These 2 Simple Tips Will Help You Bake Perfectly Juicy Pork Chops

A perfectly cooked pork chop makes a meal worth savoring. Juicy, meaty, but mild enough in flavor to share the spotlight with other herbs, spices, and aromatics, it can't be beat. But all too often, pork chops come out overdone, dry, and chewy. For a bit of expert advice on how to perfect the pork chop, we turned to Chef Billy Parisi. His top two tips for us? Stick to bone-in chops, and give them a good brine before they hit the oven.

Brining a cut of meat means soaking it in a solution of salt and water — and often other flavoring agents — before cooking. The brine not only keeps the meat juicy but allows you to add deep flavor to pork chops. "You can add all kinds of unique ingredients to influence and enhance the overall flavor of the pork, such as: garlic, herbs, ginger, onions, apples, vinegars, sugar, citrus, etc.," Parisi tells us exclusively. And unlike just seasoning the outside of the meat, the flavors of the brine will be present throughout the entire chop. If you follow Parisi's own pork chop brine recipe, those flavors include pepper, thyme, garlic, onion, and brown sugar.

As for the cut of meat, Parisi recommends getting a bone-in pork chop with a double-thick cut, stating, "Bone-in will absolutely aid in the chops being more flavorful. All the marrow, fat, and connective tissues just add goodness to the pork chops. ... For me, I will always opt for bone-in anything."

Well, that's all your prep done and dusted. But the cook, too, is important for making that perfect chop. Fortunately, Chef Parisi had some advice for us there as well — and it starts with the double-thick cut. "The thickness alone will allow some timing wiggle room so that it can still get a decent sear for flavor without being overcooked," he tells us. A good sear on the outside is key with any meat, as that caramelization adds loads of depth. But balancing a good sear and a proper bake can be tricky without overdoing it. That's why he suggests, particularly for those newer in the kitchen, using a meat thermometer: "It takes all the guesswork away, so instead of worrying about time in the oven, you're more focused on internal temperature."

As for how to accomplish that all-important sear, well, he has a trick for that, too: preheating a cast iron in the oven. He explains, "This way it's nice and hot so that you can build some Maillard on the chop throughout the duration of it baking." As for the rest, it couldn't be much simpler. "Place it in the pan in a preheated oven at around 425° and cook it until it reaches 100°, then I flip it and cook it until it reaches 140° internally. Browned on both sides and with an incredible amount of juices. I then pull it and let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes before eating." With instructions that simple — and a brown sugar brine — you'll be eating perfectly juicy pork chops in no time.