Ah, the unforgettable flavor of pasture raised, heritage breed pork chops. Cooked to absolute perfection thanks to a little gadget called a Sous Vide Precision Cooker and topped with cilantro lime butter. Sure, with a little skill you can pan sear or grill pork chops and still produce a delicious, juicy result ... but the sous vide (french for 'under vacuum'), method is fool proof and has been used by fancy restaurants for decades thanks to its ability to produce precisely cooked meats, edge to edge, while being totally hands-off. When it comes to honoring the animal, I believe that cooking meat in the best way possible is part of that respect and gratitude. 

So, next time you have a gorgeous, pasture raised pork chop (or a big steak you absolutely cannot mess up – talking to you, Tri Tip), give sous vide a try! Simply vacuum seal the meat with seasonings, garlic, and/or herbs...and drop it into the preheated water bath. BPA free bags are available on amazon, and they even come with an easy to use vacuum sealer pump. When done cooking, heat up a skillet or outdoor grill nice and hot, and give it a quick sear to get that golden, crispy exterior we're after.

Sous Vide gives you a ton of flexibility too, since you can cook most smaller cuts of meat anywhere from 2-4 hours, it's a great time management technique to avoid that last minute rush to get dinner on the table. By all means, if you don't have a sous vide, give this recipe a try anyways. The cilantro lime butter is *everything.* Let's get cooking!

INGREDIENTS

• Two 1915 Farm Pasture Raised Pork Chops
• Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic, smashed (I like to use the bottom of a mason jar)
• 8 Tbsp / 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced 
• 1 tsp lime zest
• Juice of 1 lime
• Pasture raised lard, or avocado oil for high-heat searing

INSTRUCTIONS

Place sous vide in a large stock pot or food safe plastic container. Fill with water about 3/4 full and set sous vide to desired temperature.

  *I set my sous vide for 135° because I like a very deep golden sear, and I don't want my finished temp going anywhere past 140° during the final step in the skillet.

Remove pork chops from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Generously season with kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper on both sides, and along the beautiful fat cap. 

Place pork chops in gallon sized sous vide bag, placing 2 smashed garlic cloves on top of each chop. Vacuum seal using pump or the water displacement method.

Once the water is up to temperature, place pork chop bags into the water bath. Use a metal clip or the handle of a wooden spoon, if needed, to ensure the bag stays completely submerged for the duration of the cook. If your vacuum seal is properly done, you shouldn't have much of an issue.

Cook pork chops for 2 hours. In the meantime, make the cilantro lime compound butter. In a small bowl, place the softened butter, followed by cilantro, lime zest, juice of a lime, and a couple pinches of kosher salt. Mash with a fork until combined well. Transfer to plastic wrap and roll into a log. Place in the fridge to firm up. 

When pork chops are finished cooking, remove from the sous vide bag to a plate or board. Dry pork chops completely with a paper towel. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear, so we want those chops seriously dry on the exterior. 

Heat a cast iron or other heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add about 1 tsp of rendered lard (if you have any solidified liquid gold in your fridge), or use a high-heat neutral oil such as avocado oil. Add pork chops to skillet and sear, flipping often and rotating around the pan to ensure a deep golden crust is achieved. This takes about 5 minutes.

Remove pork chops to a cutting board and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes. While resting, cut a couple slices of cilantro lime butter and place on top to melt. Slice pork chops and finish with flakey salt, such as Maldon. Serve alongside roasted asparagus, rice pilaf, or potatoes.

We hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you'd like to share your delicious dish on Instagram, don't forget to tag us @1915_Farm

P.S. If you love our pasture raised heritage breed pork – consider subscribing to the Grassroots Meat Club (ships free in TX, reduced in other states). Each box includes a variety of hand-selected grassfed and pasture raised meats, such as chicken breasts, chicken tenders, leg quarters, wings, thighs, drumsticks, whole chicken, ground beef, kabobs, stew meat, stir fry, cutlets, London broil (top round), beef roasts, beef osso buco, short ribs, various sausages, pork roasts, pork chops, bacon, ground pork, fajita meat, country style ribs, spare ribs, and bacon!

Sous vide pork chop temperature/timing info from Serious Eats