Roasts
Pork Chops in Brown Butter
Thick chops, a screaming pan, and butter you take one shade further than feels wise.
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Serves
2
Level
Medium
Ingredients
2 — bone-in pork chops (4cm thick, at room temperature)
1 tbsp — neutral oil
80g — butter
6 — sage leaves
4 — garlic cloves, smashed but whole
1 — lemon
salt and black pepper
Thin pork chops are a punishment. Buy them thick — at least 4cm — and the whole dish stops being about avoiding dryness and starts being about the crust.
The butter is where this happens. You are looking for the moment it smells like toasted nuts, roughly ten seconds before you would call it burnt.
Method
Salt the chops on all sides an hour ahead if you can. Pat them dry right before they hit the pan.
Get a heavy pan very hot with the oil. Sear the chops 4 minutes on the first side without touching them.
Flip, then stand them on the fat edge for a minute using tongs so it renders. Do not skip this.
Drop the heat to medium. Add the butter, sage and garlic, and tilt the pan so the butter pools.
Spoon the foaming butter over the chops continuously for 3 to 4 minutes, until the butter is nut brown and the chops read 62°C.
Rest 10 minutes on a warm plate. Squeeze lemon into the pan butter and pour it all over.
A note
The butter keeps cooking off the heat. Pull the pan a shade before it looks right or it turns bitter while you are resting the meat.
Good to know
More About This Recipe
Nutrition
Calories
610 kcal
Protein
46g
Carbs
2g
Fat
46g
Tips & tricks
Buy chops at least 4cm thick. Thin chops dry out before a proper crust can form — this is the single biggest variable in the whole dish.
Salt an hour ahead if possible, then pat completely dry right before the pan. A wet surface steams instead of searing.
Watch the butter, not the clock, for doneness. Look for the moment it smells like toasted nuts — a few seconds past that and it turns bitter.
Substitutions
Sage
Thyme or rosemary work in the same quantity — sage has the strongest flavor of the three, so the dish will be slightly milder without it.
Bone-in pork chops
Boneless chops work, but reduce the cook time by a couple of minutes on each side since there's no bone to slow the heat.
Pairs well with
The dried-fruit note in sweet vermouth matches the browned butter better than most wine.
Storage & leftovers
These are best eaten fresh — the crust doesn't survive reheating well. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat gently in a low oven rather than the microwave, which turns the exterior tough.
Questions people ask
How do I know when the butter is properly browned and not burnt?
What internal temperature should the pork reach?
Can I use thin pork chops instead?
Postcards from my kitchen
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