pork chop recipe

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 thickness 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.

Easy Pork Chop Recipe offers a growing pork chop recipe collection with a nice variety of dishes and cooking styles.