Cumin-Baked Pork Chops

Cooked as directed the chops were a little tough. The 2nd time I made them, I brined the chops first for about 45 min in a mixture of 3 TB table salt in 1 Qt. water, rinsed, and wiped them dry, then cooked them as directed. They were much better.

I used 1-1/4 inch, on-the-bone chops. Browned in a little evoo for about 2 min a side. Then brushed with the mustard to which I had added about 3/4 tsp. of ground cumin and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper. No salt; the mustard has enough.

Then baked at 450 for about 8 min; the chops had an internal temp of 145 degrees. Rest for 5 minutes. I served it with broccolini that I roasted until tender and slightly scorched, and then tossed with lemon juice and grated Parmesan. Outstanding!

I heeded the comments of previous cooks about difficulty with browning the pork chops. I browned them first. I let them cool slightly and then applied dijon mustard, crushed cumin seeds and pepper. Also to increase the browning of the chops, I finished them under the broiler rather than baking. This recipe is simple and delicious.

I used ground cumin, mixed it with the mustard, used olive oil instead of canola, then followed the directions - I'll cook this again (and again) -- easy for a weeknight but great for guests.

Made in a nonstick skillet and no issue about sticking to pan -10 min in oven was perfect for 8 oz chops. I was a tad worried about about of cumin, especially freshly ground in a mortar as I did - but a big hit. I did brine the Frenched chops for 2 days in the brine indicated for a different recipe- http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6176-cider-cured-pork-chops
which contains the best sentence yet in this section:" until the chops lurk in the liquid like frogs in a pond"...

After 30 years of cooking, I finally learned how to make pork chops that aren't dry and chewy: brine them in salt water for a few hours first, then pat thoroughly dry before cooking. I don't understand how it works, but it does!

I was lazy and made this recipe but I baked the pork chops, no frying beforehand. It was delicious I just cooked it at 360 for thirty minutes. Perfectly done and what great flavor!!!

What should those of us without cast iron skillets do?

Made this and loved it. I only cooked it for 10 minutes.
Also, beware making this in a poorly ventilated apartment. It can smoke, and it set off my fire alarm.

My crust all fell off when I flipped the chop, it was all stuck to the pan. I used a well-seasoned, cast iron skillet as instructed. There just didn't seem to be anything to bind it to the chop.

My recommendations for solving the "mustard won't adhere" problem are:

1 - Salt the chop on both sides and sear in the pan, both sides.

2 - Remove and season both sides with cumin.

3 - Put the chop back into the cast iron skillet and rub the top side with a bit of dijon mustard. Put the skillet in the oven.

Additionally, as I was making a rice dish on the side, I sliced a bunch of mushrooms and tossed them into the skillet with the meat to be perfectly browned.

Have made this several times with great success. Last time, based on a note, I put a sliced apple and a pear under the chops after they were browned and before baking. When done I removed the chops and fruit, deglazed the pan with about a half cup of white wine, boiled down to a syrup, and stirred in soft butter. It was amazing. Used Berkshire pork chops which are worth the price.

Used boneless pork chops (as they were all that was available at Park Slope Food Coop) so baked for only 8 minutes. Mustard is Kryptonite to my husband but cumin crusted anything is ambrosia so instead of mustard I coated the chops in a mixture of 4 tbsp of sour cream, mixed with 3 tbsp of ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of chili pepper flakes, and a dash of salt. Does not provide the "bite" of Dijon but coats the chops well for the cumin and black pepper to adhere.

Cooked as written - turned out great.
Instead of salting the chops directly, I sprinkle sea salt on the cast iron to stand the chop very slightly off of the high heat surface. Cumin crust stays on, chop gets seared and salted, life is good.

If possible, used crushed cumin as recommended in the article - there is a significant (positive) difference in taste. I crush cumin seeds in my mortar and pestle, enjoying the aroma while crushing the seeds is part of the positive cooking experience. I tend to hand crush herbs and spices whenever possible just for this added enjoyment, working the spices by hand, smelling their sometimes pungent aroma as it is released, all part of the fun of cooking.