision cooking that professional kitchens have used for decades, made practical at home once immersion circulators became affordable and easy to find. It suits both a relaxed Sunday dinner and a weeknight meal, since the chop can sit in the bath for an extra hour or two without harm while the rest of dinner comes together. Serve it simply, with roasted potatoes, a green salad, or a quick pan sauce built from the drippings left behind after searing.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 bone-in pork rib chops (or center-cut loin chops), 280-300 g each, 3-4 cm thick
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
28 g neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or rice bran), for searing
56 g unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed (optional)
8 sprigs fresh thyme (or rosemary), optional

Directions

Season the pork chops generously on all sides with salt and pepper.

Place the chops in vacuum-seal bags, or in heavy zipper-lock bags using the water-displacement method to press the air out before sealing. If the chops are bone-in, wrap the bone end in a folded paper towel first so it doesn’t puncture the bag.

Set your sous vide circulator to 140°F (60°C). That is the consensus temperature for this cut, giving a juicy, light pink center that most people describe as medium or medium-rare.

Submerge the bagged chops in the water bath and cook for 1 to 4 hours. As a rule of thumb, allow about 15 minutes per ½ inch of thickness plus a 10-minute buffer, which works out to roughly 1 to 1½ hours as a minimum for a chop this thick. Longer holds, up to 4 hours, are safe and convenient for hands-off timing, but do not go past that point or the texture starts to turn mushy.

Remove the bags from the bath, take the chops out, and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. This step matters more than any other here: any moisture left on the surface steams instead of searing, and you will not get a real crust.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over the highest heat until it is just smoking. Lay the chops in the pan and sear for about 45 seconds on the first side, until a deep brown crust forms.

Flip the chops. Add the butter, garlic, and thyme or rosemary to the pan, tilt it, and spoon the melted butter continuously over the chops for another 45 seconds.

Using tongs, stand each chop up on its fat-cap edge for 15 to 20 seconds to render and brown the rim.

Transfer the chops to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

Reheat the pan drippings until sizzling and pour them over the chops just before serving, to re-crisp the surface.

Notes

For other doneness levels, hold the same 1 to 4 hour window and change the bath temperature instead: 130°F (54°C) for rare and pink throughout, 150°F (66°C) for medium-well and firmer, or 160°F (71°C) for well-done and noticeably drier. 140°F (60°C) is the best default for most eaters.

This timing applies to bone-in rib or center-cut loin chops. Blade, shoulder, or sirloin chops carry more connective tissue and need a much longer hold, 5 to 12 hours, to become tender; don’t substitute those cuts without adjusting the time.

A quick brine, 4 cups water to ¼ cup kosher salt to 2 tablespoons brown sugar for 1 to 4 hours, adds seasoning depth and a little insurance against dryness, though it isn’t required. The water bath already controls moisture loss on its own.

For a pan sauce, crush a garlic clove and add a rosemary sprig to the same skillet after searing, deglaze with 2 cups chicken broth, reduce by half, and finish with a tablespoon of butter. The bag juices can be whisked in too, for extra flavor, though they will foam.

Without a precision cooker, a cooler filled with hot water and checked with a thermometer, topping it up as needed, works as a low-tech substitute for cook times of 1 to 2 hours.