The Stovetop Sear

• If you have an oven-safe frying pan, sear your pork chops on the stovetop and use the same pan to bake them in the oven. This method will give you tender, properly cooked pork chops. Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the frying pan or skillet on the stovetop over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season the pork chops with salt and pepper and then place them in the pan. Leave them alone for one or two minutes, until a golden crust forms. Turn them over and immediately place them into the preheated oven. Bake them until they are cooked through.

The Oven Sear

• To oven sear your pork chops, it's the same basic technique. Preheat your oven to 400 F and place your skillet or a baking sheet inside. Leave it in for two or three minutes, then open the oven door and remove the hot skillet or pan, carefully. Close the door and set the pan on top of the stove. Season the pork chops, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the pork chops. Let the chops sear until they are golden-brown. Flip them over and put the pan back into the oven so the pork chops can bake.

In the Slow Cooker

• If you want to cook your pork chops in a slow cooker instead of the oven, you probably won't sear them first. The moist heat and long cooking time of a slow cooker will help keep them moist. You will also have additional ingredients, like vegetables, herbs, rice, and a broth or tomato sauce, for added flavor. Because slow cooking is supposed to help simplify preparing meals, you may just want to gather all the ingredients together in the slow cooker and turn it on without additional steps.

Safe Pork Chops

• Whether you decide to fry your pork chops before you bake them or leave them as they are, it is important you to cook them thoroughly before serving. The safe internal temperature for pork chops is 145 F. You can test this by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork chop and reading the result. Remove the pan from the oven or the pork chop from the slow cooker before you insert the thermometer to ensure an accurate reading.