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Is it better to cook pork chops at a higher or lower temperature?

For chops, we like to get our pan screaming hot...then take it down to medium. That first blast of heat helps get a good golden crust. But, if you keep it that high, the chop won't cook evenly through the middle. Medium heat helps keep the outer edges of the meat tender while the center reaches the perfect temperature.

bonappetit.com - The Most Common Mistakes People Make when Cooking Pork Chops

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We'll come out and say it: Cooking pork chops is not an easy task. But we promise—you can definitely cook a tender, juicy chop—as long as you avoid these eight common mistakes.

1. Ignoring the Quality of Your Meat

This is true with all meat and fish, but especially with pork: There is a huge difference in taste between your typical grocery store pork and well-raised, well-fed heritage pork. It's worth the extra couple bucks. Here's why.

2. Buying Boneless

Generally, we like our meat and poultry to be bone-in. There are a couple of reasons: First, it slows down the meat's cooking, so it gives you a little more leeway to get a good, crispy sear on your chop. Second, the bone gives the meat a richer flavor. Yeah, you should keep that bone in there.

3. Under-Seasoning the Meat

You need to use A LOT of salt. A LOT of pepper. As with all meat, you want to season that sucker so much that you can see the salt and pepper on the surface when you're standing a couple feet away. This will make your crust incredibly flavorful—the combination of salt, caramelized meat, and fat will push your chop over the top.

4. Cooking Them Directly from the Fridge

Let your chops sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before you begin to cook them. If the meat is too cold, the outside will overcook while the inside comes to the right temperature. Giving the pork a little time to warm up will ensure a nice crust on the outside, with a tender center. (Well, if you follow the next few pieces of advice, that is...)

5. Cooking Over High Heat the Whole Time

6. Relying Blindly on a Recipe's Cooking Time

With all meat and poultry—but especially pork chops—use your thermometer to tell when the meat is done cooking. A recipe's timing is usually a ballpark estimate. Cook your chop until it's around 135 degrees, then transfer it to a cutting board—the residual heat will bring it to the USDA's recommended 145 degrees. Pork is pretty easy to dry out, so making sure it's not a degree over 145 is the best way to get juicy, tender meat.

7. Trim the Fat

Most pork chops have a little layer of fat around the perimeter—take advantage of it! Instead of cutting it off before or after the chop is cooked, stand the chop on its side in the pan with your tongs and get that fat rendered, brown, and crispy. Trust us, you won't regret it.

8. Skipping the 'Rest' Stage

After you get your pork on the cutting board, don't touch it for 10 minutes. If you cut into it right away, all its juices will run onto the board instead of getting redistributed into the meat. Don't let all that delicious liquid run away!

And watch the video for the recipe below:

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What meat has the most bacteria?

Chicken. Chicken tends to be responsible for the most foodborne illnesses, but that is likely because it's the kind of meat we eat the most. Many cases of food contamination come from the mishandling of meats and cross-contamination in our own kitchens.

rd.com - What Are the Safest Types of Meat to Eat? | Reader's Digest

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Protein panic

Ever since the news about the coronavirus infections at the Smithfield pork processing plant in South Dakota broke, people have been concerned about the safety of the meat they eat. The good news, says Donald Schaffner, PhD, a professor of food microbiology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University, is that there is no evidence that you can contract COVID-19 from eating tainted food. Meat is as safe as it ever was—but that doesn’t exactly mean it’s risk-free. Salmonella, E. coli, and norovirus are just some of the foodborne illness–causing microorganisms found in all kinds of raw meat, from chicken to seafood. Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and shellfish are among the most likely sources of food poisoning, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.