Pork chops are incredibly versatile piece of meat and offer the professional
or home chef an infinite number of culinary possibilities from the
backyard barbecue to the gourmet entrée.
Pork chops are perfect any night of the week whether you grill,
pan fry, broil or bake them. Just add your favorite sides and you've
got a meal your whole family will love! Pork chops cook quickly
so they are ideal for last minute menus and well suited for large
gatherings. Try pork chops for breakfast or brunch, with a side
of eggs and your favorite potato dish. Once cooked boneless pork
chops can easily be cubed for use in salads, soups and other gourmet
dishes.
Pork chops are generally a nice lean cut of pork. Pork chops from
the loin, is preferable and is cut with either the bone left on,
similar to a t-bone steak, or boneless. Both cuts offer one of the
leanest cuts of white meat available, and one of the leanest cuts
of meat overall. Pork chops come in thicknesses from ½"
up to 1 ½", choose a thickness depending on how you
intend to prepare the chop. Rib and center cut chops are the most
tender of the various types of pork chops. For your pork chops to
remain tender, it is usually better to leave them on the bone. Although
boneless chops are leaner the bone helps to keep the meat moist
and flavorful.
If you wont be cooking your chops immediately, it's best to store
uncooked chops in the refrigerator 2 to 4 days, otherwise, store
them properly wrapped in the freezer. If frozen, pork chops should
never be thawed out on the kitchen counter. It's difficult, but
not impossible to thaw pork chops in the microwave without beginning
the cooking process, so watch them carefully. Thawing pork chops
in a plastic storage bag in cold water works fairly well, but the
preferred method would be to thaw pork chops in the refrigerator
for several hours or overnight prior to use.
Both brining and marinating are appropriate techniques for pork.
Brining pork will result in a juicier piece of meat, and marinating
will break down the connective tissues and make a tougher piece
of pork much more tender. Both brining and marinating can add a
significant amount of additional flavor, when spices and herbs are
added to the mix. Marinate pork chops in an acidic mix of vinegar,
wine or citrus mixed with a small amount of oil and herbs. Add marinade
and chops to a glass or plastic container or bag, cover chops completely
in marinade and marinate from two hours to overnight.
When grilling pork chops use the direct heat method. Place chops
on the grill directly over the coals. Grill pork chops ½
-1" thick 8-10 minutes total. For chops 1-1 ½"
grill 12 to 16 minutes. Broil chops approximately 4" from the
heat. Saute pork chops in a small amount of oil over high heat in
a non-stick pan, approximately 4 minutes on each side.
Easy Pork Chop Recipe offers a growing pork chop recipe collection
with a nice variety of dishes and cooking styles.
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