Sous Vide Steakhouse Pork Chops

Oh my! 1 1/2 inch thick pork chops! When I saw these babies on sale at the grocery store I knew I had to give pork chops another try. In the past I have not had good results with pork chops. By the time they are cooked through they are dry and tough. Has that been your experience as well?

So when I saw these beautiful thick chops I knew I had to give pork chops one last try using my new Sous Vide cooker.

Sous Vide cooking produces meats that are tender, juicy and flavorful. It’s a very simple cooking process, but it does take some planning, since it is a very long, slow cooking process.

You may be familiar with Sous Vide cooking but if you are not sure what it’s all about you can read more about it and how it works in a previous post I wrote on how to cook a juicy turkey breast. Yes you can get juicy turkey breast meat with this cooking method. It makes the BEST turkey sandwiches for your kids lunches at a fraction of the cost of buying sliced deli meats!

If you are thinking about purchasing a Sous Vide cooker you may want to consider purchasing the one I have. You can purchase the Anova Sous Vide cooker that I use on Amazon here. The more I use it, the more I’m loving it! It has tons of great reviews and I’m having excellent results using it.

It’s small and compact which makes it easy to store in a drawer of your kitchen. I am not a kitchen gadget kind of girl, but this is one kitchen gadget that has gotten a lot of use! I can honestly say it’s one of the best purchases I’ve recently made that really enhances the quality and results of the foods I cook.

Alright, let’s make those Steakhouse pork chops!

Begin by filling a large pot with water. Set the Sous Vide cooker in the pot, clamp it to the sides and set temperature between 136 to 144 degrees. The higher temperature will produce a less pink finished chop. I set the Sous Vide to 144 but I think I will try a lower temp next time for a pinker center.

While the water is coming up to temperature it’s time to get the pork chops prepped.

On your stovetop, heat vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed skillet.

Season the chops liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sear chops until browned on both sides. This should only take a couple of minutes per side. You are not cooking them through, just browning the outsides of the chops. This step will significantly enhance the flavor of the chops.

Once chops are browned, allow chops to cool slightly.

TIP: To ensure you don’t end up melting a hole in the plastic bag, allow the chops to cool down slightly before placing them in the plastic bag.

While chops are cooling prepare seasonings.

Using a mortar & pestle crush garlic cloves with fresh Rosemary sprigs, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

Season chops with with spice/herb paste. Place chops in a plastic zippered bag and add pats of butter to each chop. Seal bag squeezing out excess air. If you have a vacuum sealer, seal the bag at this point.

TIP: If your chops have sharp protruding bones, consider double bagging them to ensure no water leaks into the bag with your chops. The goal is to cook the bags fully submerged in water but not to have any water actually get inside the bags.

When water temperature reaches 144 degrees, submerge bag in the pot of water. Make sure the bag is completely submerged in the water.

Cook pork chops for 90 minutes.

Remove chops from the water bath and open the cooking bag to remove chops. Lightly pat dry with a paper towel.

TIP: Patting the chops dry will ensure you get a nice golden brown final sear. If the surface of the chops is wet they will steam in the pan and you won’t get a nice golden brown finished crust.

To finish chops, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and sear chops a second time for 1-2 minutes per side; spooning butter sauce onto the chops as they cook.

Save the sauce to serve with the chops.

Remove chops from the pan and slice to serve.

OMG!!! Absolutely the tenderest, juiciest pork chops I have ever eaten! The Rosemary, garlic seasoned butter knocked the flavor out of the park!!! This meal was a home run!!!

I served these steakhouse chops with mashed potatoes and artichokes for a truly outstanding meal!

I can honestly say that these were, hands down, the best pork chops I have ever eaten!!! They had a flavorful crisp crust, with a juicy, extremely tender center. They were devine!!!

I served them on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes with steamed artichokes. This meal was better than any meal I have ordered at a high end restaurant and it was so easy to prepare!!!

Do you want to learn how to make the world’s creamiest, fluffiest mashed potatoes? Check out the link below.

How to Make the World’s Creamiest, Fluffiest Mashed Potatoes

If you haven’t ventured into the world of Sous Vide cooking yet, I highly encourage you to give it a try. I was a little skeptical that this method of cooking would be any better than the traditional methods of cooking, but after only a few forays into Sous Vide cooking…I am totally hooked!

Perfect pork chops served with creamy mashed potatoes and artichokes; close to one of the best meals I’ve ever put on the table!