Sous Vide Lemon-Oregano Pork Chops with Feta Butter

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thick pork chops spend two hours in a 140°F water bath with garlic, lemon zest and oregano, so they come out edge-to-edge juicy and impossible to overcook. A fast, hard sear builds the crust, then a lemony pan butter and crumbled feta melt over the top. Almost all of it is hands-off — you just show up for the last five minutes.

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in pork loin chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 lemon, zest in wide strips and juice reserved
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 oz feta, crumbled
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot or container with water, clip in your immersion circulator and set it to 140°F (60°C). Let it come up to temperature while you season the pork.
2. Pat the chops very dry and season all over with the kosher salt, oregano and black pepper. Divide them between two large zip-top freezer bags (2 chops per bag, not overlapping) along with the smashed garlic, the strips of lemon zest and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
3. Seal the bags using the water-displacement method: zip all but the last inch, lower the bag into the water bath until the water presses the air out, then close the seal completely. Clip the bags to the side of the pot so the chops stay submerged.
4. Cook at 140°F for 2 hours (anywhere from 1 1/2 to 4 hours is fine). Lift the bags out, remove the chops, discard the garlic and zest, and pat the chops completely dry with paper towels — a dry surface is the whole secret to the crust.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers and just begins to smoke. Sear the chops 60 to 90 seconds per side without moving them, until deeply browned; stand them on the fat edge for another 30 seconds. Work in two batches if the pan is crowded.
6. Take the pan off the heat, add the butter and 2 tablespoons of the reserved lemon juice, and swirl until saucy. Spoon it over the chops, scatter with crumbled feta and dill, and serve right away — no resting needed.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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