Introduction
Cooking pork is a lot like cooking a steak. You want to get it hot enough to cook the meat through, but not so hot that you dry it out. A good rule of thumb for cooking pork is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which will give you a medium-rare piece of meat that’s juicy and flavorful.
The USDA recommends cooking pork to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit before removing it from the heat.
The USDA recommends cooking pork to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit before removing it from the heat. This is important because, as you may have heard, undercooked pork can contain bacteria like salmonella and E. coli that can make you sick.
The FDA also recommends cooking your pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F–and they’re not just being cautious because they’re afraid to say something different than the USDA! In fact, this recommendation comes from their own scientific findings: “The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has determined that cooking fresh whole cuts [of] pork at 140[degrees] F or above until they reach a final cooked temperature throughout as measured by an accurate thermometer will destroy any trichinae cysts present in these products.”
If you want your pork chops medium rare, cook them for 3-4 minutes per side.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your pork chops. If you want your pork chops medium rare, cook them for 3-4 minutes per side. If you want them medium, cook them for 5-7 minutes per side.
If you want your pork chops medium, cook them for 5-7 minutes per side.
If you want your pork chops medium, cook them for 5-7 minutes per side.
Pork chops are done when they’re firm and springy to the touch. If you cook them too long, they’ll be dry and tough–and no one wants that!
If you want your pork chops well done, cook them for 8-9 minutes per side.
If you want your pork chops well done, cook them for 8-9 minutes per side.
The USDA recommends cooking pork to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit before removing it from the heat. If you prefer your meat more well done than that, increase the time by 1 minute per side until the desired doneness is reached (up to 20 minutes).
Pork is safe to eat when cooked to 145 degrees F
Pork is safe to eat when cooked to 145 degrees F. You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your pork, but if you don’t have one handy and want to know how long it will take for pork chops to reach that temperature, here are some guidelines:
- If you’re cooking boneless chops (like these), they’ll take about 15 minutes per inch of thickness. So if your chop is 1-inch thick, it will take about 15 minutes; two inches? 30 minutes; three? 45 minutes; four inches? 60 minutes and so on…
- If the bone has been removed from the chop (as in this recipe), then increase those times by 10 percent–so 16 minutes per inch instead of 15 for example.
Conclusion
Now that you know how long to cook pork chops, it’s time to get cooking! Happy eating!