The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: franksolich on May 07, 2009, 07:22:31 AM
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x64512
Oh my.
And there's probably a couple billion people in the world who are so hungry pork chops, even if dry and tasteless, would be a delicacy for them.
But these are primitives.
Primitives make a big deal about how they care.
Primitives don't care about people, only themselves.
PSue (4 posts) Thu May-07-09 12:51 AM
Original message
HELP! My pork chops all come out dry and tasteless!
What can I do to remedy this situation? I'm cooking dinner for my Mom on Mother's Day, and she LOVES pork chops! Unfortunately, mine always seem to be so dray as to be nearly inedible. HELP!!!!!
sandnsea (1000+ posts) Thu May-07-09 01:16 AM
Response to Original message
1. Probably less time
My favorite pork chops are still rolled in egg & cracker crumbs and fried. But I can't have that anymore.
I try to marinate them and bake them covered. It seems to me they're a lot finickier than when I was just frying them up in a bunch of grease. For the thinly sliced ones, 10 minutes can get them done sometimes. For a thick one, maybe 20-25 minutes is all.
grasswire (1000+ posts) Thu May-07-09 02:05 AM
Response to Original message
2. how about a pork tenderloin instead?
The ones I've had lately are very tender.
OR.....how about asking your mom for a hint on how to cook them to a tender state?
(In my experience, you either have to cook them really fast or reallllly long in a braise in order to get them tender.)
cbayer (1000+ posts) Thu May-07-09 02:34 AM
Response to Original message
4. I grew up with the message that pork had to be cooked a lot. Not true anymore.
Now, that *they* have taken care of trichomonas, pork can be cooked rare or medium rare.
I like shake and bake for pork
It's not included, but it looks as if the Bayer aspirin primitive is waving at franksolich.
elleng (1000+ posts) Thu May-07-09 02:57 AM
Response to Original message
5. Thickness and time cooking are very important.
Test them. If thin, as someone's said, 10 minutes (total) OR LESS, I'd say. For thick, I'd try to bake instead of fry.
Phoebe Loosinhouse (1000+ posts) Thu May-07-09 07:30 AM
Response to Original message
6. Smothered Pork Chops from Cook's Illustrated
I've made this - people love it, it's pretty simple to make and it's the opposite of dry and tasteless. In the book, they stress NOT to buy overly thick chops for this recipe.
Serves 4.
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
vegetable oil
4 bone-in, rib-end pork chops , 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
Ground black pepper
2 medium yellow onions , halved pole-to-pole and sliced thin (about 3 1/2 cups)
table salt
2 tablespoons water
2 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
1. Fry bacon in small saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon, leaving fat in saucepan (you should have 2 tablespoons bacon fat; if not, supplement with vegetable oil). Reduce heat to medium-low and gradually whisk flour into fat until smooth. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is light brown, about the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth in slow, steady stream; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring occasionally; cover and set aside off heat.
2. Heat 1-tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, dry pork chops with paper towels and sprinkle with 1/2-teaspoon pepper. Brown chops in single layer until deep golden on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip chops and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chops to large plate and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and water to now-empty skillet. Using wooden spoon, scrape browned bits on pan bottom and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Return chops to skillet in single layer, covering chops with onions. Pour in warm sauce and any juices collected from pork; add bay leaves. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until pork is tender and paring knife inserted into chops meets very little resistance, about 30 minutes.
4. Transfer chops to warmed serving platter and tent with foil. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer sauce rapidly, stirring frequently, until thickened to gravy-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves, stir in parsley, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Cover chops with sauce, sprinkle with reserved bacon, and serve immediately over egg noodles, rice, mashed, whatever.
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The bigger problem with folks that cook pork chops is that they are stuck in the mentality that the chops need to be WELL DONE. This is no longer the case. I went to a local restaurant a long while back and ordered some pork chops and eggs. The chop was breaded and cooked so long that it was dried out, tough and tasteless. Trichinosis is a disease long gone out of farm raised pigs. Feral and "free range" pigs, however, are a different story