so hot right now

Why pork chops are suddenly trendy at Houston's hottest restaurants

This may be presumptuous, but pork chops just might be the meat of the year for 2025.

The cut is popping up on menus all over Houston, leaving us to wonder: what’s making this part of the pig so appealing again?

This isn’t your mom’s dry, Shake 'n Bake pork chops served with a pile of boiled green beans. Rather, Houston chefs are transforming the once-humble cut into something worth seeking out.

Travis McShane, chef and owner of Ostia, says pork is getting a glow-up, with American-raised pork now rivaling the quality found in countries like Spain. He credits the rise in demand to changing perceptions.

“For years, pork was kinda seen as a lesser or cheaper item. I think this was because older health recommendations painted pork as unhealthy and recommended it to be cooked well done,” he said. “Thank goodness that has all changed, and people understand you can eat pork closer to a medium cook temperature.”

Truth BBQ offers pork as a lighter, more budget-friendly alternative for diners looking to mix up their usual order. While restaurants like Snows BBQ feature pork steaks, owner and pitmaster Leonard Botello IV wanted something a little different for his Washington Ave. restaurant.

“We had a lot of fun working with our team on different pork cuts and how we could prepare them to create something a little more unique to us,” says Botello. “It’s a great add-on to a platter or stand-alone option because it’s one chop — just enough.”

The Cornmeal-Crusted Pork Chop at Truth is a center-cut, bone-in Duroc chop, available for lunch and dinner from Friday through Sunday. It’s brined in sweet tea for 72 hours, then cold-smoked, battered in cornmeal, and deep-fried. The chop is served with a Carolina-style sweet pepper relish, adding a punchy finish to the deep-fried crust.

The consensus across restaurants is that brining is key. Soaking pork chops in salt water helps lock in moisture, tenderize the meat, and infuse flavor throughout.

At Ostia, the pork is brined for at least two hours before it’s fully dried out to either grill or fry. The Pork Milanese is inspired by both the simple, bright flavor combinations of Italy’s Milanese and the crispy, panko breading of Japanese Tonkatsu. Another rendition of the pork chop is fried with oyster aioli and celery.

“The umami of oysters, anchovies, seaweed is a beautiful combination with the rich nutty fat of pork!” McShane said.

At Milton’s, Executive Chef Kent Domas added the aptly named Pork Chop ($95) to offer an alternative to the trattoria's signature chicken parm and veal parm. Brined and then grilled in a wood-burning oven, the simple, but flavorful, pork chop can be shared between two or more diners and is served with glazed cipollini onions.

Michelin Bib Gourmand Belly of the Beast in Spring serves up a 16-ounce Berkshire pork chop alongside fregola (a nutty, couscous-like pasta), artichokes, apricots, and a hint of harissa for some heat. Tangy lemon jus ties it all together.

The Sakura Farms Pork Chop at Baso has been a fan favorite since the Basque-influenced restaurant opened in December 2023. The chop is grilled over the restaurant’s live fire hearth, before it’s topped with a rich pork jowl sauce, dusted with dried local chamomile powder, and served with a slice of Meyer lemon. Chefs and 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Award Rising Star Chef of the Year winners Jacques Varon and Max Lappe recommend pairing the dish with a glass of Rosé on a hot Houston day.

At Credence near Memorial City Mall, the team created the Pork Rib Chop Schnitzel as an ode to Texas’ culinary roots. The schnitzel is both a nod to Eastern European immigrants who brought the recipe to Texas in the mid-1850s and to the Germans who introduced Mexico to Wiener Schnitzel in the late 1800s.

The ranch-inspired establishment’s heritage-breed pork is pounded thin on the bone, brined, breaded, and then fried until crispy, before it’s finished with a caper brown butter sauce.

Of course, one Houston restaurant has been championing pork chops for more than 40 years. Perry’s Steakhouse will celebrate its 1979 opening this Friday, May 2 with a throwback deal: a lunch-sized portion of its famous pork chop for just 79 cents. It’s served on a cast-iron plate with whipped potatoes, applesauce, and bread.

TRUTH BBQ

The Cornmeal-Crusted Pork Chop at Truth BBQ is brined in sweet tea for 72 hours before being cold-smoked, battered, and deep fried.

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the ranch rides again

Houston hospitality 'dream team' saddles up for World Cup pop-up restaurant

Courtesy of Berg Hospitality

Army Sadeghi, Ben Berg, and Brian Ching are teaming up to open The Ranch Presents Pitch Live.

Two Houston hospitality veterans are teaming up with one of the city’s soccer legends to throw an epic party during the FIFA World Cup. The Ranch Presents Pitch Live will be a 35,000-square-foot pop-up venue that mixes Texas hospitality with top-notch food, drinks, and entertainment.

Located in the former Warehouse Live space (813 St. Emanuel St.), The Ranch Presents Pitch Live unites Berg Hospitality founder Ben Berg (B&B Butchers, Prime 131, The Annie Cafe, etc.) with Army Sadeghi (Melrose, Clarkwood, 1111) and Dynamo legend Brian Ching, co-founder of popular soccer bar Pitch 25 that has a location in EaDo and will soon open in Katy. Houston investor Rick Perez is also involved with the project. Together, they’ll operate a venue for 39 days — June 11 through July 19 — that puts an international spin on The Ranch, Berg Hospitality’s restaurant at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that operated from 2022-2025.

Berg tells CultureMap that the project began when Houston’s FIFA World Cup Host Committee approached Ching about utilizing the Warehouse Live space during the tournament. Ching reached out to Berg to oversee the food and beverage operations. Berg recruited Sadeghi for his experience in nightclubs and lounges.

“I’m a sadomasochist,” Berg jokes about his penchant for taking on too many projects at once.

“Brian is the face of it and runs an awesome bar,” Berg says. “Bring in the nightlife side with people who are tops at that. My team is tops at putting on a big pop-up, and we have the structure to get this thing open. It’s kind of a dream team.”

“Hosting games in Houston is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put on something great,” Sadeghi adds. “This concept isn’t just screens and beer buckets. It operates like a global fan destination centered around matches . . . We’re programming the emotional center of the World Cup, and we’re super excited.”

The space is being divided into three sections: a main stage with multiple bars and casual dining; a more premium, VIP-style area with more elevated food and drinks; and a private VVIP lounge with its own entrance and more premium service. Berg notes that they expect the venue will be popular with corporate clients who can host events there.

Details on the food menu are still being finalized. This version of The Ranch won’t have the same full service, fine dining-style experience that the Rodeo offered, but Berg noted that many of its most popular dishes will be available. It will also serve some barbecue. Restaurants related to the countries in that day's matches will be invited to pop-up within the pop-up.

All of the World Cup matches will be shown throughout the venue on multiple screens, including a massive outdoor viewing area. In between games, the venue will host performances by DJs and musicians in a variety of genres. At night, patrons will have the option of splurging on VIP tables with bottle service.

Sadeghi thinks Houston’s diversity makes it an ideal place to host World Cup matches and visitors.

“We have South American, European, African, Mexican, they’re all very passionate about soccer,” he says. “Instead of building something generic, we want to build something that reflects Houston culturally. The goal is global energy through a Houston lens.”

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