Cast Iron Heritage Pork Chops

If you’ve ever had a pork chop that actually tasted like something, there’s a good chance it came from a heritage pig raised the right way. HB Slakter thick-cut chops have enough marbling to stay juicy through high heat, which makes cast iron the perfect match. You don’t need much, just a hot pan, some butter, and about fifteen minutes.

Start by pulling your chops from the fridge about 30 minutes before you cook. Pat them dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Get your cast iron over medium-high heat until it’s genuinely hot, a drop of water should evaporate on contact. Add a tablespoon of oil, lay the chops in away from you, and leave them alone. Let them sear for 3–4 minutes until a deep golden crust forms. If they’re sticking, they’re not ready to flip – a good sear releases on its own.

Once you flip, toss in a couple tablespoons of butter, a few smashed garlic cloves, and some fresh thyme if you have it. Tilt the pan and spoon that melted butter over the top of the chops continuously for another 2–3 minutes. Pull them when they hit 140°F – they’ll carry over to 145°F while resting. Don’t go to 160°F. That old guidance was written for lean commercial pork and will dry these out. Heritage pork is a different animal, literally.

Rest for 5 minutes before cutting. That’s non-negotiable.

A few other things worth knowing:

• Don’t trim the fat cap before cooking. It renders down and bastes the chop from the outside while it cooks.
• No cast iron? Stainless steel works. Non-stick won’t get hot enough to build a real crust, skip it for this one.
• After the chops come out, deglaze the pan with a splash of chicken stock or white wine and scrape up the brown bits. Add a little more butter and you’ve got a pan sauce in under two minutes. Pour it over everything.