Lemon-Garlic Pork Chops

An ordinary week. The kind that doesn't make the journal or the blog — just life, happening, the way life happens between milestones. Anaya is 7 and Rohan is 4. The kitchen hums with the rhythm I've built over 9 years of cooking: morning chai, packed lunches, evening meals. The sambar gets made. The rasam gets made. The dosa happens on Sundays. The wet grinder roars. Amma is in memory care. Appa visits daily. I bring food three times a week. The ordinary weeks are the ones that hold the extraordinary weeks together — the connective tissue, the dal between the biryani, the quiet between the celebrations. I made Khichdi comfort food tonight. Not because it's special — because it's Tuesday. Because Tuesday needs dinner. Because the family needs feeding. Because the kitchen doesn't distinguish between milestone weeks and ordinary weeks. The stove is hot either way. The spice cabinet is full either way. The generous pinch is generous either way. The food continues. We continue. The week passes. Another week begins.

The Khichdi was already made — the one the week truly called for — but earlier that same week, on a night when even the spice cabinet felt like too much negotiation, these Lemon-Garlic Pork Chops were what kept us moving. They’re not from my mother’s kitchen, and they don’t carry the weight of memory the way dal does, but they do the same quiet work: they get dinner on the table when the family needs feeding and the stove is hot either way. Some recipes earn their place not through occasion, but through steady, unglamorous reliability — and this one has earned its Tuesday.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Coat the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Spoon the marinade over both sides of each chop, pressing gently to adhere. Let rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes, or up to 30 minutes if time allows.
Heat the pan. Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Sear the chops. Add pork chops to the pan in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until a golden crust forms. Flip and cook another 4–5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C).
Rest and serve. Transfer chops to a plate and rest for 5 minutes. Spoon any pan drippings over the top, scatter with fresh parsley, and serve with lemon wedges alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lemon-Garlic Pork Chops — When Tuesday Just Needs Dinner