[Joyfull]

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!

[phatch]

You're cooking them too far. They're a very lean cut and have little marbleling. Pull them at about 140-145 and they'll be more tender and still safe to eat. They respond well to brining. I most often grill them.

I also like to cut them horizontally into thirds and pound them thin. Cook as for chicken paillards, but even more briefly.

Phil

[bluezebra]

Yes, what phatch said. I cook them on a high temp and quickly. I take them out around 140 and let them rest off heat for about 10 minutes and mine come out great.

I do also brine mine sometimes too.

I also do the paillards with great success. Makes delicious scallopinis and other types of dishes this way and reminds me alot of veal.

I basically treat this meat like it's venison. Because it's so lean and about the same density and it basically cooks the same way...

[scotty]

Yep, what bluezebra said - 140 and let them rest. A lot of people think you should cook that kind of cut to a higher temp because it's pork - pretend it's steak and cook accordingly. And it could be the quality, Costco isn't in this area so I don't know how good their meat is, but if it's like a Sam's Club the next time you buy pork buy it from a butcher. Try brining it overnight, not just for a matter of hours. Good luck.

[Littlemama]

ditto ditto ditto

brin your chops over night. get your chops from a butcher so YOU KNOW they are the freshest they can be. treat like steak, high temp and quick.....the grill is best, even if they are stuffed. bring internal up to 140 and let rest....you should have the best pork chops around...let us know if this all worked for you.

[Joyfull]

Thanks everyone! I'll try the lower temperature on the next lot then..
I assumed 140-145 was only for pork tenderloin, but will give it a go and see what happens..

The brineing I'm a wee bit leary of as my DH and myself are on a sodium restricted diet.. Wouldn't that procedure put us over the edge salt wise?

Oh, and to any fellow Canadians reading this.. Happy Canada Day to you all!!
Have a lovely day with your family and friends!

[HotChef]

from an old porker you get no soft steak.
and there should beat least a finger wide (1cm) fat on the stak. you need it for flavor. cut it off when eating... all your meat has health certificates? so no salmonella or other nasties? don't cook pork to 'shoesole' leave it a little bit pink inside.
another hint maybe, as last resort. sprinkle on the meat a little meat tenderiser (papain) and let it sit for an hour or so.
good luck and enjoy...

[scotty]

Joyful - After you remove the meat from the brine you rinse it really well, pat dry and then prep them however you want. The salt used in the brine will not be a factor.

An easy brine, if you haven't done it before, is for every quart of cold water add:
1/4 cup Kosher salt
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs sugar.

Put something on the meat to submerge it - a bowl or whatever. I play with it and add different herbs and seasonings.

[Mezzaluna]

This may seem like an obvious question, but are you letting the chops rest before serving them?

I've just about given up cooking thick, boneless chops even though I can get them inexpensively at Sam's Club. They're just too lean to cook tender on their own. I will try cooking them one more time- but I'll try brining them first. Thanks for the recipe, Scotty.

[scotty]

If you want good chops, go to a butcher shop if you have one. The 20% or so that you'll pay over the Sam's Club price will be worth it. I'm lucky to have a good shop nearby, the chops I get there don't need brining. I do brine a pork butt though, before I smoke it. To me, the bone in thick cut chops are the most tender.

[shel]

Originally Posted by Mezzaluna

I've just about given up cooking thick, boneless chops even though I can get them inexpensively at Sam's Club.

Get better quality pork. There was a thread here a while back on just that topic - and several brands and types of pork were mentioned. I'll see if I can dig it up for you.

Shel -

[Jock]

I have brined pork chops successfully before but I have since learned that lesser quality meat often times contains a lot of excess water from processing. Adding more water in the brinin process at home just makes it more soggy.

I respectfully disagree with Scotty who says that rinsing off the outside of the meat will eliminate all the excess salt (I'm paraphrasing now). The wtaer that is absorbed into the meat as it brines is salt water which will not rinse away. It is salted from the inside making it unnecessary to add salt when cooking it.

When I have really thick chops like this I usually just season with S&P and pan sear them to get a nice golden crust. Then I flip them over and lower the heat to about medium to medium low (depending on your stove) and put a lid on the pan to finish cooking. As others have said, no more than 145 tops.

Jock

[tigerwoman]

we find them too thick and have taken to cutting them in half into thinner cutlets and breading with seasoned panko and pan frying. They are tender and delicous that way.

can season the panko various ways, coconut and panko

blackened seasoning and panko

jerk seasoning (dry) and panko

another great trick is to marinate in hot wing sauce for an hour or two, then egg, bread with cajun seasoning and what else, panko or just bread crumbs or even cornflour. and fry either as cutlets or in strips like satay.

they also work well for pork satay, leaving the thickness but making strips.
asian marinade and peanut sauce dip.