So you really enjoy having cooked pork chops for dinner but shy away from making them because they always seem to turn out dry and tough. Well, we will explain why that happens, and what you can do to make sure you always end up with tender juicy pork chops in future.
So why do cooked pork chops end up dry and tough? To prevent dry and tough pork chops, you need to cook the chops a certain way. Shoulder and rib pork chops are tougher cuts, and so need to be cooked long and slow in liquid. The prime centre cut loin chops should ideally be cooked to a medium doneness (slightly pink), so that they remain tender and juicy.
Let’s look at the different pork chops that are commonly available at your local store, and the best way to cook them to ensure perfect results every time.
We will start at the shoulder end of the pig and work our way towards the tail.
Shoulder Cut / Butt Pork Chops
The pork shoulder is one of the toughest cuts on the pig, but is also one of the most flavorful cuts too.
There is a higher amount of fat in the shoulder than other cuts, and the muscle fibres need long slow cooking to break them down enough to be tender
Ideally, you want to brown the shoulder chops to create a flavorful seal on the chops, and then cook them in liquid on a low heat for several hours to ensure the tough meat is broken down and becomes fork tender.
Cooking the shoulder chops in liquid allows you to add a variety of ingredients to the stock (liquid) that can enhance the flavor of the pork as it cooks.
Country Style Pork Chops
The country style pork chops are taken from the area where the pork loin meets the pork shoulder.
Again, due to the proximity of the tougher shoulder, the country style pork chops want to be cooked in a similar way to the shoulder chops.
Country style pork chops usually include a small portion of the rib bones, and so can be a tasty cross between both pork chops and pork ribs. An added bonus is that they are meatier than the likes of the baby back ribs, and also tend to be much cheaper than the more popular back ribs.
Country style pork chops are super tasty when cooked slow in liquid and then coated with a tangy bbq sauce. Cooking them uncovered for the last 15 minutes will allow the sauce to become sticky on the pork – Delicious!
Rib Cut Pork Chops
We are now getting to the loin of the animal, and the rib cut pork chops are the pork equivalent of a bone in beef ribeye steak.
These rib cut chops tend to carry a little more fat than the centre cut loin chops, and so tend to have more flavor too.
Due to that extra fat, the rib cut chops lend themselves to being cooked a variety of ways and still remaining tender and moist.
Browning and then cooking in liquid as per the shoulder and country style chops, will allow you to cook the chops without having to ‘watch’ over them.
Equally, you can get away with cooking the rib cut chops over a higher heat and creating a nice sear on the outside to crisp up the fat, whilst keeping the centre of the chop slightly pink to ensure it remains moist and juicy.
You do not have to worry about eating ‘pink’ pork these days, and it is actually recommended now to allow for a more pleasurable pork eating experience.
We have written an article explaining the benefits of cooking medium rare pork here!
Centre Cut Loin Chops
As the name suggests, these pork chops are taken from the centre of the pork loin (middle of the back) of the pig.
These prime cut pork chops are usually lean and incorporate the pork tenderloin as part of the chop.
Due to the leanness of the meat, it is very easy to ‘overcook’ these chops, resulting in them becoming dry and tough.
For perfect centre cut chops, they should be cooked like you would your beef steak. High heat to sear the outside and crisp the fat, but remaining pink in the centre.
Again, it is allowing the pork chop to cook for too long that dries out the meat and makes it tough. If you can not bear the thought of eating ‘pink’ pork, then of course you can cook it slightly longer to cook it all the way through, but ensure that it is ONLY ‘slightly’ longer.
There is a very fine line between the pork chop being perfectly cooked and juicy, to a minute or 2 later in the cooking and you end up with dry and tough meat.
Using an instant read probe thermometer will allow you much more control over the cooking process. They are relatively cheap these days and allow for perfect results every time. This is a reasonably priced best selling probe available at amazon!
Thick or Thin Cut?
Commonly with the centre cut pork chops, you will also see them for sale as both thin and thick cut options.
Now depending on how you like your pork cooked, will depend on which type of chop to buy.
Thin Cut
The thin cut pork chops are very good for people who like their pork a little less ‘pink’, or may be short on time and want a quick dinner.
These chops literally can be ready in minutes, however the drawback is that they are also very easy to overcook and make dry and tough.
The use of a meat probe thermometer is highly recommended when cooking the thin cut version of these chops.
Thick Cut
As you would expect, the thick cut pork chops allow the opposite to the thin cut option.
If you like your pork to be pink in the middle, juicy and moist, then these will be perfect for you.
For those of you who like a ‘leaner’ chop than the fattier rib or shoulder, but want to slow cook the chops in liquid, then again the thick cut chops will allow you to do this. Due to the thickness, they will not dry out as easily as the regular cut pork chops that are cooked for a long time.
Top Sirloin Pork Chops
We are now at the other end of the pork loin that joins into the top of the leg of the animal. The top sirloin pork chops, are also sometimes referred to as ‘Chump’ or ‘Rump’ chops.
These chops are not quite as common as the other varieties of chop as they are usually boned out and sold as steaks.
The meat from the top sirloin is flavorful and tender, however there are some connective tissues within the meat that can be a little tougher.
Again, these are a versatile cut of pork and can be cooked similar to the centre cut chops, however cooking slow in liquid is also a good option to break down those tougher connective tissues.
Cook According To The Cut of Meat
As you can see, depending on the type of pork chop you are cooking, will have an impact on the final result.
If you try and cook the tougher cuts ‘quickly’, then you will end up with tough meat that will be a chore to eat.
Equally, if you ‘overcook’ the leaner cuts, you will end up with dry, bland and tough results.
Pork chops are a delicious and juicy cut of meat when cooked right, and can be equally as enjoyable as good beef steak, for a fraction of the cost. However, you must take the time to ensure you are cooking the right chop the right way.
As mentioned earlier, if you enjoy pork chops and want to ensure perfect results every time, grab yourself a meat probe and you will have full control over the cooking results. No more leaving it to guesswork or chance!
This image shows you what internal probe temperature you should stop cooking the pork to achieve your preferred level of doneness.
