Butter-basted rosemary pork chops with simple lemony collard greens and caramelized roasted sweet potatoes.
You deserve to have restaurant quality pork chops at home. Pork chops get a bad reputation for being dry and rubbery. The secret to melt in your mouth pork chops is the method and a few aromatics. Bone-in pork chops get a hard sear, then a butter baste with rosemary. Collard greens cook separately with olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon. And the sweet potatoes roast in the oven while everything else comes together on the stove. Three components, all simple on their own, but together they make a plate that feels really complete.
Why this pork chops recipe works
The butter baste is what takes this from “pan-fried pork chop” to something that feels a little more special. Tilting the pan, spooning that foaming rosemary butter over the top of the chop repeatedly, is what builds a golden, glossy crust and infuses the meat with flavor from the outside in. The rosemary crackles and crisps in the butter, the garlic goes toasty, and the whole kitchen smells incredible.
Everything here works on a staggered timeline. The sweet potatoes go into the oven first, the pork chops get seasoned and rest while you prep the greens, and then the stove work happens fast. By the time the chops are resting, the collards are finishing, and the sweet potatoes are pulling out of the oven. It all lands at the same time without any scrambling.
The key to great pork chops
Don’t overcook it. That’s it. That’s the whole tip.
Pull the chop off the heat at 140°F and let it rest. It will carry over to 145°F, which is juicy and slightly pink in the center. If overcooked, they will be tough. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out entirely.
Why rest matters
Cutting into a pork chop straight from the pan means the juices run onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat. Five minutes of resting lets the muscle fibers relax and reabsorb those juices. Spoon the rosemary butter and garlic over the top while it rests for extra flavor. The other thing that makes a difference: letting the chops sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before cooking. A cold chop in a hot pan seizes up and cooks unevenly. You want the meat to feel cool but not fridge-cold when it hits the skillet.
The best way to roast sweet potatoes
I’m convinced this is the best way to cook a sweet potato. Halved, cut-side down, on a hot sheet pan. The cut side caramelizes against the pan and develops this deeply golden, almost sticky surface while the inside turns completely creamy and tender. No wrapping in foil, no poking holes, no steaming in their own moisture. Just direct contact with a hot surface, olive oil, salt, pepper. The caramelized top is the whole point.
A note on the collard greens
Collard greens are sturdy and naturally bitter. They don’t need much: olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon, and time. A good squeeze of lemon towards the end brightens the whole thing. You can substitute for kale, chard, spinach or a combination. They will cook quicker.
Print
Butter-Basted Rosemary Pork Chops with Lemony Collard Greens
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 55
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Butter-basted rosemary pork chops with simple lemony collard greens and caramelized roasted sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
Pork Chops
- 2 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral, high-heat cooking oil such as avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
Collard Greens
- 1 large bunch collard greens, stems removed, roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 lemon
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Season the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper and set them aside at room temperature while you prep everything else.
- Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and drizzle the cut sides with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them cut-side down on a sheet pan and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cut side is deeply caramelized and golden and the flesh is completely tender when pierced with a knife.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, remove the stems from the collard greens (and compost) and roughly chop the leaves.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the collard greens, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender and silky but still have a little life to them, about 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the greens, toss to combine, and taste for salt. Turn off the heat. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral high heat cooking oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high heat until the oil begins to glisten. Lay the chops into the pan and don’t touch them. Use a splatter guard if you have one. Let them sear undisturbed until the underside is deep golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready to flip when they release easily from the pan without sticking.
- Flip the chops and reduce heat to medium. Add the butter, rosemary, and smashed garlic to the pan. Once the butter melts and starts to foam and turn golden, tilt the pan slightly and use a spoon to baste the chops with the rosemary butter repeatedly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use an oven mitt or dish cloth to handle the hot cast iron handle. The butter should smell toasty and the rosemary will crackle and crisp. Cook until the chops reach 140°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Transfer the chops to a plate and spoon the rosemary butter and garlic from the pan over the top. Let them rest for 5 minutes. Don’t skip this. Cutting into a pork chop straight from the pan means the juices run onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
- To cut the pork chop, first cut the meat away from the bone and then slice the meat in to 1 inch pieces.
- Plate the pork chop slices with the collard greens and place a sweet potato half alongside. Spoon any resting juices over the chop.
Leave a Reply