Pan-Fried Pork Chops

Tender cuts of meat—chicken breasts, steaks, and chops, for example—are prime candidates for pan-frying, and when properly cooked have a mouthwateringly crisp, browned exterior and a tender, juicy interior. Pan-frying makes dinner a breeze; there is practically no preparation involved and the meat is cooked quickly and sent straight to the table. The fundamentals for achieving good results are a heavy pan, high heat, and a fairly thin piece of meat. Why does a heavy pan matter? Have you ever cooked something in a thin pan and had it burn, with the burn exactly the same shape as the electrical element below? This shows how a thin pan transmits heat directly from the burner to what is cooking instead of diffusing the heat across the pan’s surface. A heavy pan can distribute heat—and a lot of it—from the burner to the bottom of the pan. This is key in pan-frying and sautéing, because the pan needs to be quite hot to sear and caramelize or brown, but not burn, the surface of what is being cooked. If I could have only one pan, it would be a cast-iron skillet. The heavy iron heats evenly, making it a wonderful vehicle for browning and frying. An added bonus is that a seasoned cast-iron pan is virtually nonstick. The next-best thing after a cast-iron skillet is a stainless-steel-lined heavy aluminum or aluminum-core frying pan. The aluminum is an excellent heat conductor, while the stainless steel offers a good nonreactive surface to cook on. Besides being heavy, the pan should have low sides so the meat won’t steam as it cooks. Because pan-frying requires high heat, the meat you choose should be fairly thin. Chops should be 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and steaks 1 inch thick or less. Over high heat, thicker cuts will get crusty and dry on the outside before the inside is done. (A good method for cooking thicker chops and steaks is to brown them, by cooking them briefly on both sides at high heat, and pop them, skillet and all, into a 375°F oven to finish cooking. Alternatively, after browning, finish cooking over lowered heat, with the pan covered.) For even cooking, the thickness should be uniform. Chicken breasts can be lightly pounded at the thicker end to even them out so they will cook consistently. It is wise to have all your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking: the oil should be handy, the meat should be seasoned, and, if you are going to make a pan sauce, those ingredients should be on hand as well. Heat the pan first: a hot pan in combination with oil will sear the meat and keep it from sticking. Otherwise, the meat will sweat and its leaking juices will cause the meat to adhere to the bottom of the pan. Once the pan is hot, add a little bit of oil, or oil and butter (butter alone burns too quickly at high temperatures). Add the oil after the pan has heated so that it does not start to smoke and burn before you are ready to start cooking. For pan-frying only a little oil is needed, just enough to generously coat the bottom of the pan. After a few seconds, when the oil is shimmering, put the meat in the pan. The meat should fit in the pan in a single layer with a little space between each piece. If the pieces are crowded or overlapping, the liquid they release will keep the meat from browning; if there are large areas of the pan left exposed, the oil in these areas will burn and smoke. If necessary, fry in batches or in two pans simultaneously. Cook the meat on one side until it is nicely browned. Peek underneath after 2 or 3 minutes to monitor the browning; lower the heat if it is browning too quickly, or, if nothing is happening, turn it up. To brown the other side, turn the meat with tongs or a long, sharp-tined fork. In general, most cuts of meat need to cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Chicken breasts can cook for a longer time on the skin side, 8 minutes or so, leaving the tender meaty side to cook only a few minutes. I am an advocate for leaving the skin on...