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Just a great Pork Rub

Recipe video above. This is a real great all-rounder rub for pork chops. It gives the pork great flavour, a lovely warm red colour, and if you throw a knob of butter in at the end, you get a tasty flavoured sauce too!There's enough spices in the rub so that if you're missing one or two, the rub will still be tasty, see Note 1.Makes 4 tablespoons / 45g of rub which will season 4 thick-cut chops. Keeps for the shelf life of the spices you used.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 511 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Pork rub (subs Note 1):
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 1/4 tsp salt (cooking/kosher salt, Note 2)
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3/4 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp sage powder
Pork:
  • 4 pork chops, any type (pictured: pork cutlets, 220g/7oz each, 2cm / 0.8" thick) (Note 3)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (per batch you cook)
  • 50g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter (for flavoured butter sauce, 15 g / 1 tbsp per chop)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Rub: Mix spices in a small bowl. Keeps for weeks - even months! (Whatever the shelf life of the spices is you used).
  2. Using pork rub: Pat pork chops dry. Sprinkle then use your fingers to lightly rub the seasoning on both sides, as well as the sides. Shake off excess. Cook per below.
Cooking thin pork chops - up to 1.75 cm / 0.7" thick (Note 3):
    Cup of Yum
  1. Place a rack over a tray. (Note 4)
  2. Heat oil in a heavy based skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Cook pork chops for 3 minutes on each side until deep golden. Don't crowd the pan else the pork will stew instead of sear!
  4. Rest on rack for 3 minutes.
  5. Melt butter in skillet, stirring to dissolve rub left in pan into the butter. Serve over pork!
Cooking THICK pork chops - 2cm / 0.8"+ (Note 3):
  1. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Place a rack over a tray. (Note 4)
  2. Heat oil in a heavy based skillet over medium high heat.
  3. Use tongs to sear the edge of the chops (fat strip), rotating as you go, until you get nice colour all around, about 3 minutes in total (see video demo). Then sear each side for 2 minutes until golden.
  4. Put pan into the oven and allow to finish cooking for 3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 65°C/149°F. Remove pork and rest 3 minutes on rack.
  5. Melt butter in skillet, stirring to dissolve rub left in pan into the butter. Serve over pork!

Notes

  • Rub spice substitutes:
  • Salt - If you only have table salt, use 1 3/4 tsp. This is because table salt grains are so much finer than cooking salt, so 1 tsp cooking salt = approx 3/4 tsp table salt by weight. See in post for more on this.
  • Cooking pork chops: Take out of oven / off stove at internal cooked temperature of 65°C/149°F. This will rise during rest by around 5°C (9°F) to 70°C (158°F) which is optimum juiciness with no pink (see close up photos in post).
  • Resting on rack - This is better than resting on a plate as the rub stays on the underside better. If you rest on a plate, the underside sweats and rub flavour comes off. (I don't always rest on rack because, well, it's extra washing up. But for this one, it's worth it!)
  • Smoked paprika: Sub normal or sweet, or hot if you dare!
  • Onion and garlic powder: Double up on either if you are missing one. I don't recommend making this if you're missing both. Maybe try my pork marinade instead? (Also pantry ingredients)
  • Oregano: 1 tsp mixed herb, or 1/2 tsp thyme or rosemary
  • Mustard powder: 1/4 tsp extra onion or garlic powder
  • Cumin: Coriander powder
  • Sage: Coriander powder or extra mustard powder
  • Thin chops - around 1.75 cm / 0.7" thick or less can be fully cooked on the stove. 1.75 cm / 0.7" will take around 7 minutes in total, thin ones will take around 4 minutes.
  • Thick chops - 2cm / 0.8"+ (like pictured in post), start it on the stove and finish in the oven at 180°C/350°F until target internal temperature of 65°C/149°F is achieved. The chops I used only took 3 minutes (the residual heat in the skillet helps).

Nutrition Information

Calories 511cal (26%) Carbohydrates 3g (1%) Protein 48g (96%) Fat 33g (51%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 14g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 180mg (60%) Sodium 1524mg (64%) Potassium 904mg (26%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 1260IU (25%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 41mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 511

% Daily Value*

Calories 511cal 26%
Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Protein 48g 96%
Fat 33g 51%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 14g 70%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 180mg 60%
Sodium 1524mg 64%
Potassium 904mg 19%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 1260IU 25%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 41mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.