Pork chops... why

[Richard Chrz]

Do I still not care for that cut. I prefer beef over pork, but my guess is, other people know how to make them taste great , and I don’t. School me!

[Troutman]

Bacon, chops, pork ribs, pulled pork, pork shanks, I mean what’s not to love?

[Richard Chrz]

I would take a good sausage link or patty over bacon any day. I love pulled pork, and ribs. Just can’t find a way to make a pork chop, which I truly believe is just lack of understanding!

[jhoskins]

Personally I thought pork chops were always dry until I brined them overnight and reverse seared them (had some thicker ones). Then they were meaty and juicy all at once.

I had previously eaten them baked or grilled hot and fast with no brine... they dry out fast that way (in my humble experience)

[rickgregory]

I do them two ways mostly. For thinner cuts (1 inch or so), I Montreal steak them or S&P and bread them, then fry ~ 4mins on a side.

also some times sear, then nestle them in with apples/cabbage etc


For thick cut chops, I brine, then do a rub and roast over indirect, finish with a sear. Bacon wrap sometimes.

[Michael_in_TX]

Even knowing what I know now about brining and cooking lean pork, sometimes I yearn for the pork chops I grew up with: bone-in, cooked north of 160, and smothered, absolutely swimming in A1 sauce. (And always served with buttered peas and Stoffer's Mac and Cheese.) Yum.

[Mr. Bones]

Make ya some up, it'll fun tryin to nail it...

[Henrik]

I agree, if there’s one cut of meat most ruin when cooking it - it’s pork chops. But done right they’re real good. The key is to avoid drying them out, and overcooking them.

I do them two ways. Both involve a proper dry brine 24 hours ahead.

1. Get thick chops, 1.5 inches. Cook them reverse sear.

2. Smoke a full rack (4-6 chops) as a roast. Just like you would a rib roast. Smoke, then sear. This is by far my favorite.

[DavidNorcross]

Agree with the above and have found that the thicker the better. At least 1.5". Always dry brine and either reverse sear or pan fry and make gravy. Either way, try not to overcook.

[Polarbear777]

1.5” thick or more, SV them at 132F until safe. Then sear. I hated them growing up because they were sawdust. I can now appreciate them.

[grantgallagher]

^^^This! I do 135 but now im gonna have to try 132.

You wont look back.

[CaptainMike]

This x 2. A raspberry chipotle glaze is also nice.

[Old Glory]

Sous Vide then sear in cast iron. They are super lean so if you overcook they dry out.

I'd rather have steak but my wife loves them so they are in the rotation.

[smokin fool]

Do a lot of pork chops here because they're still pretty cheap compared to beef.
Mostly on the gasser for convenience.
Right outta the fridge, season and on to a 600 degree grill.
I go by color when flipping, its a razors edge thing knowing when to pull them before they get dry.
Always have Band-aids by your gasser.

[Uncle Bob]

Last one we did, about 1" thick, dry brine w/salt, then Memphis Dust later, reverse seared, 10 minute rest, service temp 140-145. Plenty juicy.......probably helped it was a Berkshire.

[ecowper]

That's a thing of beauty

[Bkhuna]

Rib chops are the secret to great chops.

[Uncle Bob]

The ribeye of pork chops........

[Skip]

Pork has gotten soooo lean. Cook to temp. 140 is plenty. SV then a light sear works good for me. Here is a good link to read from fzxdoc and others in The Pit .

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/sous-vide/390246-help-with-sous-vide-pork-chops-technique/page2

[TxF]

Take some pork chops at least 1in thick, use Malcom Reeds apple brine recipe for apple brined pork steaks. If you follow that and reverse sear them so they come out about 140ish and you don’t like them then you used the wrong rub. That literally works with anything kind of rub I want to get rid of or find on sale, and if you start making the brine by 9:00 you can have dinner by 6:30.

[jfmorris]

Often I like a good chop as much as I like a steak, and its a huge cost savings if feeding a big family. The trick is not to overcook it until dry. I think most "bad" chops are just overcooked chops. Just like you would cook a pork loin to 145F, cook chops to that internal temp. If the chops are thin, that might be hard to do, but I usually go hot and fast, flipping often, and temping often with my Thermapen.

I tend to either marinate in a salty liquid, or dry brine and season when cooking. This is one of the few meats I like to use Dale's sauce for - a very salty mix of soy sauce and other stuff, sold around these parts. With Dale's and a batch of thin bone-in chops from Sam's Club, marinating time is not long - maybe 30-60 minutes.

[Dan Deter]

I tend to use thin chops and cook hot and fast so that the fat on the outside gets nice and crispy. Liquid brine for 30 or so minutes (like jfmorris very salty, soy sauce based) and on a hot grill for 6 or so minutes, about 2-3 on a side, just until its got some grill marks (they're too thin to probe accurately). Nice fast dinner cook.

The other way I cook them is in the oven. Break up Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix into crumbs and small pieces. Slather the chops in plain yogurt, coat in the crumbs, spray with Pam, into a 425 oven (400 on convection, even better), 10 minutes, flip and spray again, 10 more minutes. The yogurt keeps it from drying out, the stuffing mix gives a crunch and nice flavor.