The Knife Trick That Keeps Pork Chops From Curling

Whether you cook pork chops in the skillet or deep-fry them, you might notice they tend to come out a little curled. This is due to the fat around the edge of the meat constricting when things get hot. It can get quite annoying because it's hard to get that perfect even sear when the meat buckles and curls to the point that it's not touching the pan anymore.

And, aside from the practical problems, it also just looks a bit unsatisfying — especially if you're cooking for guests or a special occasion. Luckily, there's a quick and easy way to prevent pork chops from curling, and all you need is a knife or a pair of kitchen scissors. By making cuts in the fat and connective tissue running through your pork chop, you can give the fat freedom to tighten without pulling the surrounding meat along with it.

If you're just throwing together some pork to solve a weekday dinner and aren't feeling too fussed about appearance, the easiest way to prevent curling is with a few large cuts in the meat. The ring of fat around the edge of the pork chop is what you're aiming for, and all you need to do is make two cuts through it at around two inches apart. As the fat tightens during cooking, the cuts will become very visible and create a sort of bumpy or "toothed" look along the edge of your meat.

If you want to avoid large cuts and try to keep the meat looking as pork chop-ish as possible, there is a more time-consuming version of this trick. Kitchen scissors work much better for this version, as you'll want to make shallow cuts in the meat away from the edges. The idea is to make multiple small cuts wherever white fat meets pink meat. So, for the outer ring of fat, you should leave the edges intact and make your cuts along the inner line.

Because these cuts are shallow, you'll need to repeat the process on both sides of the meat to get the desired effect. Some pork chops will also have other, thinner lines of fat running through them, and you should make sure to cut along these as well. Unlike the first technique, these smaller cuts should be spaced around half an inch apart.

I've been using this technique for a couple of years now, and find it works really well. It's also worth noting that thinner pork chops curl more easily, so if you're using a thicker piece of meat (around one to 1 1/2 inches), you should see less curling even without cuts. To make your pork chops as juicy and tender as possible, don't forget to brine them first.