What is it?

A small cut of meat taken from the rib section, pork chops come in two readily available types: The rib chop—with the bone arching along the outer edge of the chop—and the loin chop, which has an interior T-shaped bone. Rib chops tend to be more marbled with fat, which adds flavor and makes the chop less likely to dry out during cooking. Both rib and loin chops are also sold as boneless; but bone-in varieties are usually more flavorful.

Don’t have it?

Veal chops, with their mild flavor, can often stand in for pork chops.

How to choose:

Look for center-cut pork chops. Thick chops (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches thick) are less apt to dry out during cooking. Whether thick or thin, try to avoid chops that are thicker around the bone than anywhere else—a common problem—because they’ll cook unevenly. If you can smell and touch the chops, freshness is easy to judge. They shouldn’t have any off odors. The surface should be moist but not sticky or slimy. The flesh should be fine-grained and reddish pink. The external fat should be creamy white and have no dark spots or blemishes, which also indicate advanced age.

Never buy pork that’s soft, pale, pinkish grey, wet, or that has a lot of liquid in the package, a sign of improper processing. Be aware that some producers “enhance” pork chops with sodium phosphate. While this ensures juiciness, it can also give the meat a spongy texture.

How to prep:

Because they contain little fat, chops need little prepping. For the same reason, they can benefit from a soak in a brine, a mixture of water, salt, sugar (and sometimes other flavorings) that helps the chops turn out juicy and moist.

How to store:

Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.

Cross Reference

pork blade chop

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Apricot-Dijon Sauce

  “A home run.” That’s what our test kitchen's testing notes say about these juicy pork chops. Try them with garlicky Green Peas and Bulgur.

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  Recipe

  Roast Pork Chops with Baby Artichokes and New Potatoes

  This skillet dinner—with a pinch of cumin and a splash of balsamic—develops a sauce that delivers on flavor. To serve four, you can double the recipe and transfer everything to…

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  Recipe

  Pork Chops Milanese

  You can’t have too much of the sweet-sour dressing to sop up the crispy bites of pork chop—it’s a perfect marriage.

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  Recipe

  Pork Chops with Watercress Mashed Potatoes

  The briny bite of the green peppercorns is essential to this sauce and pairs wonderfully with the rich flavors and textures of the dish. If you don’t have them on…

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  Recipe

  Beer-Brined Pork Chops with Wild Mushroom Stuffing

  Stuffed, seared, and baked, these chops are infused with the flavors of the filling while the juices from the chops seep into the stuffing to make a heavenly marriage of…

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  Recipe

  Pork Chops with Thyme-Scented Apples over Cheddar Polenta

  Pork and apple juices mingle beautifully and make a lovely sauce for the chops and cheesy polenta.

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  Recipe

  Pork Chops and Charred Applesauce

  This applesauce is a great larder staple. The smokiness from charring takes away some of the apples’ natural tartness, the caramelized sugars give it a rich, complex taste, and the…

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  Recipe

  Ricotta-Stuffed Pork Chops

  Ricotta mixed with garlic and roasted red pepper flavors chops from the inside out. When some oozes into the pan and mixes with the juices, it becomes even tastier.

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  Recipe

  Crisp Pork Cutlets with Lemon-Caper Sauce

  A briny-peppery mayonnaise adds zing to these slightly spicy fried pork cutlets. Round out the meal with a butter lettuce salad.