Simple Pan-Seared Chops and Steaks (Prosto Parzhola)

How to pan-sear chicken, pork and beef chops to the right doneness with a thermometer and a proper rest — Dimitar Tonchev

• 1 chop or steak per person (est.)
• Prep ~5–10 min (est.)
• Cook ~6–12 min (est.) + 3–5 min rest
• Bulgarian

Source: Просто Пържола — Dimitar Tonchev (Facebook video) · share link facebook.com/share

Ingredients

• Chops or steaks of your choice: chicken breast fillet, pork loin (karé) chops, pork neck (vrat) chops and/or a beef steak
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• A little cooking fat or oil for the pan
• For the beef steak: 1–2 Tbsp butter (est.), 2–3 garlic cloves, crushed (est.), and a few sprigs of thyme (mashterka)
• Kitchen thermometer (strongly recommended)

Method

1. Chicken fillet: so the thick and thin parts cook evenly, cut the fillet through the middle from the side, open it like a butterfly and separate it into two thin, even steaks.
2. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a little fat and lay in the steaks.
4. Sear for about 2–3 minutes on the first side. Turn them once they release easily and have a golden crust.
5. Cook the second side for a little less time than the first.
6. Check doneness: press lightly with a finger to feel how firm it is, or better, use a thermometer pushed into the centre of the thickest part (move it back and forth until you find the lowest reading).
7. Chicken: take it off the heat at about 68–74 °C; more than that and it gets dry.
8. Rest the steaks off the heat for 3–5 minutes (roughly half the cooking time). They keep cooking and the temperature rises another 2–3 °C; if you cut them straight away, the juices run out.
9. Pork loin chops: same method, but because they are thinner, cook them at a higher heat for a shorter time, without waiting for as much colour on the second side. The ideal is about 65 °C, so take them off at about 63 °C and let them reach 65 °C while resting.
10. Pork neck chops: more forgiving, thanks to the fat marbling that keeps them juicy. Cook them to about 65 °C as well.
11. Beef steak: same principle, but it is thicker, so cook it a bit longer. Beef can be cooked to lower temperatures, by doneness: 45–50 °C rare, 50–55 °C medium-rare, 55–60 °C medium.
12. Towards the end, lower the heat under the steak, add the butter with garlic and thyme and keep spooning the melted butter over it as it cooks, for more flavour.
13. Rest the steak, then slice and serve.

For the creator, temperature is the single most important thing: a thermometer takes the guesswork out. Different thermometers read at different speeds and at different points on the probe, so it takes a little getting used to.
When grilling for a crowd and keeping finished chops in a covered pot, the pot keeps getting hotter and the meat keeps cooking. That’s fine for pork neck and chicken thigh, but loin and fillet can overcook and dry out, so cook those last.
Estimated (not stated in the video): servings, prep time, and the amounts of butter and garlic for basting the steak. Times, temperatures and resting are from the creator’s caption, voice-over and on-screen text.
Recipe by Dimitar Tonchev (Facebook, sponsored post for Lidl Bulgaria). Transcribed from the video caption, voice-over and on-screen text.