Tender pork chops?

Gwynston

Our young kids aren't great with large pieces of meat. They're alright with chicken and roasts (if they're really tender), or top quality, expensive steaks . But not so great with pork chops.

I've tried cooking them various ways to make them as tender as possible, like marinading and then casseroling. But even if they come out relatively tender, pork meat can still be quite "solid". What's the best way get around that solidness?

I'm thinking cooking for a loooong time at low temperature, or probably best would be a slow cooker (we don't have one though).

LaChatteGitane

I normally cook mine fast like steak, with just a hint of pink. No problems then with dried out tough as old boots chops.

Gwynston

I know what you're saying - don't let them dry out. But when fried or grilled like steak, they can still be "solid" compared to steak.

BBQing works better, as they stay moister, but that's not very practical this time of year!

LaChatteGitane

Gwynston wrote: »

I know what you're saying - don't let them dry out. But when fried or grilled like steak, they can still be "solid" compared to steak.

BBQing works better, as they stay moister, but that's not very practical this time of year!

That's what we have our teeth for.

loveisdivine

I think the solidness you are referring to is just the way pork is. Perhaps it would be best for the kids not to have it if they dont like eating it.

If you try and change the natural texture/structure of it too much then you're just gonna end up with something that doesnt really taste like pork.

Dizzyblonde

I buy pork pieces which are probably shoulder/neck/collar, and they're really tender in a casserole. They're a completely different texture to loin chops.

Gwynston

loveisdivine wrote: »

I think the solidness you are referring to is just the way pork is. Perhaps it would be best for the kids not to have it if they dont like eating it.

I like to introduce variety in the kids' meals. Of course, they'll eat processed meat products and mince-based dishes, but we all eat together and I'd like some pork from time to time. Just looking for a way to make it more appealing to the kids!

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

I buy pork pieces which are probably shoulder/neck/collar, and they're really tender in a casserole. They're a completely different texture to loin chops.

That's a good suggestion, thanks!

oscarBravo

I bought a whole pork loin once and cut it up into chops (and a couple of roasts) myself; they were a lot more tender than most of the pork chops I've bought. I couldn't say why, I'm afraid.

Lobsterlady

Hi,

My kids are the same with pork chops, so instead I buy a large pork steak for 'pork night'. I cut it into 4 pieces, and then slit each piece so as to butterfly it out. I flatten it out with a rolling pin till the pieces are nice and thin. I then coat each piece in seasoned flour, egg, breadcrumbs and pan fried hot, for about 1 minute on each side - just to crisp them - and then put them on a baking tray to finish off in the oven when needed. I make mine ahead of time, as it's a bit messy to prepare. Then when all is cleaned up and side dishes are ready, I just pop them back into the oven for 6/7 minutes - depending on how thin your slices are. They are lovely and tender.

It's a Wiener Schnitzel of sorts - our German night:-)

the beer revolu

A little bit similar to the schnitzel above, my mother used to crumb loin chops, brown them in the pan and them cook them for an hour or so in a medium oven.
The breadcrumbs on the bottom got all tasty and soggy, the top was a bit crispy and the meat inside is soft and tender. While breadcrumbing anything is a bit of hassle and can be messy, I used to love these chops as a kid with baked potatoes and apple sauce.

When I cook pork chops, I brown them quickly in a very hot pan and then put them in a very low oven (60-70C) for maybe 20 minutes to rest and continue cooking a bit. They end up, not overcooked, lovely and moist and pretty tender but maybe still too firm and meaty for your kids.
I cook lamb chops and steaks the same way, usually.

Dizzyblonde

My elderly mother crushes Tuc crackers in a bag and shakes her pork chops in it to coat them before baking them. She used to bring back boxes of Shake n Bake from holidays in Canada and uses the Tuc as a replacement now.

April O Neill

Brining in a 10% solution for up to four hours (min. one hour) helps a lot. Make sure to rinse well under a cold tap, then pat dry before cooking.

I fry mine on medium high for 3-3.5 minutes each side depending on thickness.

Boardnashea

Lobsterlady wrote: »

Hi,

My kids are the same with pork chops, so instead I buy a large pork steak for 'pork night'. I cut it into 4 pieces, and then slit each piece so as to butterfly it out. I flatten it out with a rolling pin till the pieces are nice and thin. I then coat each piece in seasoned flour, egg, breadcrumbs and pan fried hot, for about 1 minute on each side - just to crisp them - and then put them on a baking tray to finish off in the oven when needed. I make mine ahead of time, as it's a bit messy to prepare. Then when all is cleaned up and side dishes are ready, I just pop them back into the oven for 6/7 minutes - depending on how thin your slices are. They are lovely and tender.

It's a Wiener Schnitzel of sorts - our German night:-)

That sounds great Lobsterlady - but unfortunately there are 5 in my family so recipe won't work.:D

Sadderday

fry off on low low heat for a couple of mins with onion and garlic (and green peppers if you wish) and pour a glass on white wine on top, this will reduce, have it simmer and keep topping up with warm water or stock for 45 mins.... add mustard powder, brown sugar, black pepper, salt. the juice will be gloupy by the end (if watery mix in flour) so acts like a sauce and can be served with rice or boiled potatoes.

My mother always threw us pork chops from under the grill when we were kids... rock solid!!... didnt touch them for yrs after but this pork chop recipe has reintroduced me to pork chops!

Worth a try, the meat is always soft and juicy and easy to cut up, in general it is probably slightly tougher than chicken. I've have made this for 2 children under 10 and it went down well. I think its called prok chop vera cruz, i'm sure you could google variations of the recipe to suit your childrens likes to get some extra veg in there.

Gwynston

Thanks for that one. Sounds nice, but also similar to the way a casserole would come out, only cooked on the hob instead. So I can guess what the result would be like - possible my kids would still find issue... :rolleyes:

Maybe I just need to invest (both money and precious counter space) in slow cooker in my quest for tender pork...?

Having just read the long and (in)famous thread about pulled pork in a slow cooker, I'm seriously tempted! :cool:

Sadderday

a stuffed loin although its hard to get nice stuffing i know is generally more moist when roasted

Seaneh

Gwynston wrote: »

Our young kids aren't great with large pieces of meat. They're alright with chicken and roasts (if they're really tender), or top quality, expensive steaks . But not so great with pork chops.

I've tried cooking them various ways to make them as tender as possible, like marinading and then casseroling. But even if they come out relatively tender, pork meat can still be quite "solid". What's the best way get around that solidness?

I'm thinking cooking for a loooong time at low temperature, or probably best would be a slow cooker (we don't have one though).

Pork Loin chops or fillet would be the worst pieces of pork to casserole or stew as they have no fat or connective tissues in them to keep the meat moist. You need shoulder, collar something similar with lots of connective tissues, just like with beef or lamb, so that the fat and collagen can disperse throughout the meat as it cooks slowly and keep it moist.

Loin is only good for hot, fast cooking as it's extremely lean and the longer you cook it the tougher and drier it will get.

Gwynston

Thanks for that Seaneh - I think that sums up my dilemma. The kids are quite fussy about "fatty bits" so we tend to buy leaner cuts, but as you say that's bound to lead to drier meat.

It's a shame it's not a good idea to good pork medium rare, as that would probably solve the problem! I have had lean pork steaks BBQ'ed medium rare myself and they were lovely, but I don't think I'd risk that with the kids (even though they love good beef steak pink in the middle).

stmol32

I'm dying for someone else to try this.

I was watching Heston Blumenthal on telly and he had a good way of cooking steak. He put it on a medium heat and turned it every 30 seconds. I always cook steak this way now it comes out great and evenly cooked. He also explained the science behind it because ...well...its Heston Blumenthal but I won't go into it here.

Anyway I tried it with chops because, like your good self, I always thought they came out too tough.

Medium heat the pan with a bit of oil. Fry for for 30 seconds flip and fry for 30 seconds. Keep this up for 6 minutes and put on a plate. cover with foil and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

They always come out juicy like a chicken fillet and you can cut them with a butter knife, experiment with different seasonings, I like a dash of 5 spice powder.

stmol32

Sorry I meant to add I always trim the fat of pork chops, its easy enough if you have a sharp enough knife.

mrsdewinter

Gwynston wrote: »

Thanks for that one. Sounds nice, but also similar to the way a casserole would come out, only cooked on the hob instead. So I can guess what the result would be like - possible my kids would still find issue... :rolleyes:

Maybe I just need to invest (both money and precious counter space) in slow cooker in my quest for tender pork...?

Having just read the long and (in)famous thread about pulled pork in a slow cooker, I'm seriously tempted! :cool:

I'm a huge fan of the slow cooker, but I've cooked pork chops in mine a couple of times and unless you whip them out after *exactly* 3 hours (or whatever the recipe dictates), you end up with very dry meat. With most recipes, you can walk away and know that your dinner won't turn into an overcooked mess - not so with pork chops!

Nemesis

Boardnashea wrote: »

That sounds great Lobsterlady - but unfortunately there are 5 in my family so recipe won't work.:D

I've 6 in mine and the recipe works fine and my 4 kids always like it.

A pork steak (tendorloin) is quite big and cheap compared to beef.

the beer revolu

stmol32 wrote: »

Sorry I meant to add I always trim the fat of pork chops, its easy enough if you have a sharp enough knife.

Nooo!!!
Fat will help keep the meat moist. If it's good pork, the fat will be delicious and the finicky can trim trim the chops themselves.

Gwynston

stmol32 wrote: »

I was watching Heston Blumenthal on telly and he had a good way of cooking steak. He put it on a medium heat and turned it every 30 seconds. I always cook steak this way now it comes out great and evenly cooked. He also explained the science behind it because ...well...its Heston Blumenthal but I won't go into it here.

So, what was the science behind it? I do tend to turn steaks a few times when frying - not sure it it's every 30 secs though. I also don't do them too hot, but not sure if it's on medium - what is "medium" anyway?

Actually, I'm not sure I've tried frying pork chops - probably just grilled. I've recently taken to pan frying chicken breasts too rather than grilling or baking them and found them to be much moister - I take them off as soon as they're just barely cooked in the middle.

Maybe I'll try the same with pork? But I have found that with pork, moist still doesn't always mean they're not a quite solid texture. I might try frying them gently and taking them off just barely cooked. Marinating for a while would probably help with tenderness too.

rubadub

Lobsterlady wrote: »

My kids are the same with pork chops, so instead I buy a large pork steak for 'pork night'. I cut it into 4 pieces, and then slit each piece so as to butterfly it out. I flatten it out with a rolling pin till the pieces are nice and thin.

I do something similar. I am surprised pork steak is not more popular it often is going very cheap, like €6.50 per kilo. I cut say a 4" section and cut into it like it was a swiss roll, and unravel it out, I do not have to do use a rolling pin this way, if you can get them thin enough it will cook out entirely in the pan no bother. Teriyaki marinate is also very nice, esp. on a BBQ.

Rented Mule

We like to grill our pork chops after a long 24-48 hour marinade.

Here is a nice recipe that you can use if you are interested.

http://www.food.com/recipe/mike-ditkas-official-tailgaters-grilled-pork-chops-80416

We have changed ours up quite a bit substituting apple juice for the orange juice as well as swapping out a horseradish mustard for the Dijon mustard.

We also like to glaze the pork chops with honey when we put them on the grill. It caramelizes nicely. We then drizzle the excess marinade on the pork chops as they cook.

You can mix this recipe up anyway that you like. The pork chops are to die for when you take them off of the grill. We have been making these for years. My now five year old still thinks that they are made out of chicken. He loves them and will ask for them regularly.