The Easiest Way To Tell If Your Pork Chops Are Fully Cooked

Beef steak connoisseurs might debate the perfect level of doneness, but when it comes to pork chops, things are a lot more straightforward. While beef can be enjoyed on a spectrum from rare to well done, pork should always be fully cooked to be safe. Just like with beef, however, the variables that can affect the doneness of your pork chops are endless: from the oven or stovetop temperature and the cooking style to the size of your pan. The thickness of the cut itself matters, too. That's why even after following an easy pork chop recipe to the letter, you can't always rely on the cooking time to tell if your meat has done cooking. Undercooked pork is a big no-no, and you don't want a rubbery, unchewable overcooked chop either, so it's crucial to know the right point to turn off the heat: When your pork chop is completely cooked and safe to eat, but still juicy.

Here's a tip: Check the color of the meat juice and the chop's interior. Poke into your chop with a knife or chopstick: If the juice that comes out is clear or has just a very subtle hint of pink, it's likely done cooking. Likewise, if you slice the chop open and it's white or slightly pinkish in the middle, it's probably safe to eat. Don't freak out about the traces of pink: Sometimes the marinade or even the cooking method can affect the meat color. That doesn't necessarily mean your pork chop is undercooked.

While visual hints are a quick way to determine meat doneness, they're not foolproof. That's because our perception of colors is not always reliable. Plus, a "hint of pink" in your meat can mean different things to different people. And when it comes to food, it's always, always better to err on the safe side.

To avoid health risks from eating undercooked pork, it's best to rely on a meat thermometer, at least for those first few pork chops. Poke the probe into different spots throughout your pork chop, especially the thicker parts. If the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the chop is sufficiently cooked regardless of the internal color. After that, it only needs to rest for at least three minutes to allow the juice (and heat) to redistribute before you can start digging in. After some practice, you'll develop an intuition not only for the perfect cooking time and temperature but also for recognizing which shade of pink indicates a well-cooked chop.