Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Lemon and Garlic

Starting the chop in a hot pan lets you get a good initial sear; lowering the heat gives you control while it cooks through.

1 (1½” thick) pork blade chop (~ 2½ lb)
1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Garnish:
sprigs rosemary
lemon wedges

Combine pork, lemon slices, chopped garlic, oil, and 2 Tbsp. chopped rosemary in a shallow baking dish; season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Let pork sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.

Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Scrape marinade off pork, place pork in skillet, and immediately reduce heat to medium. Cook, turning about every 5 minutes, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chop registers 135°F, 20-25 minutes. During last 10 minutes, add head of garlic to skillet, cut sides down, and cook until golden.

Transfer to a cutting board; let pork rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with lemon wedges, cooked garlic, and rosemary sprigs.

Makes 4 servings.

Make-Ahead: Pork can be marinated 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.