Please, please tell me how to get a pork chop tender

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Braising is an excellent techinique for pork chops. Here's what I do:

1) lightly coat pork chops in seasoned flour (pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, garlic)

2) brown chops in skillet (olive or other vegetable oil). Lower flame once chops are nice and brown on outside. Don't worry that they won't be cooked all the way through; this happens during the next step).

3) In the same skillet, add 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock. Add one cut up onion, cover and simmer on low flame for about 90 minutes.

These chops will be super tender. You can also cook them even longer and the meat will literally fall off the bone.

Enjoy!

REVISED JUST A BIT TO MAKE THE RECIPE CLEARER

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rare pork sounds disgusting.

Why any more so than rate beef would? It's just not what most of us grew up with

[Anonymous]

You're over cooking them. A few minutes a side with salt and pepper, let them rest under foil. They won't be "rare" you might see a very slight shade of pink if at all.

[Anonymous]

Soak them in vinegar. You do not taste the vinegar when they are cooked -- that is how BBQ is made.

[Anonymous]

I brine for an hour in a solution of salt, water, peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves. Then grill on indirect heat (on middle burner, which is turned off, burners on either side on medium high) for about 5 minutes a side. Ends up very juicy with a great flavor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Soak them in vinegar. You do not taste the vinegar when they are cooked -- that is how BBQ is made.

?

Yet a million other pork recipes are not.

[Anonymous]

Brown thick chops in cast iron skillet with olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper and paprika. Transfer to a preheated 375 oven for just a few mins (about 4). Cover with foil and let rest for at least 5 mins to let the juices redistribute.

This method has never failed me and my pork chops get raves.

[Anonymous]

Start with good pork chops, preferably directly from a butcher shop. Brine. Do not overcook.

Those are the basics. Any recipe - grilling, roasting, pan-frying, braising - will work as long as you follow the basics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Start with good pork chops, preferably directly from a butcher shop. Brine. Do not overcook.

Those are the basics. Any recipe - grilling, roasting, pan-frying, braising - will work as long as you follow the basics.

Unless your prefer a well done pork chop. In that case the cooking method (recipe in your case) will make a big difference.

[Anonymous]

If you like it well done then a pork chop isn't a good cut of meat for you. Better a cut that requires braising or long slow cooking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meat from whole foods is not inherently better than giant what a load of bs.

Some if the best meat I get is from Costco or Sams.

The issue with pork is that it now is very very lean. And people tend to over cook it bc years ago you had to cook to a higher temp to kill off possible trichinosis. Higher temp/over cooking of lean meat = tough.

You only need to cook it to about 145 degrees. Way less than most people think of as "done" for pork.

Then you haven't been to my WF or my Giant. I will never eat any kind of meat from Giant. They only sell factory farmed chicken, which is disgusting and their beef is incredibly low quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meat from whole foods is not inherently better than giant what a load of bs.

Some if the best meat I get is from Costco or Sams.

The issue with pork is that it now is very very lean. And people tend to over cook it bc years ago you had to cook to a higher temp to kill off possible trichinosis. Higher temp/over cooking of lean meat = tough.

You only need to cook it to about 145 degrees. Way less than most people think of as "done" for pork.

Then you haven't been to my WF or my Giant. I will never eat any kind of meat from Giant. They only sell factory farmed chicken, which is disgusting and their beef is incredibly low quality.

I actually think the meat at Whole Foods is pretty lousy. And they hardly have any humanely raised meat. I usually buy meat at the farmer's market only. It's a little more expensive, so we don't eat much meat. (only once every week or two.)

[Anonymous]

Am I the only one that still does it the way my mom did.... bang it with a meat mallet

[Anonymous]

Brine and don't overcook. Brining is essential .

[Anonymous]

All forms of acid -- vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce-- contains vinegar and salt -- (brining) break down the meat and make it more tender. Obviously these are not tender cuts of pork chop, or the PP would not ask the question. If all she had to do it put it in a pan ...