I’ll be honest: the first time I heard that a little baking powder could change the texture of pork chops, I had the same reaction I have to most “kitchen hacks” on the internet—skeptical side-eye. I’m a weeknight cook in the Midwest with a full-time job, a sink that is somehow always full, and exactly zero patience for fussy tricks that promise restaurant results and deliver disappointment. But pork chops are one of those proteins I want to love more than I actually do, because they’re affordable, easy to find, and way too often end up dry. So I tried it for myself: I rubbed baking powder over raw pork chops, let them sit for 45 minutes, and paid close attention to what happened.
The short version is that the surface changed in a way that made a real difference once the chops hit the pan. The longer version—and the
