Pressure Cooker Pork Chops For A Hassle-Free Weekend Feast
Image Credit: Pork chops are tricky to make

If you enjoy eating a plate of perfectly cooked, brilliantly flavoured and absolutely juicy pork chops as a much-deserved weekend feast, then you know this just as well as I do: nailing the cook on those chops is much more difficult than gorging down the ready dish.

As a lifelong pork lover, I understand just as well as the next foodie out there that pork might be delicious, but cooking it right is anything but easy especially if you’re Indian and not used to rare or medium rare steaks. This is precisely the reason why I never shy away from ordering pork chops while I’m at a restaurant, but never really venture into trying the recipe in my own kitchen. Spicy Naga-style pork belly curries apart, I never mustered up the courage to cook pork chops at home for the fear of disappointing myself by doing a bad job.

All that changed on a weekend about a month back when I decided to overcome my doubts by tailoring a recipe from many available online. The logic was simple. If I can cook pork belly in a pressure cooker, I can—with a bit of trial and error—learn to cook those pork chops I crave so much in the same utensil. Going with your gut as a home cook often turns out brilliant results, and this balsamic-flavoured pressure cooker pork chops recipe is proof!

Here’s the almost foolproof recipe for you to give a whirl for your weekend feast. Don’t forget the essential trimmings like a buttery mash and a fresh salad though!

Ingredients:

  • 5 pork chops, at room temperature
  • 2 large onions thinly sliced
  • 3-4 garlic cloves smashed
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp black pepper powder
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • ½ cup fresh cream

Method


  • Wash, clean and pat dry the pork chops. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and dried rosemary over the chops, and rub these spices in. Let the marinated pork chops rest for 10-15 minutes.
  • Once the pan heats up, place the pork chops. Don’t overcrowd the chops as this will prevent them from browning up properly.
  • Place a deep-bottomed pan on medium heat. Add the olive oil.
  • Place the smashed garlic cloves in the same pan and let them grill along with the chops.
  • Grill the chops for two minutes on each side, then use a pair of tongs to hold the fatty side towards the heat. Render the fat properly until this side browns and crisps up slightly.
  • Transfer the grilled chops and garlic cloves into a large pressure cooker, but keep it covered so the chops don’t dry up.
  • Now add the sliced onions to the pan with the rendered fat and pork juices. Saute the onions for five minutes, then transfer all the contents of the pan into the waiting pressure cooker.
  • Add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and water to into the pressure cooker and give it a gentle stir. Seal the pressure cooker properly and set it on a medium flame. Let the chops cook for three whistles then switch it off.
  • Once the pressure comes down, open the cooker and check the chops. They should be well done and ready to almost fall off the bones. If they’re not, seal the pressure cooker again and let it cook for another whistle or two. Remove the pork chops into a covered casserole dish.
  • Let the sauce remain in the cooker. Put it back on a medium flame and stir in the fresh cream. Cook the sauce for 10 minutes or until it thickens properly.
  • Check the sauce for seasoning and adjust the salt-and-pepper ratio if needed. Once it’s done, you can pour it over the pork chops. This will keep the chops moist and help the saucy flavours seep in further.
  • Serve the pork chops with a generous ladle of the sauce, with mashed potatoes and a fresh salad.