Cider-Cured Pork Chops Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making tender pork chops? ›

Place meat in a dish and cover with water. Remove meat and stir roughly 4 level Tbs of baking soda into the water. Put meat back in and soak (in refrigerator) overnight. Rinse THOROUGHLY and cook.

The citrus and vinegar in the brine tenderize the pork, leaving you with a more succulent bite of the other white meat. Without a brine, the pork chops are more likely to taste bland and have a greater chance of drying out, especially if they are a leaner cut like tenderloin or boneless loin chops.

High-heat frying sears them to a golden brown; and a moderately hot oven (400 degrees F) bakes the pork chops gently enough to keep them from drying out. This "sear-roasting" method is a great way to cook pork chops in the oven: Fry one side to golden brown, then flip, and place the chops directly in the oven.

Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.

While there are a number of ways to cook pork chops for dinner, baking is arguably the easiest path to perfection. The hands-off cooking method cooks pork chops gently and evenly without the need for extra fat, resulting in juicy, healthier pork chops that pair well with practically any side dish.

Using a brine or a marinade will make your life so much easier. If you're not confident in your cooking skills, there is one foolproof way to guarantee your pork ends up on the tender side, even if you cook it too long: Soak it in a brine or a marinade.

How do you tenderise pork for stir fry? Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft.

Brine the pork.

Brining involves soaking your meat in salt water to increase the tenderness and moistness of the final dish. Brines always contain salt and water, but can also include other ingredients for added flavor like apple cider, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme.

Mix milk with first amount of salt (2 teaspoons) and allow pork chops to soak in this mixture for as long as you'd like, about an hour to maybe four works well. Overnight soaking will result in too much moisture & your breading will fall off. Remove pork chops from brine, and set aside.

What is the formula for brine? ›

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

Next, you'll add the pork chops and brine (if you heated it, allow the brine to cool first) into a shallow dish and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours. (Note: We only marinaded the chops for 30 minutes in culinary school and the results were far from disappointing).

I find that boneless pork chops can cook quicker and become dry easier. I suggest you cook them around the 375 degree temperature or even 400 for a crispier skin. See below for how long to cook them based on their thickness.

It helps prevent moisture loss during cooking, and the salt also helps tenderize the meat from the inside out. If you want an extra juicy piece of pork, brine it before cooking. You can make an effective brine just with salt and water, but additional seasonings do help.

We call this cross-contamination. While washing meat and poultry to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn't require it.

Sear the pork, then bake it.

For instance, you might sear your pork in a hot pan on the stove (or on the grill), then transfer your pork to the oven (or move it to a cooler area of the grill and close the lid) for the rest of its cooking time. The indirect heat is vital to keeping your pork tender and juicy.

Try a Marinade or Brine. A marinade or brine can introduce more moisture or lots of flavor into your meat before you cook it. A marinade is a sauce that introduces extra flavor to your pork, depending on the aromatics or herbs you choose to include. A brine pulls more moisture into the meat, which keeps your pork juicy ...

How do you tenderise pork for stir fry? Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft.

Bake your pork chops at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. If you want to add an extra step, sear your pork chops in a pan first and transfer to a baking sheet to cook for about 6-8 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.