Need Some Help With Pork Chops?

[Zander Man]

My wife makes german pork chops by dipping them in egg batter, lightly coating them in bread crumbs, quick frying them to sear in flavor, then put each one on a piece of bread and baking them on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees until done to taste. Always moist!

[bfish]

Modern pork has less fat than the pork sold 30 or more years ago. Leaner meat is drier/tougher when cooked the same as in the past. You noticed several people mentioned braising (ie cooking in liquid) to tenderize.

Lots of pork is sold in solution (8-18%), so marinading/brining/injecting isn't going to do much as the pork is already full. If you actually can find some pork that isn't in solution, then yes those methods can help.

My solution is to buy heritage breed meat. Mangalitsa and Duroc are popular around here and I see Red Wattle sold too (but I haven't tried it yet).

[AllenW]

Whatever you do, don't cook them like my grandparents and many others of that era did, they'd cook them till they were almost hockey pucks in bacon grease that they kept on the stove. :)

Trichinosis was a real problem back then and better to over cook than under.
They tell me that's not the case anymore. We hope.

al

[bbheli]

[QUOTE=bfish;6625696]Modern pork has less fat than the pork sold 30 or more years ago. Leaner meat is drier/tougher when cooked the same as in the past. You noticed several people mentioned braising (ie cooking in liquid) to tenderize. ).[/QUOTE]

That is not correct, pigs are fatter today because of industrialized agriculture. Back than they are acorns and other vegetation today its all corn and carbs which equals sugar and fat. While some statistics say pigs are 16% vs 20% body fat the real issue is that todays consumers are demanding leaner cuts of meat. Some of that statistic is just marketing BS. Butchers and some packers may trim them up more based on that sediment however you can just ask them for fresh cut. The chops I find have plenty of fat which does equal moisture. Many people still over cook pork today which dries it out.

[vtec]

Not breaded, but my wife found someone who put the porkchops into a glass Corning Ware pan and just tossed a can of Campbell's chicken gumbo soup onto them. 350 degrees in oven for I think 45 minutes. I like it a lot, very simple, easy, fast, moist, good.

[Custom Eyes]

[QUOTE=vtec;6625782]Not breaded, but my wife found someone who put the porkchops into a glass Corning Ware pan and just tossed a can of Campbell's chicken gumbo soup onto them. 350 degrees in oven for I think 45 minutes. I like it a lot, very simple, easy, fast, moist, good.[/QUOTE]

I do the same, but with cream of mushroom soup and cook my low and slow method.

For the record, I do the 275 for 3 hours because my X had Crohns and the only way her system could handle pork was fall apart/melt in your mouth tender. That cooking cycle achieved it and I still cook all my pork that way. I cook most of my chicken the same. If you have the time, it's hard to beat! I generally toss it in the oven before I go out or hit the workshop to paint lures, so when I get home or done painting, it's melt in your mouth perfection! :bowdown:

[JSev1]

BBHeli and Zander Man nailed it and I think is what the OP is looking for....bread and pan fry to brown, then finish in the oven. Nice golden brown crust, cooked perfectly juicy (yes to 145) in center.

The only addition I would add is that prior to dredging and dipping in flour/egg/seasoned bread crumbs is that I typically grab boneless chops about one inch - 1 1/4 inches thick, like the ones Costco sells. Then I pound them in saran wrap to about 1/2 their thickness. This provides greater surface area for the nice crusty exterior, which I like.

As an aside, I do this method on the stove/in oven, but when grilling, you can't beat a bone in chop. And yes, Duroc and some of the other specialty breeds matters. So does brining! Google "apple brined pork shops" for the brining recipe we like to use.

I think we're going to have to have pork chops this week for dinner!

[feesh007]

Simple solution: brine pork chops and poultry (and rinse prior to cooking). Second simple solution: pork is done at 145F. Tough to go wrong if you follow both of those.

[walteye]

When I do mine on the grill-I start with a pat of butter on top and when I flip them-another pat of butter to finish. At least an inch thick for any pork chop. Like others have said-bread and brown on the stove-then bake-again with a pat of butter on top. I do the same with breaded chicken-brown on the stove then bake with a pat of butter. That's what my mom taught me.
Walteye

[Ricky Spanish]

[QUOTE=That Minnesota guy;6625648]Sear them for 3 minutes per side before baking. It will lock the juices in.[/QUOTE]

This is actually a myth. [url]https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/good-eats/videos/myth-smashers[/url]

I dry brine pork chops for at least 6hrs. Usually just a mix of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook them until 140-145. IMO, it's not supposed to be fall apart tender. It's a steak. You wouldn't put NY strip in the crockpot, so why do people do this to pork loin?

If I want soft pulled pork I use pork shoulder. I cube it into 3" pieces in my dutch oven and put it in a 250* oven for a few hours. Grab some out with tongs and smash it into a skillet for some great carnitas.