gtwy

Pork Chop, Fennel & Garlic, Cider-Ginger Mustard Lacquer

Fennel and garlic ride with the chop for four hours at 140°F — pink, set, not grey. Hard tallow sear in cast iron, then a tight apple-cider, ginger, and mustard lacquer. Maldon after.

Yield: 6 chops · ~1½″ boneless loin
Time: 3½–4½ hours, mostly unattended. The 3–4 hr is sous vide at 140 °F; sear and glaze are the last ~15 min.

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I. Sous vide

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless pork loin chops, ~1½″, unsalted (butcher, not pumped grocery)
  • Kosher salt, both faces
  • Smashed garlic
  • Crushed fennel seed

Method

Salt both faces. Leave on wire rack overnight for dry brine for best results. Otherwise, jump right into the next instruction.

Pulverize fennel with a mortar and pestle. Put ground fennel on both sides of chops.

Chops + smashed garlic into PFA-free bags. One layer — don’t stack. Vacuum or water-displace.

140 °F for 3–4 hours once at temp. 4 hours is the ceiling on these lean chops; past that they go mealy. Don't go lower, 135 °F makes the meat springier, not softer.

Leave bags in sink with ice for 15 minutes. Dry thoroughly after removing bags, place on wire rack for 15 minutes.

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II. Cast iron

Ingredients

  • Beef tallow
  • Maldon sea salt
  • Fresh cracked black pepper (optional)

Method

Rack, pat extra dry. Optional 5 min ice bath. Pan stupid hot.

Dry cast iron, smoking. Butter or tallow (no seed oil). 45–60 s a side. Stand on the fat cap 20–30 s. Two at a time. Browning, not cooking through. Use tongs to hold each edge against the pan so that nothing looks uncooked.

Don’t glaze in the pan.

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III. Cider-ginger glaze

For 6 chops. Small saucepan while they sear. No lid.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened apple cider (real cider, not cocktail)
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, microplaned
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp cider vinegar, only if too sweet (optional)

Method

Cider + Dijon + salt. Brisk simmer — whole surface moving, constant small-to-medium bubbles. Not a lazy pop, not a rolling boil.

Reduce 8–12 min to nappe: ~⅓ cup, glossy, coats a spoon, finger-line holds. Watery = not there. Sticky/candy = too far.

Last 2 min: ginger. Kill heat before the butter. Whisk in butter. Vinegar only if this batch went candy. (No vinegar needed if using a tart apple for cider, like Granny Smith.)

Plate, thin ribbon of glaze. Maldon on the unglazed bits.