How To Sous Vide Pork Chops

Sous vide pork chops: Tender, juicy perfection with precise cooking. Seasoned to taste, they're a versatile main course for any meal.

Related Pork Chop Recipe Posts:

• Grilled Pork Chops
• Fried Pork Chops
• Reverse Seared Pork Chops

Indulge in a culinary experience like no other with sous vide pork chops. This innovative cooking technique involves vacuum-sealing the pork chops and immersing them in a precisely controlled water bath for an extended period. The result? Juicy, tender pork chops with unparalleled consistency throughout.

By cooking at a low, steady temperature, sous vide ensures that every bite is moist, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a home cook looking to elevate your meals, sous vide pork chops promise a gourmet dining experience that will leave your taste buds craving more.

Make these sous vide pork chops and ensure you will avoid dry overcooked chops that taste like wood! These pork chops are lightly seasoned and super moist for a tender, succulent main dish option.

The beauty of sous vide cooking is that you can dial up your desired temperature and then do nothing as your food is cooked perfectly. It's easy, no fuss; it's basically cheating. I almost feel guilty cooking in this manner.

Beats and Eats (music pairing for sous vide pork chops)

Before deciding food was going to be my career path, once upon a time I had hip hop producer dreams. Diamond D is one of my favorites all time, but he isn't as well known as others like Kanye West or Dr. Dre.

His music as well as my recipes could be described as best kept secrets. Sous vide at home cooking is another. Sous vide is basically a cheat code for cooking which makes them a match made in heaven for pork chops as it easily addresses the primary concern of cooking pork chops which is avoiding overcooking.

Diamond D's song "Best Kept Secret" pairs well with sous vide pork chops due to its smooth and sophisticated vibe. The laid-back rhythm and soulful lyrics create a relaxed and luxurious atmosphere that complements the refined flavors and textures of the pork chops.

Just like the carefully controlled cooking process of sous vide, Diamond D's song exudes precision and elegance, making it the perfect soundtrack to enhance the dining experience. Together, they elevate each other, creating a harmonious fusion of music and culinary delight that tantalizes the senses.

What is Sous Vide? 

Sous Vide is a fancy word and difficult to pronounce (sue-veed) on top of that. If you're new to it don't worry pronouncing it is the only thing about it that's difficult. Sous vide cooking is actually an easy method. If you haven't heard of it, it's because sous vide cooking has been one of the restaurant industry's best-kept secrets.

It's a technique that uses a heated water bath to cook food to precise temperatures. Food is typically vacuum sealed and then cooked submerged in water. The beauty of the tool is you can cook the food to the exact precise internal temperature. Meat proteins are most commonly cooked using this method, particularly steak and to a lesser degree pork chops, such as this recipe. Vegetables are also in play.

Key Flavor Ingredients To Elevate These Sous Vide Pork Chops

• Bone-in Pork Chops
• Fresh Oregano or Thyme - Adding fresh herbs to sous vide pork chops enhances their flavor profile with its aromatic and earthy notes. As the pork chops cook slowly in the sous vide bath, the herbs infuse the meat, imparting its delightful flavor throughout. Thyme adds a layer of complexity to the dish, complementing the natural flavors of the pork and enhancing the overall dining experience.
• Garlic Cloves - infuses chops with aromatic and savory notes. As the pork chops cook slowly in the sous vide bath, the garlic permeates the meat, imparting its rich flavor throughout.
• Olive Oil - Adding olive oil to sous vide pork chops serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it helps to distribute the flavors of any herbs or spices that are rubbed onto the pork chops, ensuring an even infusion of taste throughout the meat. Additionally, olive oil contributes to the overall tenderness and juiciness of the pork chops, as it helps to retain moisture during the sous vide cooking process. Furthermore, the addition of olive oil can enhance the browning and caramelization of the pork chops when seared after sous vide cooking, adding texture and depth of flavor to the final dish.

How To Cook Sous Vide Bone-in Pork Chops (step by step)

Prepare the Pork Chops

1. Pre-heat the sous vide device to 140 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, mix together olive oil, balsamic, garlic and dijon mustard.
3. Salt and pepper the pork chops to taste. Put the chops in a freezer bag or vacuum seal bag with the sauce ingredients and remove the air through a vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Drop bagged pork chops in the bath for at least 1 hour.

Finish the Pork Chops

1. Remove bag from bath. Take chops out of the bag, pat dry and lightly re-season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard the herbs from the bag, and set the sauce aside.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet on high and add a high smoke point oil like ghee or grapeseed oil. Sear pork chops for 1 minute on each side. Remove pork chops from skillet and place on a platter to rest.
3. Lower the heat to medium, add sauce from bag and simmer for 4 minutes or until thickened. Serve sauce topped over the cooked pork chops. Enjoy these juicy pork chops with your favorite beverage.

What To Serve With Pork Chops

Pork chops are such a comfort food staple that they deserve similar sides. I like a good starchy side like mashed potatoes, french fries, or mac and cheese. Great mess of Southern collard greens and cucumber salad are great ways to fill out the menu.

Sous vide pork chops pair well with a variety of side dishes. Consider serving them with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, or a fresh salad. Additionally, you can complement the pork chops with a flavorful sauce such as a mushroom cream sauce or a tangy apple chutney. The versatility of sous vide pork chops allows them to be paired with your favorite sides for a delicious and satisfying meal.

Cooking Consideration and Tips for Sous Vide Pork Chops

I use a vacuum zeal for sous vide cooking, but it's not required. The old water displacement method works well. Using the latter approach means you place the pork chops in a ziplock bag and place it in the water bath unclosed. Submerge the bag as deep into the water as you can while preventing water from entering the bag. The pressure from the water will force all the air out of the bag, so once it does close the bag.

If your pork chops aren't heavy enough to stay submerged fully you may need to add weight. I've never had this issue with pork chops or steak, but I've experienced it with other foods.

The thickness of the pork chops matters. I don't change temperature, but I will increase cook time depending on size/thickness. I skew closer to 2 hours for thicker pork chops.

Sous vide pork chops aren't the prettiest chops when they're done. Though they are completely done the external side will be quite pale and not that dark golden color we expect for cooked pork chops. The reason is that you're not cooking at those super high temperatures. Given this, you'll want to give the chops a very quick sear. I prefer to get a cast-iron skillet really hot and sear about a minute per side. You can achieve the same by using a broiler.

I know you're thinking - 1-2 hours to cook pork chops! Yeah, yeah, yeah I know. However, the trade-off is perfection in both texture and taste. And it's quite satisfying at least to me, to cook something to the perfect preferred temperature.

Bone-in pork chops are my preferred cuts to use. Rib chops are great, but I'm a bigger fan of the center cut chops or the porterhouse steaks style if you can find ones reasonably thick.

Because there are bones present there is a chance that the chops can puncture ziplock bags if you're using them. You can always wrap the tips somehow as a preventive measure.

Though you can sous vide frozen pork chops (via longer cooking time) I prefer using fresh or thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Making Sous Vide Pork Chops

What type of Sous Vide Cooker Do You Use?

I use the Anova Precision Cooker. It's efficient, requires very little storage space, and comes with Bluetooth capabilities which come in handy when you're multi-tasking!

How long does it take to cook a pork chop sous vide?

You actually have a range of time to cook with, one to four hours to be exact. I tend to stay on the shorter side 1-2 hours as I find this is where the optimal combination of juiciness and firmness is reached. Once you get into longer cooking times the pork chops get a little too soft for my tastes. But if you prefer a softer, less chewy texture feel free to cook longer.

Should I marinate pork chops before sous vide?

You can, but it's not necessary unless you want to add a "signature" taste profile. You can season as simple as salt, pepper, oil, and fresh herbs. They will be plenty flavorful as that's one of the benefits of cooking sous vide.

What temperature should I cook sous vide pork chops at?

It depends on how you like to eat pork. For rare you're looking at 130 degrees F. This recipe calls for medium-rare which you achieve by cooking at 140 degrees. Anything 160 and above will be well-done. The texture of these chops won't be dry and tough like old-school overcooked cafeteria pork chops, but they'll definitely have a more firm texture.

Should I Use Bone-in or Boneless pork chops?

Either is fine and will work under the same temperature and timing settings, but bone-in is recommended because that bone means more flavor!

Is brining necessary?

I love a good brined pork chop, but brining is totally unnecessary with sous vide cooking. Brining is used to add moisture to the meats, but standard sous vide cooking nets really tender results assuming you use the right temperature.

What Should I Serve With Sous Vide Pork Chops?

Pork chops are such a comfort food staple that they deserve similar sides. I like a good starchy side like mashed potatoes, french fries, or mac and cheese. A mess of Southern collard greens or cucumber salad are great ways to fill out the menu.

For Similar Pork Chop Recipes Try These:

Grilled Pork Chops

Blackened Pork Chops

Puerto Rican Style Pork Chops

Fried Pork Chops

Grilled Pork Steaks

For other sous vide recipes try these:

Sous Vide Radishes with Pineapple Glaze

Sous Vide Smoked Brisket

Sous Vide Flat Iron Steaks

Lamb Chops with Chocolate Curry Sauce

Beef Short Ribs

Make This Pork Chop Recipe

Sous vide pork chops offer an eating experience that results in crazy tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. By utilizing precise temperature control, these pork chops are cooked to perfection, ensuring a consistently delicious result every time.

If you make this great sous vide pork chops recipe or any other from the site, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.

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