The humble pork chop is often considered second-best to a juicy steak. These lean cuts deserve a place on the dinner table for their high protein levels and great flavors. The trick is learning how to tenderize all the different types of pork chops for great results.
Tenderized pork chops will stay easy to cut and chew no matter how you choose to cook them. That opens up your options for grilling, frying, and baking them without worrying about the texture of the finished dish.
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Best Ways to Tenderize Pork Chops
You have four main options for tenderizing pork chops. These methods also work well for steaks and other cuts of meat that tend to toughen up during cooking. Three are methods you use before starting your favorite cooking method, while the fourth is a way of cooking the meat.
Tenderize Pork with a Meat Mallet
An old-fashioned meat mallet is a quick, affordable, and reliable way to soften up any cut of meat. It’s great for pork chops because you can use it lightly on thinner chops and put more force into thicker cuts. Meat mallets are metal or wood mallets with a set of pointy diamond shapes on one or both surfaces of the mallet head. A mallet can help you soften meat for years without the need to buy more tenderizing powder or worry about what ingredients are in your marinades.
Marinate the Pork Chops
Marinating the pork chops boosts the flavor while increasing the juiciness of the cooked meat. If you use the right ingredients, you can also get a mild to moderate tenderizing effect. Mild tenderizing is accomplished through the use of acidic ingredients. Lemon juice, flavored vinegar, red wine, and coffee are all recommended as marinade ingredients that can soften the meat a little.
For more extensive tenderizing, you’ll need either an enzymatic ingredient or a powdered meat tenderizer. Papaya and fresh pineapple feature compounds that soften meat, as do yogurt and buttermilk. If you don’t want to use unusual or hard-to-find ingredients in your marinade, use a meat tenderizing powder. It’s derived from papaya or other tropical fruits and will give you precise control over the amount of tenderizing you get.
Brine the Pork Chops
Brining is a method of soaking meat in salt water that is largely intended for increasing juiciness and flavor. It’s a popular alternative to marinating that requires fewer ingredients. However, brining also offers a mild tenderizing effect that is great for all kinds of boneless pork chops.
You can brine bone-in pork chops as well, but without any acidic or enzymatic ingredients, you won’t get much softening to occur. Adding meat tenderizer to the brine won’t affect the flavor much but will give you the tender texture you want.
Braising in Liquid
Rather than a preparation step, this trick involves cooking the pork chops in liquid. It’s easiest to do in the oven, but you can also braise on the stove top with the help of a tight-fitting lid. You simply choose some flavorful liquids like broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine to keep the moisture levels high as the pork chops cook.
You can toss in other flavorful ingredients like herbs and even vegetables you want to cook alongside the pork chops. The key is keeping the cooking dish covered so the moisture doesn’t cook off too early. Once the pork chops are mostly done, you can uncover the meat so it browns and gets a deeper flavor.
Tips for Tenderized Pork Chops
Tender pork chops take more than just a dose of enzyme powder or a few minutes with a meat mallet. If you start with the right cuts of pork, you may not need any tenderizing efforts at all. Other types of chops will turn out nice and soft as long as you use the right cooking method.
Choose the right cut of pork
Boneless pork chops tend to be a little more tender than bone-in types, especially if they’re thick cut. Thin cut pork chops have the greatest chance to toughen up from overcooking. Medallions cut from the pork tenderloin are the softest, but they’re quite small. For a larger pork chop that’s still tender and flavorful, look for pieces cut from the sirloin roast. Sirloin pork chops feature both leaner and darker meat for a combination of both flavors. Rib chops will be a little tougher and need more tenderizing before cooking.
Choose the right cooking method
How you cook the pork chops largely determines the finished texture. The key is to choose either high heat and a quick cook for thinner chops or a slow and low cooking method for thicker chops.
If you’re going to grill the pork, use a medium rack placement so they don’t get overdone on the surface while they’re finishing up in the center. Braising is always a good idea for pork chops that are tender but not falling apart. The Crock Pot is a great way to braise pork chops for a weeknight meal with less effort.
Avoid overcooking
Overcooked pork chops won’t be tender. No matter the method, aim to remove the meat from the heat when you hit the 145 degrees F mark in the center of each chop. This is more than safe enough for pork and ensures you’re not causing the meat to toughen back up.
Pork Chop Doneness Guide:
| Doneness | Internal Temperature | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Medium Rare | 145-150°F (54-57°C) | Warm pink center, juicy |
| Medium | 150-155°F (60-63°C) | Pink center, clear juices |
| Medium Well | 155-160°F (66-68°C) | Slight pink, mostly clear juices |
| Well Done | 160°F (71°C) and above | No pink, clear juices |
Rest before serving
Always cover cooked pork chops and let them rest for between 5 and 10 minutes before serving. This is a safety matter because meat rises another 5 degrees after being removed from a heat source, but it also helps the meat relax and soften up. Resting the pork chops uncovered will dry them out and cause them to toughen, so use a lid or aluminum foil to protect them.
Conclusion
With these tips, your next pork chop meal will turn out better than ever before. Polish your pork cooking skills by mastering the pork chop and elevating it to a new level.
