I love to cook, and I put a lot of effort into trying and improving things. Usually I try something, and if we like it then I spend the next few times making it better. If we don’t love it then I usually just let it go. But I am determined that I am going to make good pork chops. But they just never come out right. I have tried many different recipes. Sometimes the flavor is ok but the texture is always wrong- too dry and tough. And it doesn’t seem to take to any of the flavors I’ve tried very well, frequently just has a bland flavor.
So…currently I’m thawing some pork. I have some pretty thick boneless chops, and a fairly well stocked pantry. Anybody have any suggestions?
Well I think the Govt. suggests 160. Personally I take em out about 140, because I like em rareish. Tricina is really rare these days, and dies at a lowish temperature anyway, but it comes down to your personal decision on food safety vs taste.
My market sells what they call a pork ribeye. There’s very little fat on it. I’ve grilled them and fried them and they seem to be more tender and less dry than a grilled or fried center or loin cut.
One of my brother’s wives made pork chops in a pressure cooker and they were very moist and tender, but I missed the crispy fat part, which is 99% of the reason for fixing a pork chop.
The Devil’s Grandmother, that recipe sounds yummy!
If they are nice and thick, cut a pocket in the chops and stuff them with diced apple, red onion & bread crumbs. Anything else you feel like stuffing in there too…
Slather in garlic and lemon juice and some black pepper… slap 'em on a hot griddle for a few mins each side, and then let them rest for at least 8-10 mins under some tinfoil while you finish off the veg etc.
Resting allows the meat fibres to relax and regain the moisture meaning you get more succulent chops.
We get pretty thick chops at the butcher, and my husband usually lets the chops sit out of the fridge for a bit, salts and peppers and then browns on both sides in an oven-safe pan in some butter and olive oil. Then he puts the pan with the chops in the oven for I think 6 or 8 minutes, checking with a meat thermometer to see when it gets to medium. That way, we don’t end up with dry chops. And then, if he’s inclined to make a sauce (which I always hope he does because check it out), he breaks out the veal demi-glace, chicken stock, white wine and mustard and does something utterly magical with the drippings.
I think this is a Mark Bittman recipe, but something that goes really well with the pork chops is apples roasted with dessert wine and crushed red pepper flakes. I know it sounds kind of weird, but the combo of sweet and hot plus unctuous pork fat is out of this world good.
Agreed - 165F is too high for most pork cuts nowadays. I usually aim for around 145F as others have suggested, which gets me a nice medium-rare doneness.
(you might get away with 165F if you were using Berkshire, since it tends to be a bit fattier… but cooking Berkshire to well done would be a shameful waste of a gorgeous chunk of pork)
Also, I usually brine my chops for a couple of hours before cooking (but preferably overnight, if I actually remember in advance). Definitely results in a much juicier and tastier chop overall - most supermarket pork tends to be a little bland and needs the salt injection, IMO.
Keep in mind, too, that all foods experience residual cooking after being removed from the heat source. With meat of any kind you usually want to remove when the temp is 5 to 10 degrees below the desired level of doneness. While the meat rests (you DO rest meat after cooking, before cutting/serving, yes?) the internal temp will continue to rise and complete the cooking. So, if you are aiming for, say, 150 as the peak temp, then remove from the pan/oven at 140 to 145.
Brine is the way to go. I use the recipe in Alton Brown’s book but any one will do. It really only takes about 1/2 hour and they are the most moist pork chops you will ever eat. Like, even if cooked on the grill at too hot a temp. Perfect every time.
Here’s my recipe for Apricot Mustard Pork Chops:
6 boneless chops, about 3/4" to 1" thick
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Italian Herb blend (rosemary, sage, oregano, IIRC)
1/3C dry white wine
2/3C apricot All-Fruit
3TBSP coarse brown mustard
Put olive oil in large, heavy pan over medium heat. Season chops with salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Cook about 5 minutes on each side (do not flip by piercing meat with a fork; flip with tongs). Remove to large plate, tent with foil.
Turn heat under pan down to low; deglaze pan with white wine (chicken stock can be used instead, if desired). Add All-Fruit and mustard, and whisk until the glaze is bubbly.
Turn off heat, put chops back in pan and turn once to coat, put them back on platter. Pour extra sauce in gravy boat to pour over meat at the table.
My family loves this, and I love the leftovers for breakfast the following morning!
You said you’re thawing them? It’s possible that the freezing process is partly to blame. I’m super-lazy about preventing freezer burn myself, and meats that are cooked quickly tend to suffer the most; long, slow braises, not so much. (Freezing causes ice crystals which burst the meat’s cell walls and the lovely juices leak out more while you’re thawing so there’s less left inside to be cooked.)
How are you cooking them? I always pan-brown them. To get a nice brown sear on the outside but still get moist juiciness in the center, you need to cook them fairly quickly at a medium-high or high heat. (I’ve known people who thought, “Oh, I’ll cook the meat over medium-low heat for half an hour, maybe longer,” then wonder what to do with the shoe leather they’ve just created.)
Also, patting the meat dry with paper towels helps with the browning process, which in turn means you won’t need to keep them over the heat for so long. Another thing that helps is to salt the surface of the meat (along w/ whatever other seasonings you’re using) after it’s been patter dry, and then let it sit for a few minutes. The salt dries the surface further, helping browning even more.
OP, you probably had them for dinner last night. So … how were they?