Pork Chops
Pork chops originate in the loin of the pig. The loin is located at the top of Mr. piggy and runs along either side of the backbone.
Like any animal meat located in an area that gets little exercise, is tender. For example, on a steer, the rump that gets much use is tough as a shoe, while the ribeye- from the loin of the steer is quite tender.
Why is this important? Well, the location tells you how tender the meat will be, how expensive it is likely to be and suggests a cooking method.
Since pork chops come from the loin, they are some of the more expensive cuts of pork, are very tender and lend themselves to cooking techniques that use dry heat- grilling, pan frying or roasting. Now, for the types of chops pork (I know, it reads annoyingly, but you typed it that way to find this page!)
– The blade chop This is the chop that is cut from closest to the shoulder. This is the most marbled with fat of any of the chops. But, it is also the toughest. Of the chops here, this is the one I would treat most like a country style rib I would smoke or grill it, but cook it longer than other chops at a lower heat to tenderize it.
– The rib chop comes from the center of the loin. It’s a lean chop. When you buy a bone-in pork chop at the store, you’re probably buying this. You can find this chop thin or thick, bone-in or boneless.
– The loin chop is the most tender of any of the chops, because it contains part of the tenderloin. It has a characteristic t-bone shape, bending to one side. This is very similar to a t-bone steak on a steer. Again, you can find this chop thick or thin, and a boneless center-cut loin chop, is probably the Cadillac of pork chops.
– The sirloin chop This chop comes from the part of the loin closest to the hip. These chops are especially lean. But, also because of their leanness can dry out quickly and become tough.
So, there we are. Chops pork. You really can’t go wrong with any. But here are my two recommendations.
• Buy the thickest pork chops you can find. They are more flavorful and juicy and less likely to dry out. Thin pork chops are ok, but I prefer these with eggs for breakfast.
• Don’t over cook! Trichinosis is a thing of the past, you do not need to turn your meat to ash. 155-160 degrees internal temperature will yield juicy flavorful meat.
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