Juicy Buttermilk Pork Chops

Recipe by Maria Hines

“Berkshire pigs have the most wonderful flavor of all the pork I’ve ever tried,” says Maria Hines of Tilth in Seattle. She buys her excellent, pasture-raised Berkshire pork from Skagit River Ranch in Sedro Woolley, Washington. $9.50 per lb; 360-856-0722.

Ingredients

1. 4 1-inch-thick bone-in pork rib chops (about 12 ounces each)
2. 1 quart buttermilk
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5.

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cover the pork chops with the buttermilk and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°. Drain the chops, pat them dry and season with salt and pepper. In a very large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the pork chops and cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn the chops, transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chops registers 135°. Let the chops rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Serve With

Grits and braised collard greens.