Posted on 06/16/2018 7:19:14 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
If you've ever tried (and failed) to cook the juiciest, best tasting pork chops, the first thing you need to do is give up any notions you might have about pork being "the other white meat," as it was marketed in the fat-phobic 1980s.
"To me, a lean pork chop is the saddest possible thing," Samin Nosrat, cooking teacher and author of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking," told TODAY Food.
"The challenge of those tender cuts [like pork chops] is retaining that tenderness after you cook them," Nosrat explained. "In order to do that, you want you want to set yourself up for success, and the first thing to do is to buy the least lean chops that you can find."
Nosrat shared 12 must-do tips (and the one thing you should never do!) for picking and cooking the best pork chops that you'll want to keep making and eating again and again....
(Excerpt) Read more at today.com ...
The best way I’ve found to cook pork chops is sous vide, finishing them on a very hot grill with salt and pepper, Maillard reaction.
Obviously, select a good cut of meat.
This retains the moisture better than any other technique.
Thanks. Interesting and helpful article.
The flavor is in the fat
Fat for flavor and health!
The flat out wrong advice from our elite government overlords (also called ‘experts’) has ruined many lives and dinners!
Feral pig is the tastiest, leanest pork you can harvest
The cooking tips apply to not only pork.
Thanks for posting
Seconded. Apparently I've been buying my cuts too pale and not marbled enough. Going to work on that (and try brine/marinade) when camping soon. I love cooking meats on cast iron over an open fire...
Marinate overnight in a vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and minced garlic with water solution. Best to grill low and slow and smear on the BBQ sauce a few times during the last phases of grilling.
sixteen hours at 225 inside a whole pig. Bring a ladle.
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Instead of chops, I like cooking a pork loin. So juicy and succulent. Just don’t cook it over 140. Slightly pink. And it takes to many sauces. My favorite is a loin with a hot Cajun rub, sliced thin and served with a beurre blanc sauce. Very yummy. The sauce picks up the Cajun spices.
Thanks!
Always brine
And it’s yummy
Instructions
1. *Brine the pork chops (optional):* If you have time, brining the pork for even a brief period adds flavor and ensures juiciness in the finished chop. Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil, add the salt and optional flavorings, and stir to dissolve the salt. Add 2 more cups of cold water to bring the temperature of the brine down to room temperature. Place the pork chops in a shallow dish and pour the brine over top. The brine should cover the chops — if not, add additional water and salt (1 cup water to 1 tablespoon salt) until the chops are submerged. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. *Heat the oven and skillet:* Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place the skillet in the oven to preheat as well.
3. *Season the pork chops:* While the oven heats, prepare the pork chops. Remove the chops from the brine; if you didn't brine, remove the chops from their packaging. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the chops aside to warm while the oven finishes heating.
4. *Remove the skillet from the oven:* Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Turn on a vent fan or open a window.
5. *Sear the pork chops:* Lay the pork chops in the hot skillet. You should hear them immediately begin to sizzle. Sear until the undersides of the chops are seared golden, 3 minutes. The chops may start to smoke a little — that's ok. Turn down the heat if it becomes excessive.
6. *Flip the chops and transfer to the oven:* Use tongs to flip the pork chops to the other side. Immediately transfer the skillet to the oven using oven mitts.
7. *Roast the chops until cooked through:* Roast until the pork chops are cooked through and register 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time will be 6 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chops, how cool they were at the start of cooking, and whether they were brined. Start checking the chops at 6 minutes and continue checking every minute or two until the chops are cooked through.
8. *Rest the chops:* Transfer the cooked pork chops to a plate and pour any pan juices over the top (or reserve for making a pan sauce or gravy). Tent loosely with foil and let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
I agree, feral hog is really good, but so is heritage pork; both substantially more expensive if you live we’re you can’t hunt the feral for yourself, than commercial farm raised.
Salt and pepper, add to hot pan, brown both sides, add beef both to cover, one bay leaf, simmer for at least an hour. Pork chops will be fork tender.
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