Frenched Center-Cut Pork Chops — The Tomahawk of Pork Chops
At Valor Provisions, we partner with American producers who do things the right way. Paradise Meats in Trimble, Missouri is exactly that: a family-run, USDA-inspected shop where the Fantasma family has been cutting meat since 1995 — in a Missouri locker that's been feeding its community since 1946. These are their Center-Cut Frenched Pork Chops: two thick, bone-in Berkshire chops, hand-frenched so the long rib bone stands clean off the eye. Elegant on the plate. Primal on the grill.
What Makes These Chops Different
Most pork chops are thin, pale, and cut from commodity hogs — which is why most pork chops disappoint. These start with Berkshire hogs from local, small family farms, a heritage breed prized for deep marbling, darker color, and moisture that survives the pan. Paradise's farmers never use antibiotics. Each chop runs 14–16 oz — a true restaurant double-cut — and the frenched bone gives it the silhouette of a tomahawk steak at a fraction of the price. This is the chop that converts pork-chop skeptics.
Why You'll Love It
Heritage Berkshire Pork – Sourced from local Missouri family farms, raised without antibiotics.
Thick-Cut, Bone-In – Two 14–16 oz center-cut chops; the bone protects the eye and rewards a proper sear.
Hand-Frenched Presentation – The exposed rib bone brings steakhouse drama to a weeknight plate.
Cut In-House – Butchered at Paradise's USDA-inspected plant in Trimble, MO — not a factory line.
How to Cook a Thick Pork Chop (Without Drying It Out)
Thick chops want gentle heat, then fire. Reverse-sear: 250°F oven to an internal temp of 120°F, then a screaming cast-iron or grill finish to 145°F, and rest 3 minutes — that's the USDA standard for juicy, blush-pink pork. Or grill over two zones, starting cool. Salt early, baste with butter and thyme at the end, and serve one chop per person with the bone as the handle.
The Paradise Meats Story
The Fantasma family bought the Paradise meat locker in 1995 and rebuilt it from the ashes of a 2002 fire into one of the most respected small processors in America — 50+ employees handling 300–350 local animals a week, with over 100 awards earned along the way. When you buy Paradise, you're keeping a Missouri family business and the local farms behind it in business. That's the Valor mission on a plate.
