Fred Harvey's Heritage Skillet Pork Chops
Blue Plate Specials
Before the glowing neon and stainless steel, there was Fred Harvey, feeding travelers along the Santa Fe Railroad with ruthless short-order efficiency. This is the blueprint for the great American diner chop, pulled from a 1903 Rocky Mountain manual and built for the blistering heat of a cast-iron skillet. It’s a thin, fast-seared piece of meat dredged in flour and sage, cooked hard to build a crust, and served with sour apples fried right in the pan drippings. It is honest, unpretentious food engineered to feed a weary traveler in the middle of the night.
Before you start
Manage the moisture.
Take the pork chops out of the fridge fifteen minutes before cooking and aggressively pat them dry on both sides with paper towels. Moisture is the absolute enemy of a golden diner crust.
Set up the dredge station.
In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the flour, dried sage, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Ingredients
- bone-in center-cut pork chops4 med
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- dried rubbed sage1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- coarse black pepper1 1/2 tsp
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- sour apples2 large
Method
- 01
Dredge the chops.
Press each dry pork chop into the seasoned flour, pushing firmly so it adheres. Shake off the excess until you are left with only a thin, dusty coating, then set them aside on a wire rack.
- 02
Preheat the skillet to mimic a commercial flat-top.
Place your largest cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Let it get screaming hot for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the oil, then 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter foams and the milk solids begin to brown, the pan is ready.
- 03
Drop and sear without touching.
Lay the pork chops into the skillet, dropping them away from you to avoid splatter. The pan should hiss violently. Step back and do not touch or move them for 3 to 4 minutes while the Maillard reaction builds the crust.
- 04
Execute the diner scrape.
Take a stiff-bladed metal spatula, press the flat edge firmly against the bottom of the cast-iron skillet, and push forward in a confident scraping motion. This separates the meat from the iron without leaving the crust behind. Flip the chops and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the center reaches 145°F.
- 05
Fry the apples in the savory pan fond.
Move the chops to a warm platter. Drop the heat to medium and leave all the residual pork fat and browned bits in the skillet. Toss in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the sliced apples. Use your metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan as the moisture from the apples deglazes the fond.
- 06
Sauté until caramelized.
Cook the apples, tossing frequently, until they are tender and coated in the savory pork drippings, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve the rested pork chops smothered generously with the hot apples.
Notes
The dome trick.
If your chops are closer to 3/4-inch thick, place a metal mixing bowl upside down over them for the last two minutes of cooking. This traps the steam and radiant heat, cooking the interior rapidly without burning the outside crust.
Keep the apples savory.
Resist the urge to add cinnamon or brown sugar. These are meant to be a tart, savory counterpoint to the rich pork. If you want a Southwestern kick, toss a diced jalapeño in with the apples during the final two minutes of cooking.
From Cook Diner Food at Home.