RoastAmerican
Pork chops, mashed potatoes
Thick chops, a pan gravy from the fond, and mash that can take it. This is Sunday on a weeknight if the chops are 1½ inches.
Made it?
1 hr 10 min · 35 min hands-on · pull 140°F · rest 8 min
Ingredients
2 lb on the fire · ~1.4 lb to the table · 3 plates at 8 oz
- bone-in pork chops, 1½ inches thick4 (2 lb)
- kosher salt2 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- russet potatoes2 lb
- butter, for the mash4 tbsp
- warm cream or milk1/2 cup
- small onion, minced1
- stock or cider1/2 cup
Method
- 1
Salt the chops 45 minutes ahead. Peel and chunk the potatoes. Start them in cold salted water.
- 2
Sear chops in a hot skillet 2 minutes a side plus the fat edge. Onion into the fat 2 minutes. Deglaze with stock. Transfer the skillet to 375°F until the chops hit 138–140°F, 6–10 minutes.
- 3
Potatoes: drain when a knife meets nothing. Mash. Butter first, then warm cream. Taste salt.
- 4
Rest the chops 8 minutes in a tent. Reduce the pan juices to a spoonable gravy. Mash down, chop on, gravy over the meat — not drowned into the potato.
If you don’t have it
- Bone-in chops → A thick boneless loin chop. Still 1½ inches. Thin boneless is a different dinner.
- Russet mash → Yukon smash, skins on. Earthier. Same pot.
- Stock gravy → Cider and mustard. Deglaze with cider, a spoon of Dijon. Pork likes it.
Same cook, different day
With asparagus
You want a green. Skillet in the rest window. Lemon. Do not boil it with the potatoes.
Smoked chops
The pit is already on. Smoke to 120°F, then the skillet sear and gravy. Mash still on the stove.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making grilled asparagus.
When the meat comes off to rest. Thick spears, oil, salt. Hot grate 2–3 minutes, roll, another minute. Lemon. Pencil spears go in a hot skillet, not on the bars.
10 min
- With this dish, try making vinegar slaw.
Anytime. Better after an hour in the fridge. Cabbage, carrot, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. No mayo if the meat is already rich.
20 min
- With this dish, try making potatoes au gratin.
In the oven the last 70 minutes of a roast, or while steaks reverse. Yukon Golds, ⅛-inch, layered with cream, garlic, salt, Gruyère. 350°F until a knife meets no fight, then a brief broil.
1 hr 15 min