Any good tips on having center cut boneless pork chops turn out tender? They are about 1 1/2 inchs thick, and I must add they are also a cut I've not ever purchased till now.
I have two large packages of them (bought on sale at Costco) and am having a devil of a time coming up with any of them not being almost impossible to chew your way through!
So far I've breaded and baked in the oven, (disaster) done a few on the bbq two different ways, one batch just seasoned, one done Teriyaki style, (both of these were too chewy)
last night I took two of them, cut slits and stuffed with a mixture of fresh cooked spinach, cottage cheese, parmesan, lots of fresh basil, and more assorted herbs from my garden.. I then basted them with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, dijon mustard and more fresh herbs.
I baked on convect till the internal temp was 155.. They looked lovely but were still not tender enough.
The only success I've had with a few of them is to cut the chops into cubes then marinate all day for souvlaki.. That lot came out nice and tender..
So, am I bbq/baking them too long? Is it the cut of meat perhaps? Should I be aiming for a lower internal temperature than recommended? Am I going to have to marinate the whole darn lot just to get tender meat?
I did do research before hand for proper cooking temps, and found most say to cook to 160, even a couple for 170.. I figured if I aimed for 155 I would be a-okay for tenderness but thats not happening with this cut at all..
If you all can help me figure this one out, I will be most grateful.. Thanks so much!
