pork chop ideas
Any suggestions for ways to get them tasty and to keep them from drying out? I bought ones that seem to have a fair amount of fat to start with.
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TexasToast
Sep 20, 2006 10:27 AM
Don't COOK it too much and inject it with whiskey:)
http://www.grillmojo.com/archives/kno...
TT
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I totally agree. There's a fantastic pork loin with apples recipe in Julia and Jacques' Cooking at Home cookbook and it is so tender and delicious if you cook it to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. I buy smaller pork loins than the recipe calls for and use more apples. Julia's spice rub recipe (same cookbook) is great for pork chops, too.
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Brining is a great way to prepare meat, but I suspect that most people overcook pork because they were told to cook to an internal temperature of 180 degrees. At that temperature, you're going to have dried out meat no matter what prep you've done. I cook pork to an internal temperature of about 150. It continues to cook after being removed from the heat, so it's around 160 by the time it's eaten. The meat is pinkish in the middle but always very juicy and flavorful. No, no-one who's eaten it has ever complained about the appearance of the food or become ill.
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re: Darren72
Finally - a soul mate! If I'm cooking for just my husband and myself, we eat pork at about 140 or so which would horrify most of our friends. I've gotten by with 140 - 150 degree pork and turkey by claiming that they've been smoked which gives them that pink color. It just takes one mouthful to convince people that this is the right way to eat their meats.
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re: cheryl_h
Ha, yes! The first time I (accidentally) took a pork tenderloin off when it was still pink in the middle was a revelation. I loved it. I've been cooking pork this way ever since. I was surprised to find out that trichonosis is killed at 137 degrees, so cooking to 180 as the USDA recommends is crazy.
I've had similar experiences of giving friends pork that is *properly* cooked and having them be amazed at the difference.
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carswell
Jul 24, 2006 12:42 AM
Try two-stage cooking: browning on the stovetop, finishing in the oven. Here's a basic recipe: www.wineloverspage.com/user_submitted...
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Here is a link from a recent discussion about grilling pork chops where I and other gave some detailed advice.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
I especially recommend using a brine (described in that thread). Note that many people say they don't like brined meat because it is too salty. A well done brine should not make the meat salty. If it is, the meat was left in the brine for too long, or salt was added to the meat after the brine.
If you aren't grilling, most of the tips in the above thread will still be useful. If you aren't grilling, pan frying works great. Let me know if you have questions.
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The Librarian
Jul 23, 2006 11:40 PM
In The New Doubleday Cookbook, I finally found a way of cooking pork chops so that they don't get dried out. I salt and pepper them and sear them on both sides, deglaze the pan with about a 1/2 - 3/4 cup of liquid, pour it over the chops, cover the pan, then put in a 350 oven for 50 - 60 minutes. I've tried all kinds of different seasonings and liquids, but my current favorite is delazing with a mixture of coarse grain mustard, dill, and white wine. I've also used some curry powder and white wine and baked the chops with cut up apricots or peaches/nectarines. Apple cider, apples, carrots, and chopped onions work as well. It's a flexible recipe, so I vary it according to the season. It's even better when I remember to brine the chops in the refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour before cooking in a mixture of 2 quarts cold water, 3/4 cup kosher salt, and 3/4 cup brown sugar.Hope this helps!
