Want to learn how to make Sous Vide Pork Chops? This easy to follow recipe yields juicy, flavorful pork chops that the whole family will love.
When I realized that my Sous Vide Precision Cooker makes perfectly cooked steak every time, I couldn’t wait to try it with other proteins.
Pork Chops were my next venture into the world of sous vide. And just like the steak, sous vide pork chops are juicy, tender and oh so flavorful. Served with some green beans and roasted red potatoes, made this a hearty, flavorful meal.
What is sous vide cooking?
Sous vide cooking is essentially placing food in a vacuum sealed bag and then cooking it in temperature controlled water.
Sous vide cooking requires planning ahead because it takes more time. For example, for this sous vide pork chops recipe, you’ll need to cook the pork chops for 2 hours. It sounds like a lot but the pork chops will never get above the temperature you set, so no need to worry about them drying out.
Since the food you are cooking is sealed, it won’t get the crispy brown exterior without a finishing step. This can be a quick sear in a scorching hot pan or a minute or two on the grill.
For a long time, if you wanted to cook sous vide you’d need a big sous vide machine that takes up a lot of space. Now with Sous Vide Immersion Circulators, you can turn any pot into a sous vide machine and it is fabulous. I use the Anova Precision Cooker and have been really happy with it.
Do you need a vacuum sealer to cook sous vide?
Nope! If you’re just getting started, ziplock style bags will work just fine.
What kind of pork chops do you need to make sous vide pork chops?
To get the perfect, juicy sous vide pork chop, you’ll want to buy thick cut bone-in pork chops. When I say thick cut, I mean about 1 – 1 1/2 inches thick. I’ve tried to make this recipe with the thinner pork chops and it didn’t work as well.
What temperature do you need to cook pork chops?
The USDA recommends that pork chops be cooked to 145 degrees. For sous vide pork chops, you’re going to cook them at 140 degrees for 2 hours. You’ll then do a quick sear in a screaming hot skillet and finally let it rest for 3 – 5 minutes before slicing it. All of these things combined will get you to the the proper cooking temperature of 145 degrees.
Pork chops are done when they have a blush of pink. Using a meat thermometer also helps ensure you’ve reached the correct temperature.
Step one: Season the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. Place in a ziplock bag along with garlic and thyme. You may need to do two bags so the pork chops don’t overlap.
Step two: Set sous vide circulator to 140 degrees for 2 hours. Gently lower the ziplock into the water while closing the top. This is the water displacement method which makes it possible to sous vide without a vacuum sealer.
Step three: Cook for 2 hours.
Step four: Remove from bag, pat dry and sear in a hot skillet with oil, butter, garlic and more thyme.
Step five: Allow to rest 3 – 5 minutes.
Step six: Eat the juiciest most tender pork chop ever!
If you’re just getting into the world of sous vide, these pork chops are a great way to try it! And once you do, it’ll be your favorite way to eat pork chops. Trust me.
Sous Vide Pork Chops
Want to learn how to make Sous Vide Pork Chops? This easy to follow recipe yields juicy, flavorful pork chops that the whole family will love.
Place 2 pork chops in a gallon sized bag. Place the other two in another bag.
Add three cloves of garlic to each bag. And 2 sprigs of thyme.
Slowly lower the pork chops into the water, allowing the water to push the air out. Seal the bags. Ensure that the entire pork chops are submerged in the water. Use a clip to keep the bags close to the side of the pan. Set timer for 2 hours.
After two hours, remove pork chops from bag and pat dry.
Heat oil and butter in a skillet over hight heat until butter melts. Cook pork 30 seconds on each side. Add in remaining garlic and sprigs of thyme to pan. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Spoon butter over the top of pork chops and serve.
For a pork chop, you'll want to cook it at between 135°F (57°C) and 140°F (60°C) for a minimum of 45 minutes to cook it through to the center, and up to four hours (much longer than that and it'll start to get a little soft due to enzymatic breakdown of tissues).
Temperature is by far the overriding factor. By adjusting the temperature of your cooker, you can cook your pork chops to anywhere from a pink, juicy rare (130°F; 54°C) to a firm but still moist well-done (160°F; 71°C). Bear in mind that the hotter you cook, the more moisture you're going to squeeze out of the pork.
Season your pork chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Put your pork chops into a ziploc bag then add 1/2 the marinade. Save the rest of the marinade to make the glaze. Place your pork chops into the sous vide.
And because your sous vide machine will be set to the exact temperature that you want the food to reach, you know it'll never go above this point and overcook. You just need to make sure that you're cooking your ingredients at the ideal temperature, which you can work out using our Sous Vide Cooking Time Calculator.
There's a range of temperatures you can use to sous vide pork, and it is safe as long as it's cooked about 130°F (54.4°C) but most people prefer their pork cooked higher than 135°F (57.2°C). From a safety perspective, as long as you cook it long enough to pasteurize it, 135°F (57.2°C) is just as safe as 165°F (73.8°C).
Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.
Unlike the more lean tenderloin and chops, pork shoulder is an incredibly forgiving cut of meat. It becomes more tender as it cooks and benefits from a lengthy cook time, so even if it stays on the heat a few minutes too long, you won't suddenly end up with something dry or rubbery.
You can use fresh basil, thyme, oregano, or sage for sous vide pork chops. Check the internal temperature of the pork using a meat thermometer and make sure it is at least 140F.
This is why we sear the meat before cooking sous vide. During the cooking process, the flavors are enhanced and reach the core of the steak. Finally, the flavor is secured in the meat during the chilling process. Searing the meat before cooking sous vide, of course, raises the core temperature of the meat.
Cook for 1 hour if the chops are bone-in and under an inch thick, or if you're cooking boneless pork chops. Cook for about 1 hour and 10 minutes if you're cooking bone-in chops that are thicker than 1 inch.
Ziplock and Glad brand bags are made from polyethylene plastic, and are free of BPAs and dioxins. A good rule of thumb is that when a bag is rated as microwave safe (which requires FDA approval) you can use it for sous vide. Even Dr. Schaffner agrees.
The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.
Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor. Ground pork should always be cooked to 160° F.
As a general rule of thumb, plan on 7 to 8 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness for pork chops baked at 400 degrees F. This means 3/4-inch chops will take between 10 and 20 minutes.
Place pork chops on a broiler pan on the center rack of the oven. Broil for 4–7 minutes per side or until the internal temperature is 140°. Rest for 5–6 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute and carryover cooking to reach a safe 145° internal temperature.
Safe Sous Vide™ products are fully cooked in their own natural juices with no additives or preservatives and have a guaranteed refrigerated shelf life of 30 days, or more.
Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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