How do you cook your pork chops?

[CharlieD]

... I am not about to argue with a southern girl.

Smart!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Our favorite is breaded and baked. Even when using boneless pork loin we've never had a dried-out chop.

Whole boneless pork loins are on sale at the corner grocer for $1.99/pound this week. I see pork chops on the menu soon.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I've got some chops on the menu for tonight. I plan to make them "smothered" in onions, mushrooms, bacon, and cream.

 

[CharlieD]

Though I have stopped eating pork some 16 years ago or so, I am not blind. Whenever I go shopping I like to walk by meat section, I just love the look of raw meat (speaking of being carnivorous). I can see how these last 15-16 years pork has changed. It is much-much leaner. Demand for healthier foods has pushed the farmers to grow pigs that are all muscle and almost no fat. No wonder it is hard to cook. Pork cops used to be the easiest piece of meat in the world to cook. No matter what you did to it they would be great. Now you have to be as careful with it as with chicken breast. If you think about that ahead of time, you will know to cook it in appropriate way and make sure that it is not overcooked.

 

[Roll_Bones]

The parasite responsible for trichinosis lives in the muscle tissue. It is killed at 137F (58C). It is recommended that pork be cooked to at least 150-155F (66-68C). The last case of trichinosis in Canadian pork was in the 1990s and was not a commercially-raised pig. Wild game should also be cooked above 137F (58C) to kill the parasite as well. China has the highest number of trichinosis cases on an annual basis. Hmmm...does China export pork?

I don't do much research on things like this. I am very comfortable sauteing bone in chops to medium. I never take a temp reading on chop or steak. I know how long and how high to fry them.
I can safely say no one has ever had any ill effects from the food prepared in my kitchen. We never ever, over cook a chop on purpose.

She fries them in water. I thought it was weird too. Shes from Kentucky and that's how her mother did it and her mother before her. You put an inch of water in the frying pan, put on medium heat. After a while the water will disappear and it will sizzle. Thats when you add more water. She keeps a regular sized drinking glass next to the stove for adding water. They cook slow and are nice and tender. I thought it looks more like boiling pork chops but I am not about to argue with a southern girl.

It is weird and I get the southern influence. My MIL has never had tuna salad in her life. She told me she heats the tuna in a fry pan before serving. It made me nauseated to hear that.
Weird? Absolutely.

I've got some chops on the menu for tonight. I plan to make them "smothered" in onions, mushrooms, bacon, and cream.

I actually have some boneless chops. First time in years. We bought the half loin at Costco so I could make some cutlets.
I made three small roasts, two vacuum packs of cutlets and a few packs of 1-1.5 inch chops.
I might make them tonight too. The chops.

 

[GotGarlic]

It is weird and I get the southern influence. My MIL has never had tuna salad in her life. She told me she heats the tuna in a fry pan before serving. It made me nauseated to hear that.
Weird? Absolutely.

I live in another part of the South and have never heard of such a thing. Let's not act like everyone in "the South" does everything the same way.

One time when my mom and stepfather, who grew up in Michigan, were here for Sunday breakfast, I asked him to cook the sausage links. I was horrified to see him boil the links in a pan, to render and discard the fat, and then brown them in butter, like his mother did. Pork fat rules, dude! Wth!

Weirdness is everywhere and he's not allowed to cook here anymore.

 

[Dawgluver]

My cleaning lady and I had a good laugh a few weeks ago when she told me her husband boiled their pork chops once. He's no longer allowed to cook either. Neither of us had ever heard of such a thing either, but it's interesting to find out that it's a legit method! (Her husband is from the midwest.)

 

[Roll_Bones]

I live in another part of the South and have never heard of such a thing. Let's not act like everyone in "the South" does everything the same way.

One time when my mom and stepfather, who grew up in Michigan, were here for Sunday breakfast, I asked him to cook the sausage links. I was horrified to see him boil the links in a pan, to render and discard the fat, and then brown them in butter, like his mother did. Pork fat rules, dude! Wth!

Weirdness is everywhere and he's not allowed to cook here anymore.

Please don't take it that I meant it in a negative light or tried to lump all southerners in the same boat. I am certain all of us have differing ways of doing things no matter where we are from. I have just found many of the food choices and preparation methods unlike any I knew before moving here.
I agree, pork fat rules!

My cleaning lady and I had a good laugh a few weeks ago when she told me her husband boiled their pork chops once. He's no longer allowed to cook either. Neither of us had ever heard of such a thing either, but it's interesting to find out that it's a legit method! (Her husband is from the midwest.)

Legit? Maybe. But so wrong on multiple levels.

 

[CraigC]

My cleaning lady and I had a good laugh a few weeks ago when she told me her husband boiled their pork chops once. He's no longer allowed to cook either. Neither of us had ever heard of such a thing either, but it's interesting to find out that it's a legit method! (Her husband is from the midwest.)

Why? Maybe he was just applying some restaurant chains practice of boiling their ribs before grilling, but with chops instead. The onion loaves were good though.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Yup, I'm a Michgander through and through, and a Yooper to boot. I've never boiled a prok chop in my life, not has, to my knowledge, any member of my family. I have fried, added a touch of Sherry wine, and covered, and cooked chops until barely pink in the middle. I've also braised pork chops under sour kraut.

There are so very many techniques to cook everything, and that are enjoyed by those that use them, that I won't call many of them wrong. The only couple I can think of is to make a natural sourdough poolish and use that to make pancakes, and to use baking soda as a meat tenderizor, leaving the baking soda on the steaks as they cook. Those were two terible taste sensations that I had the misfortune of eating at other people's homes.

Seeeeeeyal; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Addie]

I live in another part of the South and have never heard of such a thing. Let's not act like everyone in "the South" does everything the same way.

One time when my mom and stepfather, who grew up in Michigan, were here for Sunday breakfast, I asked him to cook the sausage links. I was horrified to see him boil the links in a pan, to render and discard the fat, and then brown them in butter, like his mother did. Pork fat rules, dude! Wth!

Weirdness is everywhere and he's not allowed to cook here anymore.

There is nothing weird about boiling your sausage links at all. I have lived in all four points of the compass. A lot of folks are trying their dangest to follow their doctors orders. Cut back of taking in fatty meat. Also, A lot of folks do not like eating fat. My sister was one of those who boiled her sausages in an inch of water before sautéing them. Once the water was gone, she would place them in the oven to bake. Much healthier.

 

[Andy M.]

...I was horrified to see him boil the links in a pan, to render and discard the fat, and then brown them in butter...

I have seen this process described on packages of sausage. Start them in a covered pan with a little water then they brown after the water evaporates.

 

[GotGarlic]

There is nothing weird about boiling your sausage links at all. I have lived in all four points of the compass. A lot of folks are trying their dangest to follow their doctors orders. Cut back of taking in fatty meat. Also, A lot of folks do not like eating fat. My sister was one of those who boiled her sausages in an inch of water before sautéing them. Once the water was gone, she would place them in the oven to bake. Much healthier.

I've seen this process described on packages of sausage. Start them in a covered pan with a little water then they brown after the water evaporates.

You must have missed the part where I said he then cooked them in butter, and where I said he did it because his mother did, not because a doctor told him to. If people want to eat less fat, they shouldn't be eating regular pork sausage at all, which is what we were having.

Addie, you've said some nasty things about other people's food choices; cornbread comes to mind. I can call this weird without your permission, thx.

 

[Roll_Bones]

There is nothing weird about boiling your sausage links at all. I have lived in all four points of the compass. A lot of folks are trying their dangest to follow their doctors orders. Cut back of taking in fatty meat. Also, A lot of folks do not like eating fat. My sister was one of those who boiled her sausages in an inch of water before sautéing them. Once the water was gone, she would place them in the oven to bake. Much healthier.

I cannot see how removing the flavor from any food is healthy. Fat is pretty important in sausage IMO.
And i am a firm believer in eating what you like in moderation. These health gimmicks are just that. Gimmicks.
Par boiling is to make sure the sausage is fully cooked. It has little positive effect on the final outcome.

I have seen this process described on packages of sausage. Start them in a covered pan with a little water then they brown after the water evaporates.

Yep, Link breakfast sausage said it on the package.
But as usual, I ignored the package and just fried them as I always do.
I see this advice on Bratwurst packaging too. I never boil them before cooking.

 

[Kayelle]

People will always cook in goofy ways..it's fine with me as long they don't expect me to eat it.

I know somebody who boils her hamburger.

 

[GotGarlic]

People will always cook in goofy ways..it's fine with me as long they don't expect me to eat it.

And that was the problem! My house, my kitchen, my sausage!

 

[Steve Kroll]

My sister was one of those who boiled her sausages in an inch of water before sautéing them. Once the water was gone, she would place them in the oven to bake. Much healthier.

Says who? There's mounting evidence that eliminating fat from your diet is not healthy.

 

[Kayelle]

And that was the problem! My house, my kitchen, my sausage!

Exactly right GG. Even if it was your mom in your kitchen. There's no kitchen in the world big enough for two grown women.

 

[GotGarlic]

Exactly right GG. Even if it was your mom in your kitchen. There's no kitchen in the world big enough for two grown women.

+1 It was actually my stepfather. I think my mom agrees with you. She drives me crazy asking 10 million questions so she'll do it exactly the way I want it done. It's a nice gesture, but I can't get anything done because she's always interrupting me!

 

[Addie]

Says who? There's mounting evidence that eliminating fat from your diet is not healthy.

Her heart doctor. Unfortunately she is no longer here to enjoy the new studies.