• 1/3 cup cumin seeds
• 1/3 cup coriander seeds
• 1/3 cup yellow mustard seeds
• 8 (1 1/2-inch thick, 12 to 14 ounces each) pork chops
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Heat a skillet over a medium flame until hot. Add cumin seeds and toss until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate to cool, and repeat with coriander seeds, and then mustard seeds. Using a spice grinder or a mortar with a pestle, coarsely grind them together. Makes 3/4 cup.

Preheat oven to 400°. Sprinkle each chop with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 cup spice rub on a large sheet of wax paper. Generously coat all sides of each pork chop with spice rub, adding more spice rub to wax paper as necessary.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over a medium-high flame. Add chops and cook until spices turn golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer chops to a jelly roll pan.

Place pan in oven and bake chops until cooked through (an instant-read meat thermometer should register 160°), about 15 to 20 minutes, turning chops over once. When chops are cooked, transfer to a large plate; allow to stand 5 minutes before serving.