Never Cry Pork Chop

I know. I know, believe me. You're about as sick and tired of pork chops as I am. Hell I don't even like pork chops, but my red-blooded American male ego just cannot let the cooking of any beast beat me. So chop after chop has been chopped, trimmed, stuffed seared and cooked to any number degrees of almost perfection. So far, the closest I've gotten is my tangerine sauced and stuffed chops. Until tonight.

Tonight, I declare "almost victory". Why almost? Because I was honestly anticipating a less than perfect result, and lo and behold, it came out perfect. Only I had no side dish, no sauce, no bread, nothing. So pictures and my final claim of confuto victoria will have to wait, though I am posting some pictures that do illustrate the differences in what cooking method and time can do.

Notice these serrano and monterey jack stuffed pork chops are looking a little on the dry side. I had thought that by taking the cooking lower and slower, the meat would become more tender. After all it works with pot roast just fine. But I had forgotten one key point; that Pork Loin center cut chops are very, very lean, and don't have lots of marbling or connective tissues, so low and slow really just won't cut it for this cut! And you can notice the difference in the meat. Notice that in these chops vs. the last ones, the meat does look drier.

No, fast and furious dry cooking is the way to go. Being short a bbq grill, I still thought they could be done in the oven. And once again I turn to the pouch principle.
Tonight I kept it simple. I did brine the chops (again), but this time there was no stuffing, no complications to get in the way. Just a coat of canola oil, some salt, and a little white wine and black pepper in a pouch.

Now I'm not one for spouting recipes, but after all I've been through I have to at least share how I finally got the method down for these chops. The world's perfect non-stuffed pork chop goes something like this:

Start with 1 to 1.5 inch thick center cut pork loin chops.
Brine it for 2 hours or so in the fridge.
Rinse and dry meat thoroughly, let it come to room temperature.
rub with canola oil lightly.
Sear in cast iron skillet until golden brown on both sides.
Move to pouch, add seasonings, close pouch and insert meat thermometer into chop.
Move pan and pouch to preheated 350 degree oven.
Cook until internal temp reaches 145. (I never go with times for pork, I go with temperature)
Remove pan from oven and let rest for 5 minutes (Temperature should easily reach the 150+ range.
Open pouch, grind on some fresh black pepper, and consume a perfectly juicy and tender pork chop.

If I weren't so tired of eating pork, I'd make another one. Don't worry, I will at some point because I'll need pictures to show that I really did cook a chop right and I'm not just making all this up!

Tomorrow is a special event for me. My first "friends challenge". I'll be having some friends over to sample my cooking, and since St. Patty's Day is just around the corner, I'll be serving...

PORK CHOPS (Just kidding, but I'll give ye' a shiny new shamrock if ye' can guess what fare I'll be serving this close to St. Patty's Day).

461 to go