Ask Your Butcher For These Tender Pork Chops With Magnificent Marbling

The intramuscular fat known as marbling is probably most familiar from when part of all manner of steak and other beef selections. That ivory lace is a famed signal of flavor and promises a juicier bite versus leaner varieties. And marbling matters just as much for other types of meat, too. The boneless pork chops that you're better off skipping are a great example: absent the lush marbling you'll see in some other cuts, they're just more liable to curl up and dry. And pork rib chops are the marvelously marbled antidote to all of the lackluster lean ones that you might have found yourself sawing through before.

Pork rib chops are butchered bone-in from the pig loin's titular rib section. The marbling that's visible to the naked eye even from the time you source it at the butcher or grocery store gives the otherwise mild swine its moist richness compared to other cuts' lack of fat. It also makes pork rib chops a little more forgiving to prep once the heat is on, though you should still always be careful to cook this prime protein to perfection without overdoing it.

As long as you're sure to cook your pork chops to the USDA safe minimum of 145 degrees Fahrenheit inside, you can get them there a few different ways. (Gauging their doneness with a proper meat thermometer should also assuage your fears about pinkish pork, which is generally safe to consume as long as it registers a safe temp.) Popping your pork chops under the broiler for around five minutes on each side depending on their size will get the job done while approximating a flame-grilled kiss.

Pork chops are also excellent when made on the stovetop in a cast-iron skillet. A simple seasoning of something like salt and pepper will allow the chops' gentle savory sweetness to shine. You'll want to let your pork rib chops dry sear (meaning without any cooking oil to start) in a hot pan to develop some nice, golden brown color for around 10 minutes total with a few flips in-between. Once you cut the heat, a nice crushed garlic, aromatic herb, and butter baste will add just enough extra dimension while the pork slowly finishes at that 145 degrees Fahrenheit target temp. The visual of the chops' raw marbling will now be a memory beneath their lovely curst, but you'll definitely remember that it was there once you have a taste.