Spring Pork Chops with ChimmiChurri

These are a real staple in the spring for our family. Basically anything slathered in ChimmiChurri is a staple for us. But cast iron seared pork chops are just next level once you heap it up with a big spoon of this fresh herby sauce.

I’ve spent many years eating dry, “white meat” pork chops. It was never a cut I looked forward to. But once we started raising pigs and I understood the cuts of meat and the deep red rich meat of the pork chop it became a favorite.

First of all the thickness is key. Our pork chops are 1 1/2” thick for a beautiful, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside pork chop. Think of it as a steak when deciding how to prepare it. My go-to (and for good reason) is to leave it room temp for about 20 minutes. Pat it dry, season generously with good salt and pepper and then pan sear it in a cast iron skillet with a few tablespoons of butter. Even better if you spoon the melted butter and melted lard up over the top to baste the meat as it cooks. Only flipping once and adding a bit more butter will achieve that crispy, fried, outer pork lard. Be sure to turn it up on the end to sear the fat cap. I dare say thats the best part.

While this is cooking toss a big handfull of parsley, cilantro, and oregano in a food processor with a clove of garlic, salt & pepper, a few glugs of red wine vinegar, and about a 1/4 cup of olive oil for the most spring time sauce of all. After a long winter this is exactly what my body craves.

I like to eat this atop a mountain of crisp lettuce and a bit of feta or goat cheese is just the icing on the cake.