pork loin chops....

[Becky M-M]

i bought some pork loin chops... not a boneless loin that i had cut and not regular looking pork chops either.... these have a circular bone in the middle. tried finding a pic online and couldnt find one.

i cant cook them! every time i make them they are dry. i have done them a couple different ways.

first time i cooked them indirect. dry results.

then i tried cooking them direct for a few minutes.... dry.

no brining, no marinade, just out of the package, seasoned, and on.

i feel silly having this problem. and i feel even sillier because i keep buying them and trying to get them right lol

weather is beautiful today and i want to try them again.

what the heck am i doing wrong?

 

[Jim Lampe]

are you saying you do not want to brine or marinate them ??

 

[Becky M-M]

i meant they are not brined or in a marinade. i just seasoned and put them on.

 

[Jim Lampe]

well, i'll tell you how i like to make them.
make a simple brine of two cups water and 3 tablespoons of kosher salt and one tablespoon of white sugar.
stir two minutes until completely dissolved. place the chops in a zip lock bag and pour the brine in. seal and refrigerate for at least two hours.
remove from brine, pat dry, season however you like (i like to use a salt free season or very little salt after the brine).
Grill direct for sear marks if you like then indirect until an internal temp of 135 is reached.
Remove from grill, foil-tent and rest for ten minutes or so.
then, eet!

i've done this many times and the pork is juicy, flavourful and moist!
For years, i hated grill pork chops for the very same reason you've described. But after brining the pork, and knowing when to remove from the grill,
grill chops are one of my most favourite cuts of meat to grill up & eet!

Becky, however you do them, I hope they turn out well for you.
Please do not give up trying to grill them to delicious! Good Luck!

 

[Becky M-M]

thanks Mr. Lampe! never brined before, but will try it out this afternoon. will definitely go easy on the salt after i take them out.

my small local grocery has them on sale for $1.49 lb... so it is a great week to try, try, try.

 

[JimT]

A "circular bone in the middle" sounds more like a pork shoulder arm steak. A whole different beast than a loin chop, and I'm thinking not so good for grilling.

Jim's suggestion to brine them is a good one. Otherwise, try a long slow braise.

JimT

 

[Dave Russell]

Brine.

 

[Jim H.]

brine, like Lampe & Dave R. said.

 

[Jim Lampe]

wondering how they were Becky...

 

[Jim H.]

Mr. Lampe - Really like the KISS brine recipe above. Could you substitute brown sugar for the white sugar? Not sure it would make much difference, but I like using mostly brown sugar in my brines recently.

Thankee for your help!

 

[Jim Lampe]

sure Jim, BS will work to.
and you can add pepper too if you like...
I found this 3 ingredient brine somewhere a few years ago and it only takes three minutes to make...

everybody's got three minutes, right?

 

[Becky M-M]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Lampe:
wondering how they were Becky...

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

whoa sorry about that Mr. Lampe. as usual playing taxi got the better of me and i didnt have time to brine.

but i did marinate them for a little over an hour and that did make a big difference.

i used a jerk marinade that i had. i know its usually for chicken, but the label said pork too so that makes it ok, right?

i tested with four of them and left the others only seasoned. you could totally tell the difference.

i should have some more free time on Saturday so going to try to brine some then.

oh and the packaging says..... Pork Chops Sirloin Cut .

 

[JimH TX]

Mom likes pork loin chops, puts them in the oven and cooks till they are the texture of hockey pucks. She claims they taste great but I have never detected any flavor whatsoever.

 

[Boss Banks]

I like loin chops as well. It is a good option for feeding a crowd, particularly when you can catch a whole pork loin on sale. I like cut my own chops. Whether or not you marinade or brine, I think the real key is to not overcook them. I like mine cut thick (or cut into a roast) and cook indirect to 145F internal. I am not a master, but that generally works well for me.

 

[Bob Sample]

Just curious how thick these chops are? I don't brine or marinade and I've never had a problem with dry chops of any kind as long as I haven't overcooked them. Like Jim said pull at 135 and you should be good to go.