Need help with pork chops

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.
Thanks in advance.

Darren

Try browning them in oil (season the chops with salt and pepper) and then
add a little water to the pan and braise them, covered, over low heat for
about 40 minutes. They should come out plenty tender and if you're feeling
really adventurous you can thicken the cooking liquid with a cornstarch
slurry and make a gravy. At this point I'd stir in some Kitchen Bouquet or
something to make the gravy look brown, but other than that, no biggie 🙂

Jill

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.
Thanks in advance.

Darren

You must be cooking them for too long at too high of a heat. Pork doesn't
have to be cooked to death anymore. In fact, I prefer mine *slightly* pink
in the center, which guarantees juiciness.

I'd say your best bet would be to grill, broil or fry your chops, depending
upon thickness. (BTW, it's only a chop if it has a bone in it; without a
bone it's a pork medalion - part of the loin.)

To cook, season your chops and only flip once. When the juices come up
through the top side, (again, depending upon how thick you like your chops)
flip and continue cooking. Cut into the chop, if necessary, to determine
doneness. If it's too pink for your liking, continue cooking on that side.
Honestly, slightly pink or just until not pink, will ensure a juicy chop.

Here's an example of a perfectly done chop, IMO.
http://i3.tinypic.com/w1blvd.jpg

kili

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.
Thanks in advance.

Darren

These days, a lot of pork chops are so lean that the old cooking rules go
out the window. Less fat means less juicy, and if you've cooked boneless
skinless chicken breasts, you're already familiar with how meat than be
turned into shoe leather very quickly. Furthermore, the risk or trichinosis
is nothing like it was 30-40 years ago, but cooking advice for pork
sometimes suggests cooking the meat to death anyway.

As a starting point, try this, an extension of James Beard's advice for
cooking steak. Keep in mind that this is based on the 1" thick, bone-in
chops I usually buy. Season the pork chop with whatever you've got a craving
for at the moment. No - not ice cream. Salt & pepper, taco seasoning powder,
a Cajun spice blend. I use a stainless steel pan with no oil at all for
this. A non-stick pan is a BAD idea. Preheat the pan over medium-high heat.
Cook the meat for 2 minutes on one side, at which point is should have a
nice color. Flip it over, cook 2 more minutes, and then turn the heat down
until it's just above the point where you barely hear sizzling. Cook 5
minutes more, flip, repeat, and eat.

In the center of the meat, you should barely see a hint of pink color - just
barely. If the bone is thick (and you'll have to learn "thick, more thick,
less thick" from a few repetitions), the meat can end up TOO pink near the
bone, but perfect in the center of the meat. That's not good. Once you've
learned to spot a bone thick enough to cause this problem, begin the cooking
process by standing the chops up on edge, with bone down, for 2-4 minutes,
until you see the meat near the bone just beginning to color. Then, proceed
as suggested earlier.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.
Thanks in advance.

Use thick chops, at least 1 inch - they tend to stay moister. Brining is
a really good idea, makes a big difference.

Dissolve 3/4c brown sugar and 1/2c kosher salt (use a bit less if using
table salt) in 6c water. Soak chops for 1 to 1.5 hours. Rinse, pat dry,
and cook. Discard brine.

Also, do not overcook. You want a slight trace of pink in the middle,
it's perfectly safe.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.

if the chops are coming out dry then you're probably over cooking them.
chops are very lean these days and is not very forgiving at all if you over
cook them. if you cut into the pork chop and it's white all the way
through, then it's over cooked. try to reduce the cooking time and
see if that helps. don't be afraid of undercooking it a little. as long
as the internal temperature is above 140f, (which would be very
noticably pink) then you're ok. i like mine to finish out at about 150f.
anyone that tells you it needs to be cooked to 170f is probably one
of those people who incinerate their thanksgiving turkey to 180f before
removing it from the oven. :-P

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.

Shake n' Bake. Make your own. Breaded oven baked chops always turn
out juicy... and more flavorful too. Also try stuffing those breaded
baked pork chops.

Sheldon

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?

Don't buy the saline injected pork is my first bit of advice. Then,
use more fat than you think necessary, store bought pork is bred to be
much leaner than in the past, and don't cook it nearly as long.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

Peter A said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.

Use thick chops, at least 1 inch - they tend to stay moister. Brining is
a really good idea, makes a big difference.

I agree with the brining. It seasons the meat a bit, and they stay
moist -- as long as you don't overcook, of course.

Quoted message said:

Also, do not overcook. You want a slight trace of pink in the middle,

I use the sear and roast method with thick chops. Heat your oven to
450 degrees before you get started. Sear your chops quickly on both
sides in a heavy oven-proof skillet, then pop the skillet in the oven.
It shouldn't take too long before they are cooked all the way through
(use an instant read thermometer), 10 minutes max. The chops cook from
all sides and stay really nice and juicy. When they're done you can
transfer them to a plate and use the drippings and fond to create a
great sauce.

Sandy

jmcquown said:

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.
Thanks in advance.

Darren

Try browning them in oil (season the chops with salt and pepper) and then
add a little water to the pan and braise them, covered, over low heat for
about 40 minutes. They should come out plenty tender and if you're feeling
really adventurous you can thicken the cooking liquid with a cornstarch
slurry and make a gravy. At this point I'd stir in some Kitchen Bouquet or
something to make the gravy look brown, but other than that, no biggie 🙂

Jill

Now that I have the contact grill, it's the only way I ever cook pork
chops. Braising is good but it's not the same as a good grilled chop.
The texture is different.

Pre-heat the grill for 10 minutes, marinate the chops and drain off
excess liquid. Place them on the contact grill, close the lid and time
for 5 minutes for the average cut. Experiment with times for different
thicknesses.

I'd quit buying chops for awhile until this worked so well! They come
out moist and juicy.

Sheldon said:

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.

Shake n' Bake. Make your own. Breaded oven baked chops always turn
out juicy... and more flavorful too. Also try stuffing those breaded
baked pork chops.

This is effing hilarious, dogturd. In a recent post in this NG, you
said, "But don't feel lonely, you totally useless waste of
protoplasm... VERY,
VERY FEW here can actually cook... perhaps fewer than the fingers of
one hand, and that is a fact... proven once again right here in this
thread."

And your best advice to cook pork chops is "Shake-n-Bake"?? I think
you've proven beyond all doubt with this advice that you wouldn't know
how to boil water!!

Quoted message said:

Sheldon

Quoted message said:

I have a question about pork chpos.
I have tried to cook them(every variety-boneless, centure-cut,
bone-in,etc.), but thet always seem to come out dry and tough. I have
sauteed, bahed and broiled them but they never come out well. My local
supermarket often has them on sale for a really good price, so I like
to take advantage. Also, pork is a good alternative to chicken and
beef.
Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?
My pork roasts always come out good, but I have a tough time with the
chops.

You are probably cooking them too much. Pork, like chicken breast, gets
tough and dry when overcooked.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?

Don't buy the saline injected pork is my first bit of advice. Then,
use more fat than you think necessary, store bought pork is bred to be
much leaner than in the past, and don't cook it nearly as long.

Regards,
Ranee

I'll second that injected thing... For example, all of the pork chops you
see at Wal Mart are that way, and there is a big difference in how they
cook.. They claim they put that stuff in there add flavor and moisture, but
it adds weight which then relates to higher costs. Give me meat with no
ingredients please.

Larry T

LT said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?

Don't buy the saline injected pork is my first bit of advice. Then,
use more fat than you think necessary, store bought pork is bred to be
much leaner than in the past, and don't cook it nearly as long.

Regards,
Ranee

I'll second that injected thing... For example, all of the pork chops you
see at Wal Mart are that way, and there is a big difference in how they
cook.. They claim they put that stuff in there add flavor and moisture, but
it adds weight which then relates to higher costs. Give me meat with no
ingredients please.

Larry T

Same here, and Wally "meat" also includes preservatives so it can be
displayed for a long time.

"George" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

LT said:

Quoted message said:

>Anyone have any helpful hints or good fool-proof recipes?

Don't buy the saline injected pork is my first bit of advice. Then,
use more fat than you think necessary, store bought pork is bred to be
much leaner than in the past, and don't cook it nearly as long.

Regards,
Ranee

I'll second that injected thing... For example, all of the pork chops you
see at Wal Mart are that way, and there is a big difference in how they
cook.. They claim they put that stuff in there add flavor and moisture,
but
it adds weight which then relates to higher costs. Give me meat with no
ingredients please.

Larry T

Same here, and Wally "meat" also includes preservatives so it can be
displayed for a long time.

Those chemicals are safe. The companies who make them say so. That should be
good enough for all of us.

<burp>

salgud said:

And your best advice to cook pork chops is "Shake-n-Bake"?? I think
you've proven beyond all doubt with this advice that you wouldn't know
how to boil water!!

Oh, I dunno. I've had good luck recently breading and baking pork
chops. I season them with s&p and, lately, a little marjoram -- I have
a Greek marjoram plant in the garden. Then I sprinkle a little paprika
in with panko just for fun. Flour, egg, panko, bake @350 or less.
It's still important not to overcook them, just as in the other
methods. -aem

salgud said:

VERY FEW here can actually cook... perhaps fewer than the fingers of
one hand, and that is a fact... proven once again right here in this
thread."

Probably true, but we still try.

Quoted message said:

And your best advice to cook pork chops is "Shake-n-Bake"??

Dry coating and oven baking will sure do the job. I like pork almost
anyway but DRY and TOUGH. My BEST advice to a novice who can't quite
figure out when to stop cooking pork chops is to try smothering them.
You can then COOK away and .. still good..moist and tender!

aem said:

salgud said:

And your best advice to cook pork chops is "Shake-n-Bake"?? I think
you've proven beyond all doubt with this advice that you wouldn't know
how to boil water!!

Oh, I dunno. I've had good luck recently breading and baking pork
chops. I season them with s&p and, lately, a little marjoram -- I have
a Greek marjoram plant in the garden. Then I sprinkle a little paprika
in with panko just for fun. Flour, egg, panko, bake @350 or less.
It's still important not to overcook them, just as in the other
methods. -aem

I'm not arguing against breading in general, though in general, with
some exceptions, it's not my favorite way to cook meat. But dogturd
said "Shake-n-Bake"! God only knows what's in that stuff. I remember
trying it once many years ago, don't think I ever did it again. I can
do much better with something like you've described above.

aem said:

salgud said:

And your best advice to cook pork chops is "Shake-n-Bake"?? I think
you've proven beyond all doubt with this advice that you wouldn't
know how to boil water!!

Oh, I dunno. I've had good luck recently breading and baking pork
chops. I season them with s&p and, lately, a little marjoram -- I
have a Greek marjoram plant in the garden. Then I sprinkle a little
paprika in with panko just for fun. Flour, egg, panko, bake @350 or
less.
It's still important not to overcook them, just as in the other
methods. -aem

Stuffed pork chops are wonderful! When I can find them I buy extra thick
(like 2 inches) pork chops with the intent of stuffing them. They turn out
great every time. I use a cornbread stuffing (surprise!) with onion and
garlic and dried thyme and lots of butter. The cornbread stuffing is
moistened with hot chicken broth. Cut a slit in the chops up to the bone
and then fill it with stuffing using a spoon. Simply sprinkle the chop with
salt & pepper. Put them in the oven at 325F for about 50 minutes. The
stuffing will swell up; the chops will brown slightly but not be
over-cooked. No need for a starch as a side dish with this method; simply
serve with salad or a steamed veggie of choice.

Jill

salgud said:

aem said:

salgud said:

And your best advice to cook pork chops is "Shake-n-Bake"?? I think
you've proven beyond all doubt with this advice that you wouldn't know
how to boil water!!

Oh, I dunno. I've had good luck recently breading and baking pork
chops. I season them with s&p and, lately, a little marjoram -- I have
a Greek marjoram plant in the garden. Then I sprinkle a little paprika
in with panko just for fun. Flour, egg, panko, bake @350 or less.
It's still important not to overcook them, just as in the other
methods. -aem

I'm not arguing against breading in general, though in general, with
some exceptions, it's not my favorite way to cook meat. But dogturd
said "Shake-n-Bake"! God only knows what's in that stuff.

What he actually wrote was, "Make your own." So it would have in it
whatever you put. -aem

I remember

Quoted message said:

trying it once many years ago, don't think I ever did it again. I can
do much better with something like you've described above.