Just a great Pork Rub

This is just a great, simple pork rub that can be used to season any pork chop. It adds terrific flavour and colour, and if you throw in a knob of butter at the end it also forms a zero-effort, tasty sauce. A super-handy recipe to know! (For my everyday pork marinade, see here.

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

Pork rub

This recipe is one of those that I think of as a “life essential” because it’s an instant, no-brainer way to add bags of flavour to pan-fried pork. But I always hesitate to share it, thinking, “Meh! It’s too easy!” I mean, the recipe directions would be: “Mix. Use.” 😂

I’m joking. Well, sort of! Those are the directions for the pork rub. But I do actually show you how to use it too!!

About this pork rub

I think you’ll all like this pork rub because for one, it’s made with spices you probably already have. There’s enough spices in it that it’s no big deal if you happen to be missing one or two, as there are plenty of substitution options.

The seasoning adds great savoury flavour to any type of pork chops, as well as staining the pork a lovely warm deep golden brown. And here’s the cherry on this sundae: While the pork is resting, melt a bit of butter in the same skillet and voila! You’ve got a flavoured butter to use as the sauce!

Ingredients in pork rub

Here’s what goes in this pork seasoning. There’s no sugar in this pork rub because I find it just burns before you get a nice caramelisation on the crust.

These are all fairly common pantry spices so rather than talking through each of them, I’ll list the substitution options.

• Paprika – The recipe calls for smoked paprika, ideally. The smoked flavour brings a little something extra to this pork seasoning. Sub: It’s totally fine to use normal or sweet paprika instead. Or hot, if you dare!

• Onion and garlic powder – Sub: Double up on either if you are missing one. I don’t recommend making this if you’re missing both as they really give the rub the depth it needs. If you’re out, try my pork marinade instead! (Also made from pantry ingredients)

• Oregano – Sub: 1 tsp mixed herb, or 1/2 tsp thyme or rosemary

• Mustard powder – Sub: 1/4 tsp extra onion or garlic powder

• Cumin – Sub: Coriander powder

• Sage – Sub: Coriander powder or extra mustard powder

How much spice rub it makes

This makes 4 tablespoons of seasoning which is enough for 4 BIG, thickly cut pork chops or 6 smaller, thinner chops.

How long can you keep this spice rub?

Weeks. Months! Whatever the shelf life of your spices are, as long as you keep it in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

How to cook seasoned pork chops

I know you don’t need step photos for how to make the pork rub! 😂 But I thought you might find it useful to see how to apply it, and how to cook thin vs thick-cut chops.

1. Pork rub – Just mix the spices together. Keep it in an airtight container if you don’t plan to use it straight away.

2. Season pork with rub – Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Dry meat will sear more nicely than wet meat. Also, if it’s too wet, contrary to what you might assume the seasoning doesn’t stick as well. It sort of cakes and tends to smear off.

   Sprinkle the seasoning over both sides of the pork, and rub lightly with your fingers to distribute it. Then press the sides of the pork into the leftover rub on the plate to coat them too.

   How much rub to put on? Whatever sticks, stays! Shake off the excess before cooking otherwise it will come off in the pan and burn.

3. Sear sides (for thick chops) – Heat oil in a heavy based skillet over medium high heat. I use my cast iron pan (it’s a Lodge, see here). This type of pan has excellent heat retention and distribution for searing proteins. Vintage pans aside, they’re also extremely good value!

   If you’re cooking thick chops (2cm / 0.8″+), start by searing the sides first to get some colour on the meat / fat. Hold the chops in the skillet using tongs and sear for about 3 minutes, moving the point of contact to get all surfaces, until you get some nice colour on it.

   You won’t need to do this with thinner chops as the radiant heat from the skillet / fat splatter will colour the sides.

4. Cook chops – For thin chops about 1.75 cm / 0.7″ or less, cook them entirely on the stove. For thick chops 2cm / 0.8″+, sear on the stove until they are a lovely deep golden brown all over, then finish in the oven. Why? Because otherwise you end up with a thick band of overcooked pork by the time the inside is cooked through.

   Internal temperature of cooked pork – Aim for 65°C/149°F. This is the “pull temperature”, ie. the target temperature at which the pork should be removed from the oven or stove.

   This will rise during rest by around 5°C / 9°F to 70°C / 158°F which is optimum juiciness with no pink (see photo at top of post. Juicy!).

5. Rest 3 minutes – Resting cooked proteins is essential to allow the meat juices to redistribute throughout the meat fibres. If you don’t rest meat, the juices will run out onto the plate when you cut into it. No! We want the juice to remain in the meat so it ends up in our mouth! 😂

6. Flavoured butter sauce – While the pork is resting, throw the butter into the still-hot skillet and let it melt until bubbly. Scrape the bottom of the skillet so all the tasty flavour left from the pork and residual rub mixes into the butter. It becomes a lovely reddish colour and it’s packed with flavour!

HOW GOOD DOES THAT BUTTER SAUCE LOOK!! (That’s not even a question, it’s a fact.)

Serve on starchy vehicle of choice to soak up the butter and pork juices. Some options for you:

Starchy vehicle side dish options

Creamy Buttery Mashed Potato

How to cook white rice – easily and perfectly

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Emergency “Dump & Bake” Fried Rice

Tomato Basil Rice

Couscous

Lentil Ragout – French Puy lentil side dish

Side Dishes

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

I know you can mix a bunch of spices together. 😂 But I thought it might be helpful to see how I cook thick(ish) pork chops. And how TASTY it looks!! (Especially with the butter sauce).

This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!

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Just a great Pork Rub

Author: Nagi

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 12 minutes mins

Mains

Western

5 from 34 votes

Servings4

Tap or hover to scale

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• 1741

Recipe video above. This is a real great all-rounder rub for pork chops. It gives the pork great flavour, a lovely warm red colour, and if you throw a knob of butter in at the end, you get a tasty flavoured sauce too!

There's enough spices in the rub so that if you're missing one or two, the rub will still be tasty, see Note 1.

Makes 4 tablespoons / 45g of rub which will season 4 thick-cut chops. Keeps for the shelf life of the spices you used.

Ingredients

Pork rub (subs Note 1):

• ▢ 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 2 1/4 tsp salt (cooking/kosher salt, Note 2)
• ▢ 3/4 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 3/4 tsp mustard powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sage powder

Pork:

• ▢ 4 pork chops, any type (pictured: pork cutlets, 220g/7oz each, 2cm / 0.8″ thick) (Note 3)
• ▢ 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (per batch you cook)
• ▢ 50g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter (for flavoured butter sauce, 15 g / 1 tbsp per chop)

Instructions

• Rub: Mix spices in a small bowl. Keeps for weeks – even months! (Whatever the shelf life of the spices is you used).
• Using pork rub: Pat pork chops dry. Sprinkle then use your fingers to lightly rub the seasoning on both sides, as well as the sides. Shake off excess. Cook per below.

Cooking thin pork chops – up to 1.75 cm / 0.7″ thick (Note 3):

• Place a rack over a tray. (Note 4)
• Heat oil in a heavy based skillet over medium-high heat.
• Cook pork chops for 3 minutes on each side until deep golden. Don't crowd the pan else the pork will stew instead of sear!
• Rest on rack for 3 minutes.
• Melt butter in skillet, stirring to dissolve rub left in pan into the butter. Serve over pork!

Cooking THICK pork chops – 2cm / 0.8″+ (Note 3):

• Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Place a rack over a tray. (Note 4)
• Heat oil in a heavy based skillet over medium high heat.
• Use tongs to sear the edge of the chops (fat strip), rotating as you go, until you get nice colour all around, about 3 minutes in total (see video demo). Then sear each side for 2 minutes until golden.
• Put pan into the oven and allow to finish cooking for 3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 65°C/149°F. Remove pork and rest 3 minutes on rack.
• Melt butter in skillet, stirring to dissolve rub left in pan into the butter. Serve over pork!

Recipe Notes:

1. Rub spice substitutes:

• Smoked paprika: Sub normal or sweet, or hot if you dare!
• Onion and garlic powder: Double up on either if you are missing one. I don’t recommend making this if you’re missing both. Maybe try my pork marinade instead? (Also pantry ingredients)
• Oregano: 1 tsp mixed herb, or 1/2 tsp thyme or rosemary
• Mustard powder: 1/4 tsp extra onion or garlic powder
• Cumin: Coriander powder
• Sage: Coriander powder or extra mustard powder

2. Salt – If you only have table salt, use 1 3/4 tsp. This is because table salt grains are so much finer than cooking salt, so 1 tsp cooking salt = approx 3/4 tsp table salt by weight. See in post for more on this.

3. Cooking pork chops: Take out of oven / off stove at internal cooked temperature of 65°C/149°F. This will rise during rest by around 5°C (9°F) to 70°C (158°F) which is optimum juiciness with no pink (see close up photos in post).

• Thin chops – around 1.75 cm / 0.7″ thick or less can be fully cooked on the stove. 1.75 cm / 0.7″ will take around 7 minutes in total, thin ones will take around 4 minutes.
• Thick chops – 2cm / 0.8″+ (like pictured in post), start it on the stove and finish in the oven at 180°C/350°F until target internal temperature of 65°C/149°F is achieved. The chops I used only took 3 minutes (the residual heat in the skillet helps).

4. Resting on rack – This is better than resting on a plate as the rub stays on the underside better. If you rest on a plate, the underside sweats and rub flavour comes off. (I don’t always rest on rack because, well, it’s extra washing up. But for this one, it’s worth it!)

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 511cal (26%)Carbohydrates: 3g (1%)Protein: 48g (96%)Fat: 33g (51%)Saturated Fat: 14g (88%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 180mg (60%)Sodium: 1524mg (66%)Potassium: 904mg (26%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 1260IU (25%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 41mg (4%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Keywords: pork rub, pork seasoning

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Life of Dozer

Dozer, you won’t like this, it’s tofu.

Oh! You do. So – still only kale and cucumber you don’t like, eh??