But do try one of the other chop cuts that aren’t so lean, like what @Saint_Cad mentioned, sirloin chops, or rib chops (as I mentioned above.)
My mom was an awful cook and it was never more apparent than when she made pork chops.
I think she had this notion of pork-born pathogens or worms or something so every pork chop was cooked to the max. I am not kidding when I say it was sawdust when cutting into them. I had to drown it in bottled BBQ sauce to eat it.
My dad never failed to compliment her though.
Sous vide is great but, for those who do not have one, a reverse sear works about as well. Put the pork chop in the oven, cook to desired internal temp (and see post 13 and take note that it need not be blasted) and then finish with a quick sear in a hot skillet to get some browning on the outside.
I usually pound my pork (nyuk, nyuk). Turn it into a schnitzel, in other words. I buy the boneless chops, cut off the excess fat, slice them horizontally, then use a meat hammer to flatten them; dip in seasoned flour, then in egg wash, then in Panko, and quick-fry them.
My mother used to brown them in a cast iron skillet, then add a can of tomato soup and a can of water, some chopped green pepper and some rice, cover and simmer until the moisture was absorbed by the rice and it had a nice glaze on the bottom of it.
I don’t usually try to cook them myself. But I recall a good place in San Jose Ca when I was working there; our team would go there for lunch now and again. They were excellent, with a good baked potato side.
Of course we usually had a beer as well, which improved the ambience. Might have been called the Firehouse, not sure…
I get the boneless pork loin chops, about an inch thick. I season them on both sides with some Lawrey’s season salt and fresh ground pepper, and then usually some other seasoning (pork rub, or McCormick’s Montreal chicken, or whatever else I may have handy). I preheat the oven to 350° and heat up the cast iron skillet on the stovetop. Cook on medium heat about 2-3 minutes per side, then stick the cast iron pan in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Hint for reheating leftovers in the microwave - set the power at about 50%. Never reheat meat full blast - you want to warm it up, not cook it more.
Where did your mother get her pork?
Feed, exercise, and breed all can affect both flavor and texture. If 56 years ago your mother was getting heirloom breed pasture-raised by the neighbors (or herself), and you’re getting Miscellaneous Large Company Aiming At The Most Meat for the Least Time and Expense, that might easily be the problem.
Or maybe you’re just overcooking your pork chops. That’ll do it, too.
It is still possible to get pasture-raised heirloom-breed pork. It’ll cost you, though. (Comes with a much smaller side of guilt as a bonus to the flavor, however; if that’s an issue at all for you.)
A strong second on this, I buy Duroc pork for “chop” purposes, as opposed to store-brand lean loin which I tend to use for stir fry options. Still less than half the price of beef I’d use for the same dry cooking chop / steak purposes.
The above works well, an additional step, but one that requires an additional tool, is buying a bladed tenderizer.
https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Easy-Clean-Bladed-Tenderizer/dp/B00HEZ8A1U?th=1
Is similar to the one I have, basically you are puncturing your meat profusely (a wincing ‘heh’ back at you) - which cuts the longer fibers, making the final product more tender. I generally cut chops to around a centimeter thick, then puncture, THEN pound. It thins more easily when the fibers all are cut in my experience.
Recently, I used House Autry pork coating and oven baked some pork chops. Those turned out very juicy. I know when you prep those they instruct you to spray the chops with non-stick spray after coating. I was wondering if that helps retain moisture but I’m not convinced. Shake n’ Bake did not yield similar juicy results. I think it has more to do with the chop in particular and how you cook it. I do try to get fattier cuts; that makes a difference.
I buy pork chops from our neighbors’ farm store. They always get some that are slightly thicker cut. I sous vide pork chops medium rare for 2-10 hours, then sometimes torch sear them. Always juicy.
Chops with the bone in are more tender. I buy thin thin chops with the bone, dust in flour and seasonings, and cook in butter/oil in a hot pan just about 2-3 minutes per side.
Leaner cuts of pork. Plus you are probably cooking them at too high a temp and definitely overcooking them.
At this point, we need a tribute to the humble porkchop sandwich.
https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=L1BDM1oBRJ8
Broken link, some NSFW language
After this conversation I am convinced it is the pork chops that have changed. My mom cooked the hell out of them and they were still mouthwatering and juicy. I talked to the butcher today at a meat market and he said he would fix me up. I will check back.
I only have three words: Quality, Freshness and Flavor.
You know what I mean.
I just grill 'em over charcoal.
Never had a complaint.
I think most pork is leaner these days. There is another change in the last 56 years to account for, different cooks.
Even compared to 1991, today’s pork is 16% leaner:
I suspect it was even fattier 50+ years ago.
This Utah Pork site says “75% leaner than 50 years ago” (!!)
Today, pork is 75 percent leaner than in the 1950s. Pork producers have met consumer demand for leaner, more nutritious sources of protein by using new practices and better feed. The result? On average, the six most common cuts of pork are now 16 percent leaner than 19 years ago, and saturated fat has dropped 27 percent. Pork tenderloin — one of the most popular cuts of pork — has less fat and fewer calories than boneless, skinless chicken breast.
See, in my mind at least, that’s your mistake. Firstly, you need to get thick sliced center cuts and, secondly, they should be grilled, not fried. Forget the breading. There are a number of different rubs/spices that make the chops delicious. Oh, and for heaven’s sake, don’t cook them to death!
I mentioned in some other thread that pork producers went all in with ‘the other white meat’ campaign. When I was a child and dinosaurs still roamed the earth, (well they do now also because that’s what chickens are, but I digress) a pork chop was a greasy fatty dark piece of meat, and huge. I don’t know if they’re just being slaughtered at a younger age, or if it’s the feed or the breed, but the ratio of dark to light meat, fat, and connective tissue is greatly reduced now, along with a lot of flavor.