Pork Chops in Milk Marinade

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Easy recipe for pork chops in milk marinade with lots of garlic and seared in the skillet. Served with vegetable rice.

Milk brined or milk marinated pork chops – a super easy, cheap, and tasty recipe suitable for any season. And look at those golden chops, don’t they make your mouth water? For more pork chops recipes, check out these Baked Pork Chops and Potatoes or the Pork Chop Burger (with Mustard and Onions).

Why and how to tenderize pork chops with milk?

Milk is more effective in tenderizing meat than other marinades. The milk enzymes break the proteins, softening the fibers and making the meat more tender. And the milk-tenderized pork chops will remain juicier, the risk of them drying out during cooking reduces.

Other milk products suitable for tenderizing meat (not only pork but chicken or beef as well) are yogurt or buttermilk. However, they will make the meat tangier, while milk keeps it not only tender but also more genuine in taste.

How long to marinade the meat in milk?

For at least 2 hours and preferably overnight, so up to 24 hours. I keep it in the marinade overnight most of the time.

Tips for best results

Flavors:

• Flavor the milk marinade by adding spices or dried herbs. In this case, lots of garlic, it imparts the chops an amazing flavor.
• Alternative spices: sweet, hot or smoked paprika, ground cumin or/and coriander, spice mixtures used for pork, and so on.
• Alternative herbs: rosemary, savory, thyme.

Dish:

• Use a non-metallic container for marinating the meat, metal might react with the ingredients of the marinade, changing the flavor of the brine. Glass casserole dishes (like Pyrex, for instance) are great, they are large and flat, you can arrange the meat inside in one layer and cover it evenly with the milk brine.
• Always keep the marinating meat refrigerated. And covered.
• However, remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking, so that the meat has time to reach room temperature.

Thickness:

• Adjust the cooking time according to the size (particularly thickness) of the chops. The best way to ensure that the meat is perfectly cooked is to use a meat thermometer (Amazon affiliate link).

Recipe ingredients

Pork chops:

• With the bone in, each weighing about 6-7 oz/ 175-200 g.

Marinade:

• Full-fat milk, about 3 cups/ 750 ml. Please use as much as required to submerge the meat pieces completely in the marinade.

Other ingredients:

• Garlic and sweet paprika powder for the brine.
• Flour for coating and oil for cooking the chops.

For the rice: long grain rice, onion, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, bell pepper, tomato paste, paprika powder, marjoram, stock, oil, fine sea salt, and black pepper. The rice is an optional side dish but it fits this pork chop recipe perfectly.

How to brine pork in milk?

• Salt the meat generously on both sides. Place in the marinating dish.
• Mix about 1 cup milk with the grated garlic cloves and distribute evenly all over the meat. Add the remaining milk, making sure that the chops are covered with the liquid.
• Cover the dish with its lid or with plastic foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking.

How to cook in a skillet?

• Shake the meat well to remove the marinade and pat dry with kitchen towels. The meat really has to be dry.
• Mix flour, salt, pepper, and sweet paprika powder. Use this mixture to season the chops, press lightly to make sure it coats the meat well.
• Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet. A non-stick pan would do the job as well. The bottom of the pan should be covered in a very thin layer of oil, about 2 tablespoons oil should be OK.
• Fry the chops on one side for 3 minutes. Turn and cook for further 2 minutes until golden.
• If the pork chops are thinner, reduce the cooking time. If they are thicker add a couple more minutes.
• Don’t overcook the meat, it can still be slightly pink in the middle.
• Let rest on a warm platter for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe FAQ

How to serve?

• Serve immediately after the short resting time.
• Make sure to pour the juices accumulated into the platter while the meat is resting over the meat on the serving plate, they are delicious!
• You can serve with the bonus rice recipe below or any kind of rice you like.
• Other suitable side dishes are potatoes in any form: mashed, oven-baked, sauteed, and so on.
• Or try some pan-fried or baked sweet potato slices.
• Add some vegetables like Brussels sprouts or cauliflower in winter or a fresh green salad with yogurt dressing or vinaigrette in summer.

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