Perfect Sous Vide Bone-In Pork Chops with Tomato Glaze

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Have you ever wanted to make amazingly tender, juicy pork chops but they always seem to come out dry and overcooked? These sous vide bone-in pork chops come out super tender and juicy every time, and the tomato glaze is just the cherry on top!

I personally think sous vide is the best way to cook bone in pork chops. They literally will come out perfect every single time with minimal effort from you because we are using an exact temperature to cook them.

Cooking sous vide sounds pretty perfect, doesn't it? While the pork chops sous vide, you can be cooking the flavorful, tangy, umami packed tomato glaze. Which is also incredibly simple.

So why is the sous vide cooking technique so awesome? Because it's almost impossible to screw it up. If you leave it in an extra hour or so, you're still good to go. The meat will never get above the temperature you set it at, so it never gest dry and stringy!

Jump to:

• What is Sous Vide?
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients
• Step By Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Serving Options
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Storage and Reheating Options
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum-seal bags

You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!

If you don't have a lot of experience cooking sous vide yet, you may want to pop over and read what sous vide cooking is and the benefits of sous vide cooking.

Why This Recipe Works

• The pork chops come out juicy and tender every single time, without any worry of over or undercooking.
• The tomato glaze complements the pork perfectly and has an incredible tangy flavor.
• A quick sear of the pork chops in a cast iron skillet after they come out of the water bath helps them become golden brown and even more delicious.

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

The recipe calls for 2 pounds of bone in pork chops, which typically equates to 2 large bone-in chops, but you can also get 4 slightly thinner chops. I recommend getting pork chops that are at LEAST 1" thick, but 1 ½ is even better. Sous vide bone in rib chops work great as well.

You can use boneless pork chops as well for this recipe, or you can head over and check out this sous vide boneless pork chops recipe.

We season the pork chops simply with just some salt and pepper. The pork has a wonderful flavor on it's own, and the tomato glaze makes a great complement.

We use tomato paste, grape tomatoes for some texture, a little touch of honey for sweetness, some honey mustard, balsamic vinegar, chicken stock and fish sauce to make the tomato glaze.

Don't sleep on the fish sauce guys - it may seem odd but it adds a beautiful umami flavor to the glaze (it's not fishy at all!).

A high smoke point oil like avocado oil should be used for searing. You can also use corn, peanut or vegetable oil, as well as grapeseed oil (no olive oil as it tends to burn). You can also use ghee for a buttery flavor.

Step By Step Instructions

Using the sous vide machine (the immersion circulator we discussed earlier), heat a sous vide water bath (or large pot of water) to 140°F for the best results. I've also included some additional cooking times and temperatures below.

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper ,place them in a single layer in a vacuum seal bag and seal using a vacuum sealer (or ziplock freezer bag if using the water displacement method).

Cook for 2-4 hours in the water bath. I cook it for 2 hours and it comes out great. Anywhere between 2-4 hours should give you tender, juicy results. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will become.

Remove from the water bath and bag and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat the avocado oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat.

Add the pork chops to the hot skillet and cook for 60 seconds a side, until a brow crust forms.

Remove and serve with the tomato glaze.

Temperature	Time	Doneness
130°F (54.5°C) Degrees	2 to 4 hours	Rare, slightly squeaky and pink
140°F (60°C) Degrees	2 to 4 hours	Medium rare, tender & juicy
145°F (63°C) Degrees	2 to 4 hours	Medium, drier, still tender
150°F (65.5°C) Degrees	2 to 4 hours	Medium well, drier and a little stringy
160°F (71°C) Degrees	2 to 4 hours	Well done, dry and stringy

You can also cook the pork chops straight from frozen. If they are frozen, add and extra 30-45 minutes to he cook time (depending on thickness).

How to Make Tomato Sauce for Pork Chops

Heat all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering.

Simmer for 3-5 minutes, using the back of a large spoon to break some of the grape tomatoes so they are no longer whole and add some texture to the sauce. Remove from heat and serve over top the pork chops.

Expert Tips

1. Make sure the surface of the pork is dry before adding it to the skillet to sear. It will brown quicker when dry and reduce the chance of overcooking it while searing.
2. We use 140°F for 2 hours in this recipe which results in perfect medium rare pork. However, I've included other cooking times and temps if you want to experiment.
3. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will become. However, if you cook it for longer than 4 hours, the texture will start to become a little mushy.
4. Using a spoon to break some of the grape tomatoes while cooking helps to add fresh tomato juice as well as some texture o the sauce.
5. You ca substitute any other high smoke point oil for the avocado oi. Be sure it has a high smoke point or it will burn while searing.
6. If the tomato glaze is too thick, add additional chicken stock to thin it out.
7. Be sure the bag stays submerged in the water bath while cooking. Use sous vide magnets or weigh it down if it keeps floating.
8. If you are bagging the pork chops in advance and storing them in the fridge/freezer a couple days, I recommend not seasoning them. You ca season right before you sear in this case.
9. You can also cook the pork chops straight from frozen. If they are frozen, add and extra 30-45 minutes to he cook time (depending on thickness).

Serving Options

Pork chops are so versatile they can be served so many different ways. They are also perfect served on their own.

• You can substitute the tomato glaze with any of the other sauces:
  • This red chimichurri goes really well with these pork chops!
  • Bacon gravy is AHHHMAZING.
  • Homemade peri peri sauce is sooooo good!
  • The creamy horseradish sauce in the filet mignon would go perfect here.
  • The glazed apple and brandy sauce from the boneless pork chops recipe is to die for. Works perfect here again (or this creamy apple sauce from this sous vide pork chop recipe).
  • A bright cilantro chimichurri or Argentinian chimichurri adds some tang and brightness to the pork.
• The spicy tomato glaze pairs well with side dishes like these:
  • sous vide baked potato or air fryer baked sweet potatoes.
  • air fryer mac and cheese (so good here - perfect combo).
  • oven fried squash or this roasted frozen broccoli are great sides.
  • these air fryer frozen French fries are perfect with the tomato glaze - it's like a sweet and spicy ketchup!
• Add some fresh herbs in with the pork while cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage and Reheating Options

Pork chops can be made in advance and stored in the fridge in the sous vide bag for 5-7 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 month.

Reheat in a 135°F water bath for a cooking time of about 30-60 minutes (depending on whether frozen or not) until heated through. Remove and sear according to the recipe instructions.

Leftovers are stored in an airtight container in the fridge (for 3-5 days) can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second increments until warmed, or placed in a freezer bag and warmed in a 135°F water bath.

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