How to Bake a Center-Cut Boneless Pork Chop
A center-cut boneless pork chop is a high-quality, flavorful cut of meat that often demands a high price in comparison with other cuts. While grilling may be the most common method for cooking this cut of meat, baking the meat can help to keep it from drying out and becoming tough during the cooking process.
A center-cut boneless pork chop is a high-quality, flavorful cut of meat that often demands a high price in comparison with other cuts. While grilling may be the most common method for cooking this cut of meat, baking the meat can help to keep it from drying out and becoming tough during the cooking process. Serve center-cut boneless pork chops with sautéed green vegetables like spinach or broccoli, homemade applesauce and mashed potatoes and gravy for a classic, filling meal.
Step 1
Take the pork chop out of the refrigerator, and allow it to warm up to room temperature for one hour before you cook it. Keep the meat covered with plastic wrap or wax paper at all times.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3
Brush both sides of the pork chop with a combination of equal amounts of extra virgin olive oil and melted unsalted butter. Sprinkle the sage, rosemary and thyme onto the meat, and season it all over with sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Step 4
Place the pork chop in a baking or roasting dish, and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the pork chop in the oven for 35 minutes without opening the oven.
Step 5
Check the internal temperature of the meat at the thickest point with an instant-read thermometer. When the pork chop is fully cooked, the temperature should be between 140 and 145 degrees for medium, 145 to 155 degrees for medium well and above 160 degrees for well done.
Step 6
Transfer the pork chop to a warmed serving plate and allow the natural juices to redistribute throughout the meat for five minutes before slicing it.
warning
Avoid cooking pork past an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The meat will dry out and lose much of its natural flavor.