Why You Should Try Using A Sous Vide To Cook Pork Chops

Of all the ways technology has improved the life of home cooks, sous vide is perhaps one of the most interesting cooking apparatuses since the Foreman grill. Food Republic asked Rich Parente, chef and owner of the Clock Tower Grill in Brewster, New York, for his take on why it's so great for pork chops. "This process of vacuum-sealing meat and cooking it in a water bath at a low, consistent temperature makes pork chops so tender and is pretty fool-proof," Parente says.

A sous vide machine guarantees the exact temperature used to cook the chop while bathing it in its own juices. If this sounds like an expensive piece of hardware straight out of the Jetsons' kitchen, don't worry. "You can't cook something sous vide without a machine (sometimes called an immersion circulator), but nowadays you can find a good one for about $70," Parente explains. "I think it's a great tool to have in your arsenal."

Parente goes on to explain how a sous vide machine works for the cooking times of different pork chop cuts. "The process would be the same for a boneless or bone-in cut. Just make sure to watch the temperature — a probe thermometer is a handy tool." So whether you like a thick chop with a hefty bone or want to make a Chicago-style pork chop sandwich, this machine is exactly what you need to level up your recipe.

From the best and worst cuts of pork to smoke to sous vide pork chops, we trust Chef Rich Parente to know the best ways to handle any cut of pork. "You can also cook it sous vide ... for four hours at 135 degrees Fahrenheit and then sear it in a pan on the stove to finish," Parente tells us. Since the chop was already brought to temperature by the sous vide, a quick sear is all you need to bring out that delicious golden crust.

One of the best things about sous vide is that you can cook a chop with other ingredients. Simply fill the bag with herbs, vegetables like garlic and onion, or even seal your pork with some of its marinade to guarantee a flavorful, effortless result. The only downside is that whatever you put in the sous vide machine won't caramelize or trigger the Maillard reaction, the browning of meats once their surface temperature reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit. You can counteract this by taking the ingredients and cooking them separately, either before or after, in the same pan used to sear the pork chop. This offers ample opportunity for all those flavors to mix even further while providing the benefits of direct, high heat.

The hands-off cooking of sous vide is a breakthrough in dinner prep. Whether you're working on sides or entertaining your dinner guests, it lets you multitask to your heart's content and dictate the terms of your cooking.