I don't think I like pork chops...

[bfish]

Most pork chops comes pre-enhanced/brined/solution added these days at 10-12%. Read the small print on the label. Brining again does not help, and may actually make it dry out faster. If you can find them, go with meat that has not had stuff added to it.

Rib chops, as been previous mentioned, are the way to go. Even with the other types of pork chop, cooking them in some oil/fat helps. I like bacon grease in a very hot cast iron skillet, just long enough on each side for it to release and have a nice char.

 

[passedpawn]

This is the ONLY pork chop I like. Just ate it Pork chop confit.

It was sous vide overnight @ 180 in duck fat, then stored for about 14 months in the fridge. Believe me, juicy and flavorful and falls apart like tuna. Bonus pic: I cut up a potato and fried it in the fat that remained in the pan.

 

[jcav]

Funny my wife just made a wonderful dinner tonight and cooked a beautiful juicy pork chop, with baked sweet potatoes and broccoli. Loved it!

John

 

[b-boy]

UM! Vegan or non-Vegan..there is no semi...

Yoda said that, right?

 

[Horseflesh]

@passedepawn -- do you have a link for that recipe? I cook SV all the time but have never seen a recipe that stores cooked and sealed meat for such a long time.

 

[kh54s10]

I love pork chops... If moist the better, if dry, still good. My recipe is a 1/2 - 3/4 inch layer of rice (I like brown rice) in a casserole dish. A layer of thick onion slices, some mushrooms, some bell peppers cover with a layer of pork chops, I like thickest I can find. Pour beef broth or bouillon over the top. Add seasoning, often just some salt and pepper. Bake at 350 until I get to the temperature for pork. (I use a chart that I have) Most times it is moist but even if not I love them.

I need to try marinading the pork chops first.....

Bacon still tops chops by a mile.....

 

[soccerdad]

My wife got this recipe maybe 40 years ago - maybe from my mom. It is my fav for PCs.

Pork Chops Clemence

Lemon Juice
1 egg beaten
salt n pepper
6 pork chops
bread crumbs
butter for frying
1 onion sliced

mix egg, s&p, lemon juice .. dip chops in this and then bread crumbs
brown gently in melted butter
line bottom of casserole dish with onion slices .. set browned chops on the onion slices
cover and bake at 350 for an hour

always moist

 

[phug]

I'm the same for even liking my porkchops dry. season them properly and it becomes like a giant piece of pork jerky.

That being said. I'll take some of my center cut chops, and slice them as thinly as I can (half-frozen makes this easier) and then marinade them for an a wee bit in a mix of soy sauce, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and a clove or two of paper thin slices of fresh garlic. Then I'll fry that in a pan or wok, and then toss some sliced up baby bok choi, and serve over rice.

That's tasty.

 

[passedpawn]

@passedepawn -- do you have a link for that recipe? I cook SV all the time but have never seen a recipe that stores cooked and sealed meat for such a long time.

I did add some curing salt. TBH, I don't remember the exact recipe - I think I added rosemary or thyme also.

I use the basic confit recipe in Ruhlman's Charcuterie. I broke down a whole duck and separated the fat and skin to use as fat. Besides the duck breasts and thighs, I also prepared these pork chops, some chicken, and a couple slabs of salmon, all with the duck fat. You don't need much fat when you sous vide.

I've canned (pressure canner) leftover turkey in mason jars and left in the cabinet for years. Just like chicken of the sea

 

[headbanger]

Let me know if you're ever in Kentucky and I will change your mind..

Brined overnight then reverse seared via pellet grill, these are 2'' thick and as juicy and tender as can be.

Or if you're ever near KY Dam Village, Patti's Settlement makes some almost as good as mine..

 

[Horseflesh]

I use the basic confit recipe in Ruhlman's Charcuterie.

Nice, I have that already. Need to take another look!

 

[passedpawn]

Nice, I have that already. Need to take another look!

I don't think it mentions pork chops - that was a little extrapolation I made from the duck.

 

[StonesBally]

Try the pork belly confit from the same book. It's really good.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I didn't used to like pork chops very much, this was due to my mom buying those thin cut chops, which always seemed both dry & greasy simultaneously & always either fried in a skillet or baked in the oven. It wasn't until I tried thick, brined & smoked pork chops that I understood what a pork chop should be.

I started with Steven Raichlen's bourbon brined pork chops recipe, went a little thicker on the chops, a little longer with the brine, and did a wet smoke on the Weber; they turned out to be soooo TASTY! For me, those double-thick (or even thicker), brined, smoked pork chops are a real treat. Juicy, smoky, tender & delicious. Don't bother with the chops you find in the grocery stores, get your chops custom cut at a reputable butcher shop. I always tell them to cut them about 2 inches thick.

I hope you'll try the double-thick, brined, wet-smoked (hickory), pork chops, just don't over cook them & they'll be tender & juicy. I like 'em with hickory smoke-roasted yams or sweet potatoes, I brush them with dark sesame oil & put them on the grill when I put the meat on. I turn everything once & brush with dark sesame oil (meat too) about 1/2 way through. IIRC, I smoke 'em for about 1.5 - 2.0 hrs. The meat & taters are done at the same time. I've made this several times, changing the brine, time & wood, and I think a plain salt/brown sugar brine for 6-8 hrs & 1.5-2.0 hrs of smoke is the best. Here's a pic of the 1st double-thick pork chops I did on the Weber.
Regards, GF.

 

[JonM]

I'm late the party, but here's what I do:

Get the thick porterhouse style chops. Thick. Make sure there's a good chunk of tenderloin on one side of the bone.

Brine them for about an hour, maybe a little more (this is key) in a salt/sugar brine (1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 qt water, maybe a bay leaf or two)

Rub with a little Polish sausage seasoning.

Grill hot and fast and for sure throw a little chunk of apple wood (little - like the size of a half dollar) on the coals for that little kiss of smoke that really makes them awesome.

Pull when they're 145.

Is there a place where you can get Duroc or Berkshire pork? If so, that'll make them even better.

Finally, if you don't like the loin part, I'd say there's a good chance you'll like the tenderloin part. If that's the case, heck with it - just get a whole tenderloin and cook it as above. Maybe brine it a little longer, though.

 

[kempshark]

Personally, I find that marinated pork butt steaks grilled over hardwood coals reminds me of the pork chops I remember from when I was a kid.....back before pork became the very lean "other white meat".

 

[JonM]

Yeah, man - pork butt steaks and country style ribs. Mmm-mmm!

 

[Homercidal]

I agree chops can be dry, and it's definitely not better that way (But I can still eat them with some side dishes to help out.)

The cut makes a difference, but so does having your own hog. We bought a hog 2 years ago and a half last year. They can be dry too, but I think you get more fat overall.

The best cuts off our hog were called Pork Steak. Very tender and juicy. I would rank them up there with some of the best beef steaks I've bought at the store.

For chops one of our favorites around here is to trim the bones out, then quick sear in a pan and remove the chops and deglaze the pan with a bit of milk. Then mix in a can or two of mushroom soup and stir it in. You want just enough milk to deglaze the pan and then end up with a nice gravy consistency when the soup is added. Return the chops and simmer on low for a while with the lid on. Remove the lid and continue simmering until you get the consistency you want. Pepper to taste.

Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed or grilled veggies, or anything else, really. It's your life, I can't tell you how to live it!

 

[indymedic]

We love pork chops. I won't give a specific recipe but our favorite is just a simple rub and grilled. We usually buy a loin and have it sliced thick. If they get to thin they dry out to easily. If you haven't already tried bone in chops you should try that too. I think the flavor is better we just don't get them that often.

 

[jcav]

I agree with Homercidal in that having your own hog makes a difference. My neighbor and I each bought one awhile ago and we raised them in his pen at his house. We split the cost of the feed and we each took turns each week feeding the hogs. We bought the best feed and they also got vegetable and garden scraps. When at the desired size we had them professionally butchered. Those pork cuts were incredible! The smoked bacon was insane! The tenderloin was amazing! The chops were thick and juicy and my wife did a great job cooking them. So raising your own does make a difference also in the quality of the meat. Cooking it correctly is the other half of the equation.

John

 

[stonebrewer]

Try cooking them with a can of cream of mushroom soup! It is one of my favorite ways to cook pork chops. Slow cook and they come out juicy with a lot of delicious gravy to make them even better!

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Finally, if you don't like the loin part, I'd say there's a good chance you'll like the tenderloin part. If that's the case, heck with it - just get a whole tenderloin and cook it as above. Maybe brine it a little longer, though.

Yeah, that's pretty much the plan. I actually cook the tenderloin pretty regularly.

I haven't really though it necessary to brine the tenderloin for tenderness and juiciness, but it might be fun to brine one just for flavor...