Mom’s Perfect Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cumin seeds
• 3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 4 pork chops, bone-in or boneless
• 1 teaspoon bacon fat or extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 1 to 2 teaspoons dry rub

Directions

1. To make the dry rub, place the cumin, peppercorns, and coriander in a heavy medium skillet. Cook them over medium heat, stirring often, until the spices smell toasty and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Set them aside to cool a bit.
2. Grind the toasted spices finely in a blender, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle. Pour the ground spices into a small bowl, then stir in the sugar and salt.
3. Get the pan and pork ready by heating a large cast iron frying pan over medium high or high heat, until it is hot enough to give the meat a good sear.
4. If you are using bone-in chops, cut a couple of vertical slashes through the fat around the edges so the chops stay flatter in the pan instead of curling.
5. Scatter a pinch of the dry rub, about 1/8 teaspoon or a little more, over each pork chop. Rub it into the meat with your fingers, then flip the chops and do the same on the second side.
6. When the pan is hot, add a teaspoon of oil or fat and swirl or spread it to cover the bottom. Just before the pork goes in, season both sides lightly with salt, or sprinkle the salt on once the chops are in the pan.
7. Arrange the pork chops so the thickest, boniest sections face the center of the skillet, where the heat is strongest. Do not pack them in too tightly.
8. Cook the chops in batches if needed. You want open space around the meat, since crowded chops will steam instead of sear the way you want.
9. Sear the pork chops for about 2 minutes per side. Watch them closely, and turn them as soon as they are browned. After flipping, if you are cooking in cast iron, you can turn off the burner; the stored heat in the pan should be enough to finish the pork.
10. For chops much thicker than 3/4-inch, and many are sold 1 1/2-inches thick, cover the pan and let them continue cooking for about 5 minutes.
11. If you have turned off the heat under a cast iron pan, covering it should trap enough warmth to finish a thicker chop. If the pan is not holding enough heat, set the burner to low and cover it.
12. To check for doneness, press a chop gently with your fingertip; it should feel firm. If juices are coming out of the top, it is certainly cooked through. You can also use a digital thermometer in the center of the pork; when it reads 145 degrees F, the chops are done.