Food Lust People Love: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops

These java dry spice mix chops are seared for a few minutes in a hot grill pan, then finished off in a hot oven, which keeps them tender and juicy. The java dry spice rub is made with ground roasted coffee beans, cumin, brown sugar, smoked paprika and garlic powder. And, of course, salt!

This is probably my favorite homemade spice mix. The roasted coffee really adds a depth of flavor that goes so well with pork. So well, in fact, that I also use it on whole pork roasts. If you have a sous vide precision cooker, you'll want to have a look at my sous vide java dry spice pork roast recipe. Boy, howdy, it is good!

Java Dry Spice Mix Chops

Apologies for the lack of photos of the pork chops being cooked in the griddle pan. Lighting wasn't great but I hope I have made up for it with good instructions. Should you have a question, please leave me a comment.

Ingredients

2 thick cut pork chops, untrimmed

3-4 teaspoons java dry spice rub (Get the recipe here: Java Dry Spice Rub)

Tools needed

heavy grill pan

wooden skewers

Method

Wash the pork chops and dry them slightly with a paper towel. Sprinkle the chops liberally with the java dry spice rub and use your clean hands to rub it all over.

Cover the chops with cling film and refrigerator at least half an hour or longer if you have the time.

When you are ready to cook the pork chops, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and remove the chops from the refrigerator.

When the oven is just about at temperature, heat your grill pan or an iron skillet over a medium high flame.

Use several wooden skewers to pin your chops together, fat/skin side together. Once the pan is hot, stand the chops up fat/skin side down for 4-5 minutes.

Move them around the pan to take advantage of the heat to render the fat and get the skin a bit crispy.

Transfer the chops to a plate and remove the skewers.

Put the chops back in the pan, this time on their sides and set a timer for 3 minutes.

When the timer rings, turn the chops over and set it for another 3 minutes.

Repeat, giving the chops only 1 minute on each side. If you want to get fancy, turn the chops so the grill lines cross.

Transfer the grill pan to your preheated oven and roast for a further 8-10 minutes. You can cut near the bone to check for doneness. (If you have a meat thermometer, the ideal temperature is 145°F or 62.8°C.) The pork can be slightly pink. It will continue to cook as it rests.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 10th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter J. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the J recipes below: