oven baked pork chops

From www.thekitchn.com

How To Cook Tender & Juicy Pork Chops in the Oven

Makes 2 to 4 pork chops

What You Need

Ingredients

For the brine (optional):
3 cups cold water, divided
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 2 1/2 tablespoons table salt)
Optional flavorings: 2 smashed garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf

For the pork chops:2 to 4 pork chops — center cut, bone-on, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick (about 1 pound each) Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Equipment
Shallow dish (for brining)
Large cast iron, stainless steel, or other oven-safe skillet
Tongs

Instructions

1. Brine the pork chops (optional): If you have time, brining the pork for even a brief period adds flavor and ensures juiciness in the finished chop. Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil, add the salt and optional flavorings, and stir to dissolve the salt. Add 2 more cups of cold water to bring the temperature of the brine down to room temperature. Place the pork chops in a shallow dish and pour the brine over top. The brine should cover the chops — if not, add additional water and salt (1 cup water to 1 tablespoon salt) until the chops are submerged. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. Heat the oven and skillet: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place the skillet in the oven to preheat as well.
3. Season the pork chops: While the oven heats, prepare the pork chops. Remove the chops from the brine; if you didn't brine, remove the chops from their packaging. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the chops aside to warm while the oven finishes heating.
4. Remove the skillet from the oven: Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Turn on a vent fan or open a window.
5. Sear the pork chops: Lay the pork chops in the hot skillet. You should hear them immediately begin to sizzle. Sear until the undersides of the chops are seared golden, 3 minutes. The chops may start to smoke a little — that's ok. Turn down the heat if it becomes excessive.
6. Flip the chops and transfer to the oven: Use tongs to flip the pork chops to the other side. Immediately transfer the skillet to the oven using oven mitts.
7. Roast the chops until cooked through: Roast until the pork chops are cooked through and register 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time will be 6 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chops, how cool they were at the start of cooking, and whether they were brined. Start checking the chops at 6 minutes and continue checking every minute or two until the chops are cooked through.
8. Rest the chops: Transfer the cooked pork chops to a plate and pour any pan juices over the top (or reserve for making a pan sauce or gravy). Tent loosely with foil and let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Pork Ragu

• Ingredients
• 
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder cubed(or 4-6 pound bone-in pork shoulder)
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Pinch of crush red pepper flakes
• 1 cup red wine (or chicken stock with a splash of ACV)
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Trim and remove any excess fat from pork shoulder. Cut pork shoulder into 2 inch cubes Using a paper towel, pat the surface of pork so that it's dry, then season generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat oil using Saute feature. Sear pork on all sides, approximately 3 minutes a side, until a nice golden brown crust is achieved. Remove seared pork from pot and set aside. Do in batches, if necessary.
3. Lower heat to medium. Add onions and carrots to the pan, season generously with Kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper (if using), and bay leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Stir in red wine. Let cook for approximately 4-5 minutes, until the wine has slightly reduced. Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Stir to combine. Add pork back into the pan. The liquid should cover at least ⅓ of the meat.
5. Put on lid and set InstantPot for 35 minutes.  NPR.  When pork is ready, remove from pot into a large bowl. Let cool slightly, then using 2 forks or your hands, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces.
6. Remove bay leaves from sauce and return shredded pork to pan. Let cook on low for at least 30 minutes.
7. When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in pasta and cook to package directions, making sure to cook to al dente. Drain pasta, then immediatley add to the pork ragu along with the fresh basil. Let cook for 1 minute, allowing basil to wilt slightly and pasta to absorb a bit of the ragu. Serve, with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano