Gordon Ramsay Makes Pork Chops Burst With Flavor Using This Steak Technique

Pork chops, while cheaper than steak, can have just as much flavor and even use the same cooking tricks that make slabs of red meat great. Gordon Ramsay takes this idea quite seriously, giving his chops a thorough butter basting to finish them off.

Even the most tender chops with the right amount of fat are a little more prone to drying out than some steaks because they lack marbling. While fat caps impart great flavor, it's quite easy to accidentally dry out your pork in a pan, as direct contact with high heat swiftly evaporates juices. Once his chop has seared and almost come to temperature, Ramsay finishes it with a few lumps of butter to impart great flavor on the exterior and help keep it juicy. He even spoons more over it while it rests, allowing the butter to rest on the surface and slowly sink into the meat.

The trick of it is to treat it as an opportunity to add more taste rather than to cook your pork chop longer. Cook both sides in a high-smoke-point oil to develop a flavorful crust, then allow the butter to come into play once you lower the heat. Just like when butter-basting a steak, Ramsay lets it get frothy before he starts basting. Angle the pan towards you and scoop the butter away from you and over the chop in a soft, tossing motion to thoroughly coat your meat.

Since you can enjoy steaks at a lower internal temperature than pork chops, many innovative cooking methods have been developed to nail the perfect level of doneness. While the USDA still recommends cooking pork chops to a minimum of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, tricks like sous vide and reverse searing can help guarantee a perfect result.

Sous vide machines may seem like a techno gimmick, but they're truly one of the best ways to cook a perfectly juicy pork chop on the stove. By bringing chops and steaks to the exact level of doneness you want, it frees you up to focus solely on the crust and the basting. To get that perfect crust, Gordon Ramsay relies on an unexpected condiment perfect for steak: mayonnaise. It has a smoke point on par with neutral oils, around 450 degrees Fahrenheit, but it tends to carry a bit more flavor to elevate your crust. Since it's so thick, it also tends to help other ingredients, like seasonings and breadcrumbs, adhere better.

Reverse searing helps pork chops develop serious flavor, but only if they're particularly thick. Thin cuts, especially boneless ones from the loin, lack the fat and dimensions required to keep the insides juicy while caramelizing the exterior. However, even a simple sprinkle of salt and pepper while reverse searing, followed up with a butter baste, can make even the cheapest chop taste like a decadent cut of steak.