Pork chop (sous vide)

I decided to try a slightly different preparation that's a variation on my regular oven roasted pork. I really like the sous vide preparation because the end result is a very tender and moist pork chop.

3 lb. center cut pork roast, bone-in

Preheat the sous vide machine to 160°F.

Remove the fat and silverskin from the top of the roast. Divide into individual pork chops. The end result should be sort of like this:

several pork loin chops - the main meal large pieces of meat on the wrong size of the fat layer, etc. - save for stir fry random bits of meat and the bone that formerly held everything together - stock a small pile of fat and silverskin - discard

Season the chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and vacuum seal.

Sous vide for 2 hours at 160°F.

The minimum temperature to kill trichinosis is 140°F. Some guides recommend 180°F for pork, but that will tend to dry it out. With the sous vide you don't have to worry about undercooked center parts, so I just cooked to 160°F as a reasonable compromise.

Take the smaller meaty bits, including the pieces trimmed from between the end of the pork chop bones, and the bone and add to a small pot with 18 oz. of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, skim off any foam, and simmer for 2 hours. This will make a nice pork stock that can be used in soups and sauces.

When done, remove the pork from the sous vide machine. Drain the bag and discard the liquid.

Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Add a little olive oil. Briefly sear the pork chops, a few minutes on each side. They're fully cooked; this step just browns the outside nicely and helps make the sauce.

Remove the pork chops from the sauté pan. Deglaze the pan with about 4 oz. pork stock. Reduce, then add a little soy sauce. Serve as the jus for the pork chops.

When all is said and done, I ended up with one meal and pile of food for the freezer including 3 more pork chops, stir fry meat (cooked and pre-cut, ready to throw into a stir-fry), 8 oz. pork stock, and a side of pork jus.

I also made a version of this recipe using a boneless 7-rib pork roast .

When I was writing this description I Googled "jus lié" to make sure I was using jus vs. jus lié correctly. I got the answer and also the lyrics to "I jus' lie" from the band Snot.