Pork chops are a guilty pleasure for many. A slab of pork loin with a layer of fat at the edge can deliver the most satisfying meal, possibly second only to steak in its simplicity and taste, but at one-fifth the cost.
But pork can be tricky.
If it is not done just right, it’s easy to end up with a dry piece of overcooked, chewy meat, or worse, undercooked which can be dangerous. Beef is more forgiving in that regard.
Sous vide to the rescue then. The recent acquisition of a little sous vide stick (the cheapest version from Anova) has been put to good use for pork chops.
Sous vide, also known as low temperature long time (LTLT) cooking, is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and cooked in a water bath for between one to seven hours at a precisely regulated temperature.
Ingredients (non-halal)
- 250 g pork chop, preferably with a layer of fat
- 2 tablespoons fermented tofu for marinade
- 2 tablespoons butter/cooking oil
Side dish:
- Asparagus
- Garlic
- Butter
Method
- Marinate the pork chop with fermented tofu (preferably overnight) and seal it in a vacuum bag.
- Cook the pork chop using the sous vide method at 60ºC for two hours.
- Remove the vacuum bag from the water bath.
- Heat the frying pan on high heat and when smoking hot, pan sear the chops for one minute on each side.
- Let rest for four to five minutes.
- Stir-fry some asparagus with butter and garlic while the pork is resting and serve on the side.
This recipe was first published here.
Trying to influence your cravings since 2005, Kar Yeong was Guest Judge on Versus 1001 Rasa Baba’s 2018, R.AGE Food Fight Judge 2015 and NTV7 Foodie Blogger 2014. To read more about Kar Yeong’s food journeys, visit his blog at KYspeaks.com.