Bored of dry pork chops, any ideas?

[peacefulkat]

Hi,
I love eating pork chops but as soon as they go a bit dry because I am a bit busy to eat, I later add stewed apples on top to moisten. Is there anything else which is simple to add to this meat when it gets too dry?

[Andy M.]

Pork chops are quite a lean meat and as a result, they dry out easily. There are two things you can do to counteract this:

1. Brine the chops before cooking. They only need a couple of hours to make a difference. Brining locks moisture in the meat and is also a way to add flavor to the meat. Loin cuts (chops) benefit a great deal from brining.

2. Don't overcook the pork. Pork is safe to eat at 145º F. Cooking them more invites dryness to the party. If you brine, you can get away with cooking the to a slightly higher temp.

[Snip 13]

You could bread them then pan fry or grill till just golden and cooked and serve them with creamy mushroom or pepper sauce.

[pacanis]

Yep, I agree, don't cook them as long and they shouldn't be dry.
That said, if you are looking for a simple topping to put on them, some cherry preserves heated with a little lemon juice and red pepper flakes works well.

[jusnikki]

I bread and fry them. Then I add a little water in the bottom of a pan. I add the fried chops, wrap it tight with foil, and put them in the oven to steam them. It makes them so tender and almost saucy. I love them.

[buckytom]

another vote for breading, but we bake them using shake-n-bake.

if you don't like the idea of shake-n-nake, bread and bake them and call them alla milanese.

[Steve Kroll]

I agree with Andy M. - brine them. Salt water not only adds flavor, but it helps protect meat from overcooking to the point of being dry. If you want to mix it up a bit, add some orange or apple juice to the brine. Chardonnay is another good addition.

[Claire]

Another answer is to just buy a fattier cut (often sold as pork steaks).

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Here's my mother's method. She always said "you will never get a dry pork chop in my house!"

Large skillet, a little bit of cooking oil (she used Mazola®, I use olive), a 28oz can of pork & beans (she used Campbell's, I use Bush's Homestyle), and four 4oz boneless loin chops. Brown the chops on both sides in cooking oil, remove from skillet, drain off oil and wipe out skillet, return chops to skillet, add 28oz can of beans and one can of cold water. Bring to boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, but before beans start sticking to pan. Serving size: one pork chop and ¼ of the beans and sauce. Add a big green salad and it's a meal.

[buckytom]

lol @ the locust boy, sir loin.

how old is he?

i can already see that in my future as we've raised a foodie. he even does a good gordon ramsay, often to the dismay of my wife at dinnertime.