Sear-Roasted Pork Chops

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Pork Chops

I often get questions about why I don’t have many recipes including pork on my site, and the biggest reason is that I came to the Autoimmune Protocol by way of Dr. Kharrazian’s Autoimmune Hypothyroidism Diet. This diet is very similar to AIP except that he omits pork and mushrooms. I don’t think it is necessary to omit pork while on the Autoimmune Protocol, provided it comes from healthy, pastured animals and is not processed with any food chemicals, gluten, or nightshade spices (as a lot of conventional pork products available to us are).

I learned this sear-roasting method from Josh Weissman’s cookbook, The Slim Palate Cookbook. I had never had such a tender, flavorful chop until I tried his method, and I was so excited about it I decided to whip up and share an Autoimmune-Protocol compliant version here. These are super simple to make, taste amazing, and really easy to incorporate into a weeknight meal.

Pork Chops

 

4.8 from 8 reviews
Sear-Roasted Pork Chops
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 1" thick pastured pork chops, bone in, about 8oz each
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, minced (I like to use rosemary, sage, or thyme)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon solid cooking fat (coconut oil, lard, tallow, or duck fat)
Instructions
  1. To prepare the pork chops, make a few slices through the fatty outer section of the chops, being careful not to slice the meat. Place them on a plate and let them come to room temperature before cooking.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the minced fresh herbs and sea salt in a small bowl.
  3. Heat the solid cooking fat in the bottom of a skillet on medium high heat. Meanwhile, rub the herb mixture all over both sides of the chops right before cooking.
  4. When the fat has melted and the pan is hot, sear the pork chops for 2-3 minutes on the first side, and a minute on the second. When they are finished, pick up one of the chops with tongs and sear the fatty outer layer of one chop for about 30 seconds, and then repeating for the other chop once finished, returning both to the pan on the same side.
  5. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until an internal thermometer reads 140. If your chops are thinner than 1" thick, they may not need as long in the oven.

 

About Mickey Trescott

Mickey Trescott is a co-founder here at Autoimmune Wellness and a co-teacher of AIP Certified Coach. After recovering from her own struggle with both Celiac and Hashimoto’s disease, adrenal fatigue, and multiple vitamin deficiencies, Mickey started to write about her experience to share with others and help them realize they are not alone in their struggles. She has a Master's degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Nutrition, and is the author of three best-selling books--The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook, and The Nutrient-Dense Kitchen. You can watch her AIP cooking demos by following her on Instagram.

36 comments

  • christina says

    I had this yesterday and it was yummy. I did however not add the the herbs before pan frying the chop because I was scared that the herbs could burn? Instead I fried the chop as described and then put a mix of herbs, garlic , sea salt and smoked salt and olive oil on it before putting it in the oven. I used thyme and rosemary. I don’t think I would have thought of this on my own. Great recipe. I don’t mind being on AIP anymore. The only downside is that it’s hard or almost impossible to eat out and you have to do almost everything from scratch, but these recipes make it so much easier. Thanks so much!

    • Mickey says

      Christina,
      The herbs don’t really burn, but they do brown and get crispy (I like them that way!). I’m happy you liked the recipe!

      Mickey

  • Evil One says

    This will be tonight’s dinner! I had to run to the grocery story anyway to get something so this recipe was very timely!

    I’m new to AIP – Day 5 new.
    Prior to this I was Paleo (by choice) for over a year and I loved it! Adapted easily and flourished with the diet.
    Now with a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s I’m transitioning to AIP out of medical necessity – and it has not been easy.
    Today is an especially rough day – I feel run down, tired and nauseous… I’m assuming this is just some sort of detox, but none-the-less it makes me want to just sleep through these next few days.

    BUT – I ordered your cookbook and it arrived yesterday! (I already have many recipes marked for Sunday’s big grocery trip!) and I’ve found a few blogs to follow which is helping me feel a bit less lost.
    It’s still not as easy as Paleo was for me… but I hope it will get easier soon.

    • Mickey says

      Hi Evil One (nice name!)
      I hope your not feeling well was just a passing transition. You may need to up your AIP-approved starches (sweet potato, plantain, yuca, taro) if you tolerate them and are feeling tired. Especially with Hashimoto’s, these are an important part of the diet due to the liver needing insulin to convert t4 to t3.

      Hang in there, and hope you feel better soon!

      Mickey

      • Evil One says

        Thank you – yes I’m feeling better today. I’m fairly certain it was just my body detoxing 🙂
        Anyways… I made these on Friday and Saturday night! They were great – and simple!
        On Saturday I added some dried blueberries to the pan for the last 5mins of cooking (I also used cultured ghee as my fat) – man alive those flavors took this dish to another level!
        Thanks – this recipe will be repeated!

  • Elise says

    This is perfect, I have some pastured pork chops in my fridge! Do you omit mushrooms too? I eat them pretty often an wasn’t aware of any reason to avoid them.

    • Mickey says

      Elise, I eat mushrooms. I’d advise staying away from the ones with medicinal properties, like shiitake because they can be immune stimulants, but regular button mushrooms and portobellos should be fine.

      Mickey

      • Barb says

        Are those the only two safe mushrooms? What about Baby Bellas and so many others I find at my local organic farmer’s market? Aren’t all mushrooms considered medicinal to a certain extent? Looking forward to trying this recipe. Thanks for your help!

        • Mickey Trescott says

          Hi Barb! They aren’t the only two safe kinds – baby bells are fine. I would be careful with some types sold at farmers markets that are known to be immune stimulating – like maitake, shittake, reishi, etc. There should be some lists online if you google. Some varieties have more immune stimulating properties than others. Hope it helps!

  • […] Autoimmune Paleo’s Sear-roasted Porkchops […]

  • Kelly says

    Hello,
    What is the name of the purple cookware you use in this recipe?
    Thank you

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Kelly,
      This pan is by Le Creuset, “cassis” colorway!

  • kim says

    Hi I’m going to try this recipe tonight. I’m 3 weeks new to AIP and have seen tons of recipes with ingredients that are very hard to find. I was diagnosed with Sjorgens syndrome and RA. I don’t know anyone else with this that understands for support, and I’m trying to stick with the diet as this is very difficult. Any advice to staying on track? I feel tired and sluggish most days but today feeling ok. Trying to stay on AIP without falling back.

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Kim! I get ya on the complicated ingredients, but you should be able to find plenty of “staple” recipes, like this one that don’t call for anything fancy. Good quality meat and vegetables is all you need to eat this way–if I were you I would ignore the treats and complex recipes. Good luck!

    • Susan says

      Kim, I have RA and am pretty sure I have Sjogren’s too although it is not official. I’ve been fully AIP for about 3 weeks now (tapered into it) and see significant improvements in my RA already (although not so with the Sjogren’s, seems worse now). I’m totally sold on this approach. If you are having trouble staying on track, I STRONGLY recommend the “SAD to AIP in 6” course offered by Angie Alt (one of the owners of this blog). It’s a fantastic way to ease into AIP from the Standard American Diet (over 6 weeks) and the support is amazing – it’s done via Facebook and there are several coaches to answer questions and cheer you on, in addition to the camaraderie of other participants who all have some type of autoimmune disease. It is the very best thing I have ever done for myself….

  • Cecilia Cribley says

    I see you used bone in chops. Does it matter if mine do not have the bone?

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Cecilia,
      No problem, you can use boneless chops, just keep an eye on them as they are likely to cook more quickly!

  • kristan says

    This was deeelicious! I thank you so very much for access to these wonderful recipes.
    1.5 months on AIP (Dr. Amy Myers & your recipes). Some health improvements for sure (off meds, no more hives, hair stopped falling out, plenty of even-keeled energy all day)
    However, I dropped 10 lbs immediately (a definite non-plus for me) & lingering face rashes & mouth inflammation & constipation on & off. Staying positive & grateful for the community on your site.
    Thank you again, truly.

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hey Kristan,
      Thanks for sharing your story, I hope you are able to troubleshoot those last few things and feel better soon!

  • […] in less than 30 minutes. Serve it as a side to a quick-cooking protein, like Broiled Scallops, Sear-Roasted Pork Chops, or Wild […]

  • Christine says

    I used ground sage because that’s what I had. Delicious combination!

  • Annie says

    Loved this recipe. I am not much of a cook, so I used “Herbs de Provence” from Trader Joe’s for seasoning. It was yummy. Thank you.

  • Lisa says

    This was fantastic! We had friends over for dinner and the whole meal was AIP and no one was the wiser (except that I had to brag about it lol). I had almost 2 inch thick pork chops, so increased the cook time accordingly. I used fresh rosemary and fresh thyme as my herbs…oh my it was delicious! This was quick and easy to make, I’ll make it again for sure!

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Lisa, I’m so happy everyone loved it!

  • Marti says

    I bookmarked this before I read the instructions all the way through. My only oven at the moment is a countertop toaster oven and I’m trying to figure out how hot it should be. What temperature do you do your final baking of these chops?

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Marti! I talk oven temperature at step 2. Your toaster oven may work for this, let us know how it turns out!

  • AshleyO says

    I’m just about to start the AIP and am currently prepping for next week. I don’t eat pork products, but can I substitute lamp chops? Thanks so much! Your resources are super helpful!

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Ashley! Absolutely you can use lamb here, I just think you will want to be careful about cooking time as lamb chops are usually far smaller, and less fatty than pork. Use a thermometer to be sure!

      • AshleyO says

        Hi Mickey! Thanks for your input. I made these last night (it was my first time making a lamb dish) and I LOVED it! Wow, these are seriously delicious. I plan on making them for my family this weekend. Thanks again!

        • Mickey Trescott says

          Yay, so happy that worked out for you Ashley!

  • Rene says

    LOVED these chops! So delicious!! Thank you so much for this website and all the recipes as they have helped me heal in a very yummy way! Best always!

  • Liz says

    This was okay at best. It needs more flavor and richness.

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