Tomahawk pork chops aren't a normal cut of pork. Easily obtained from your local butcher, but you may need to order in advance. This is a super flavourful recipe that is relatively quick to make with a little marinating pre-planning.
Makes a great mid-week family style meal. Simply serve with a garden salad and crusty bread to mop up the tasty juices.
Ingredients
- Tomahawk Pork Chops: You may need to order these from your butcher in advance, but with notice, they can provide this cut for you.
- Orange/Blood Orange: I used blood orange as they were in season at the time we photographed the recipe. When they aren't in season use normal everyday oranges.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted, whatever you have in the fridge. If you do use salted (as I did) you won't need to season the sauce with more salt.
- Rosemary: Fresh rosemary is best, but if unavailable use 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary.
- Fennel Seeds: These add a slightly sweet aniseed taste that pairs beautifully with pork and orange.
- Oil: Use a light tasting olive oil or your favourite oil you cook with.
- Salt: Used in the marinade, seasons the pork.
- Garlic: Adds a great flavour punch to the dish.
The Cut of Pork
You won't see tomahawk pork chops sitting proudly front and centre in the display cabinet of your local butcher. It's doubtful that you will be able to purchase them at all at the local supermarket. Which is another good reason to shop at your local butcher instead of large chain supermarkets.
The tomahawk is a normal pork chop that has the rib section still attached. This makes the chop longer in length.
The reason why you need to order these ahead from your butcher is the way they butcher the pig (cut it up for sale). Normally pork ribs are sold as a separate item to pork chops. In the case of tomahawk the rib is not removed.
In the ones pictured and used in the recipe, the rib bone hasn't been "frenched". When a chop is frenched, it means the meat has been removed from the rib bone, giving it a clean look. This is common technique with lamb chops.
Your butcher may also ask you to buy a minimum number of chops. In my case I purchase four from the butcher and he is happy. I freeze half of what I purchase for another meal.
Recipe Walk Through
Grind rosemary, fennel seeds, and salt in a mortar and pestle until it becomes a rough powder.
Rub the rosemary mix over the tomahawk pork chops. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
Remove tomahawk pork chops from the fridge 10 minutes before you plan to start cooking.
Unless you have a super-sized pan you will need to brown your pork chops one at a time before adding them back to the pan for the final stages of cooking. This will ensure that they brown and don't "stew" due to overcrowding of the frypan.
Place a large heavy-based fry pan on the stove on medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon of oil and one tomahawk pork chop.
Fry the chop for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, then flip the chop over and repeat with the other side.
Remove chop from the pan and set aside on a plate. Repeat the process with the second chop.
Once the second chop has browned both sides add reserved chop to the pan.
Add orange juice and orange zest to the pan. Simmer for a minute, making sure to loosen any brown bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan to incorporate with the juice and zest.
Add garlic and simmer for a couple of more minutes until the juice starts to reduce.
Add butter and simmer for a couple of more minutes.
Place pork on a serving plate and cover with the pan juices.
Serve with garden salad and crusty bread to mop up the juices.
It is a simple but super tasty sauce that accompanies these tomahawks. There is no reason why you can't make this recipe using regular pork chops, pork loin or pork fillet.
If you aren't in the mood for salad, this dish goes excellently with hasselback potatoes, and steamed vegetables like beans and carrots.
Sara xxx
Tomahawk Pork Chops with Orange, Garlic & Rosemary
Special Equipment
- large fry pan
- chopping board + sharp knife
- mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 2 tomahawk pork chops
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes | or kosher salt
- 2 oranges (or blood oranges) | zest and juice
- 3 cloves garlic | roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 50 grams butter
Instructions
- Grind rosemary, fennel seeds, and salt in a mortar and pestle until it becomes a rough powder.
- Rub the rosemary mix over the tomahawk pork chops. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Unless you have a super-sized pan you will need to brown your pork chops one at a time before adding them back to the pan for the final stages of cooking.This will ensure that they brown and don't "stew" due to overcrowding of the frypan.
- Remove tomahawk pork chops from the fridge 10 minutes before you plan to start cooking.
- Place a large heavy-based fry pan on the stove on medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon of oil and one tomahawk pork chop.
- Fry the chop for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, then flip the chop over and repeat with the other side.
- Remove chop from the pan and set aside on a plate. Repeat the process with the second chop.
- Once the second chop has browned both sides add reserved chop to the pan.
- Add orange juice and orange zest to the pan. Simmer for a minute, making sure to loosen any brown bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan to incorporate with the juice and zest.
- Add garlic and simmer for a couple of more minutes until the juice starts to reduce.
- Add butter and simmer for a couple of more minutes.
- Place pork on a serving plate and cover with the pan juices.
- Serve with garden salad and crusty bread to mop up the juices.
Notes
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
Nutrition
More Pork Recipes
You will find lots more pork recipes in the recipe section of Belly Rumbles. Below are a few of my favourites including my mum's quick and tasty pork with apples and cream.
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