![Porchetta Pork Chops](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/09/03/dining/porchetta/porchetta-mediumThreeByTwo440-v3.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Cumin-Baked Pork Chops
![Cumin-Baked Pork Chops](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/04/29/dining/cumin-baked-pork-chops/cumin-baked-pork-chops-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 48-ounce pork chops
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 4teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
- 2tablespoons crushed cumin seeds
- 1teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1teaspoon canola oil
Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle the pork chops on both sides with salt, then brush each side with mustard. Rub the cumin and pepper into the mustard.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the pork chops and brown for 2 minutes on each side. Put the skillet in the oven and bake until the chops are just cooked through, about 12 minutes. Divide among 4 plates and serve.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
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.
I par boiled small potatoes and added them- that worked well. I also found the chops a tad dry, next time, I will tent the pan with aluminum foil
I should have read the comments first. All the Dijon and seasonings stuck to the pan so one pork chop was “naked”…. But still delicious. I’ll either use non-stick or add the mustard mixture before placing in the oven next time - and there will be a next time.
Everything stuck to the pan. Weird.
The basic idea is good, but if you do it as the recipe says, you’ll end up with a layer of burnt mustard in your cast iron pan that you can scrape up and put on the pork chop. But clearly, no one tested this. Reading the comments, I brined the pork chops which was a good move. They were juicy. Next time I’ll also brown them first, then add the mustard on top before putting in the oven. That should work,
Wow this recipe really made me question my cooking ability. You absolutely cannot substitute the cumin seeds for cumin power. All I could taste was cumin. Also came out bone dry. I need to cook something ASAP to prove that this was not me it was the recipe.
Unfortunately my family didn’t like the spicing.
A simple quick recipe that I’ll make again. Despite suggestions from various notes, I followed recipe as written with no problems. Everyone loved them, with a unique flavor from the cumin.
I normally love cumin, but this was just too much of a good thing for me. Tasted almost bitter. That said, I took someone's suggestion of adding sliced mushrooms to the pan as it went in the oven, with a drizzle of EVOO, and they were great!
Did not brine but cooked the chops on the scant side for about 8 minutes and they were good. Would make again.
Cooking the pork chops on a bed of sliced apple was a great tip. I cooked thick bone-in pork chops (browned first) in a Dutch oven covered for 10 minutes, then removed cover, cooked for another 10 minutes. It was quick, easy and the apple made a nice sauce without too much smoke in my kitchen. Nice with some basmati rice and asparagus and dinner ready in 1/2 an hour
Brined for 3 hours in 2 cups water 1/8 cup salt and sugar. No additional salt needed prior to cooking.
I salted the chops, browned them on one side, flipped and smeared with mustard and spices on the top only and popped into the oven for 10-12 min. Yum!
Brined the chops in salt water for 3 hours. First seared the chops - each side for 2 minutes. No cumin / mustard yet. Let the chops rest off heat for a minute. I combined the mustard & cumin and made sort of a paste to cover the chops (added a small bit of water to soften it up) I put a layer of mushrooms in the pan and placed the chops on top - to keep the chops off the pan surface to avoid having the mustard/cumin stick. Then put the pan in the oven. Delicious.
Served this on a bed of wilted spinach...delicious!
Haven't made this in awhile. Coated the chops in hummus because husband despises mustard and while that doesn't add a lot of flavor it does keep the coating on. Doubled the amount of black pepper to compensate for the missing mustard. 12 minutes was definitely too long in the oven - came out medium well. So next time - no more than 10 minutes in the oven!
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