The point, dear man, is that pork chops have a regrettable tendency to be dry, especially if they’re cut thin. the braising period allows the chop to reabsorb some liquid, and also gives it a chance to take on the flavor characteristics of the braising liquid. That said, I agree with you that an adroitly seasoned, properly cooked pork chop needs no adornment. It’s just that sometimes the point IS the sauce.
Live a Lush Life
Da Chef
Garlic
Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Fennel Seed
Season both sides. Grill, broil or pan fry. The trick is to not over cook them.
John
Correct me if I’m wrong, Chef (yeah, like he’d AVOID correcting me if I’m wrong), but when you cook a piece of meat in a liquid, the flavor goes from the MEAT to the LIQUID, and not the other way 'round.
The fat leaches from the meat into the sauce, leaving the meat more dry, if more tender.
I bow to no one in my appreciation of a good sauce, but if I want a nice pork chop my preferred cooking method is to season with a dry rub and cook it right quick.
Otherwise, you’ve got a variation on the old Seattle recipe for planked salmon…nail the fish to a plank, char it near the fire, throw away the salmon and eat the plank.
It’s actually more reminiscent of the process of petrification, wherein minerals replace the original organic components of wood and effectively turn it to stone. In the braising process, juices from the meat do indeed leach into the cooking liquid…but are you suggesting that nothing replaces those juices? Of course you aren’t.
Basically, your point is valid IF the braising liquid has no flavor of its own (e.g., making stock by cooking meat and bones in plain water). If the braising liquid does have flavor (apple juice/Calvados, red wine, etc.), that flavor will permeate the food that’s cooking in it.
On the dryness subject, cooking meat submerged in liquid pretty much precludes the possibility of it drying out.
Live a Lush Life
Da Chef
I’m with Ike on this one. If you want sauce, here’s the way to do it.
Brown pork chops on one side in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron. Then turn, lower the heat and cover. Cook JUST until no longer pink inside. Remove chops and set aside on a plate under a cover to stay warm.
Then put the skillet back on the burner and deglaze with wine, orange juice, broth or whatever. To make more sauce, add cream, more juice, soup or broth and your choice of seasonings and reduce to desired thickness.
Some favorite sauce combinations:
orange juice and tarragon.
sherry and thyme and/or sauteed mushrooms.
red wine and carmelized onions.
white wine and mango chutney.
God, I’m starving.
I sear then in an iron dutch oven then turn the heat very low then simmer for an hour in a mixture of equal parts salsa, black beans and corn.
Bons (hubby) fixes them like this, it sounds really wierd but it is wonderful!
Start with boneless pork sirloins. Put them in a covered casserole with Bananas Foster flavored yogurt. The yogurt makes the pork fork-tender. If I was cooking, I’d say 30 minutes at 350. But Bons usually forgets he has them in the oven (don’t worry, nothing bad will happen, honest!). He said they won’t finish cooking while they’re in the casserole dish. :rolleyes: Remove from oven and grill till done (no pink showing). Use the leftover yogurt as dip.
I really don’t like Bons’s cooking but this is a rare exception he makes on nights that I’m too tired to cook.
Prairie Rose
If you’re not part of the solution you’re just scumming up the bottom of the beaker.
Here is one that is not gourmet (by any means), but is easy and great if you have to be out of the house for the afternoon but still have to make dinner.
Get a pan screaming hot and sear four chops on both sides.
Put the chops into the bottom of a crock pot and add about 1.5 cups of broth.
Dump in a small package of dry stuffing mix and dot with maybe three tablespoons of butter.
Cook on low for four hours.
I’m going to have to try that sour cream recipe, sounds yummy!
A woman needs four animals in her life: A mink in the closet, a Jaguar in the garage, a tiger in the bedroom, and an ass to pay for it all.
—Zsa Zsa Gabor
This is one that you have to start way early!!! Also, I am not a messurement kind of person when it comes to some recipies, and this will sound kind of big because I have a large family. Cut and add to portions at will!
7-8 thin sliced potatoes
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom(yuk) soup
8-10 butterfly chops
1 large pkg Velveeta Cheese
1 onion
salt, pepper, garlic salt
In two baking pans put down your chops, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt, also some dices onion.
Then the sliced potatoes, and season those a bit.
You do your layer of cream of whatever soup, and mix it in a little with the potatoes.
Cover all that with slices of velveeta.
Cover with foil, and bake forever.
That is my favorite recipe, but it has a long prep time, and for some reason, it does seem to take forever to bake so the potatoes are done. Enjoy.
Mistress Kricket
Chicken Fried Pork Chops
This is Lions favorite way for me to cook his pork chops.
put flour and seasonings in a zip lock bag
eggs into a wide bowl and add milk, mix well
dip each pork chop one at a time first in milk and egg mix then shake in flour and seasoning mix, repeat.
pour oil in a large skillet when it gets hot add pork chops ( I use med-high heat) cook on each side 15 to 20 minutes or until done
I don’t make this often, too much hassel and mess for me. But he loves it.
" The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference."
Elie Wiesel
Voted SDMB Biggest Flirt (Female) and Least Shy (No Mom, I have no idea why they think that)
You guys are making this way to difficult.
I presentto you- The Poor College Kid’s Guide to Making Pork Chops
Step #1 buy a $.99 package of seasoning mix/plastic cooking bag at Supermarket
Step #2 place pork chops and seasoning mix in bag and shake until coated then add a 1/4 or so of water
Step #3 tie bag up and place in baking pan and cook unil the bag nearly exlpodes
Step #4 eat juicy pork chops
And the only mess you have is throwing away your paper plates and washing your fork!
“People must think it must be fun to be a super genuis,
But they don’t realize how hard it is
to put up with all the idiots in the world.”
– Calvin and Hobbes
(__)
/
There’s a certain barbaric splendor in the image of a Cow God eating porkchops. Even off paper plates.
My mom used to be so afraid of trichinosis that she would fry them until they were tough enough to stop a Nolan Ryan fastball. Then my sis found out how to do them this way.
Brown them in a pan that you can cover and bake them in.
Take them out of said pan and add some uncooked rice to the pan. Place the chops on the rice and put a thick slice of onion and bell pepper on each chop.
Pour chicken stock over the whole thing. The amounts here are variable. From the amount of rice you want, add liquid in a sort of one cup rice/two cups liquid ratio. Season as you like and bake for 1 hour @ 350. mmmmm good!
You know? I actually like Shake-N-Bake! Really. I like Shake-N-Bake pork chops better than pork chops perpared any other way. I can’t help it.