Pork chops are very easy to prepare and are made fairly quickly. Of course, provided that you have chosen the right meat. In this article, we will talk about how to cook soft, juicy pork chops . Of course, they are served for the holiday or for dinner. But sometimes they can also be prepared for the morning meal. These chops are pre-fried or immediately baked. They are served “naked”, only in batter or under a “fur coat” of cheese and tomatoes, mushrooms and potatoes. There are many options, and we will describe the most interesting below.
The secrets of choosing meat
How to cook pork chops so that they taste perfect? To do this, you need to purchase a tenderloin. Many are advised to make fresh meat cues. But many chefs say that if you buy pork tenderloin, divide it into portions and put it in the freezer, this product will also make an excellent dish. In any case, the meat for chops should be without films and streaks. Pork color also matters. For chops, purchase only pale pink meat. Only then will the dish turn out soft and tender. Too fresh meat is also not suitable for chops. To check the freshness, you need to click on it with your finger. If there is a trace, then the meat has “rested” and it can be cooked. If it immediately leveled, it means that he still needs to lie in the cold. In this case, it is not placed in a freezer, but simply on a shelf, wrapping each piece in a plastic wrap.
Meat preparation
Before we describe how to cook pork chops deliciously, we will tell you about the preliminary process. It is also of great importance, because the taste of meat depends on how you put it in the pan. So, take a pound of tenderloin. We wash it in a single piece. Then let the water drain and dry the meat with a paper towel. The fact is that the pork that you dip in the pan should be dry. Otherwise, the water that is released during the frying process will lower its temperature, and the juice will flow out. Then the chop will not be as soft as we would like. And the crust forms too slowly. When the meat becomes dry enough, we cut it a half centimeter thick. Maybe a little less. Only need to cut across the fibers.
Beating meat
Before beating, pieces of pork need to be folded in a plastic bag or wrapped in cling film, so the process will be more accurate.
Before you cook pork chops, they must be softened, so they will quickly fry. We beat off the pieces on both sides, while the meat should not become too thin. This is best done with the blunt side of a special hammer, one with no cloves. So the structure of the meat will not be broken, and the juice will not leak out during roasting.
After that, each "flattened" piece of salt and pepper. Chefs are advised to marinate meat for at least an hour. To do this, fill the pieces with vegetable oil, sprinkle with chopped onions and garlic. You can also add special spices for meat. We cover our future chops with lemon slices. Withstand.
How to cook pork chops. Pan recipe
The easiest and easiest way is frying. To do this, you first need to prepare the batter, as if he were putting meat in a "fur coat". Beat a couple of eggs in a separate bowl with a fork. Pour the sifted flour into another plate. Now we begin to "dress" the meat. Roll it in flour, dip in an egg. You can do this several times. How to cook a chop well? Pork in a pan needs to be fried in hot oil, it can be used a little, because the meat itself consists of 40 percent water.
During cooking, the liquid will evaporate. But if we want a juicy chop, then we need to try to keep it inside as much as possible. For this, we need a batter. And the thicker the flour crust, the better. If the pan is well warmed up, spread the chops. You need to fry over medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side. We are guided by the fact that juice will come out of the meat, then turn it over and fry until golden brown. If the meat does not have time to gilt in 2 minutes, then you need to increase the temperature. Then turn over again.
How to cook pork chops in the oven
The basic chop recipe has been described above. But if you want something really tasty, you have to use the oven. To do this, slightly modify the previous recipe. Fry the meat on each side for two to three minutes once.
Turn on the oven. We warm it up to 180 degrees. Put the chops on a baking sheet, send to the oven for 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Now you know how to cook juicy pork chops. In the oven, the meat remains soft and does not release much fluid.
There is another way to bake such chops. Mix 200 ml of Coca-Cola and barbecue ketchup in a separate bowl. Pour a few tablespoons of the resulting sauce into the pan. Lay the layers of meat. Pour the chops with the rest of the sauce. Bake them for 20 minutes at 180 degrees. The meat will come out not only tender, but also original.
It will acquire a piquant shade if beer is used for the sauce. Spread a little fried chops on a baking sheet, then pour them with beer. Add some spices - Dijon mustard, basil, oregano, paprika. Bake for 40 minutes in a medium-heated oven.
Without frying
Chop recipes are very diverse. So the meat can be made and served very original. How to cook pork chops without prior frying? Here is a simple, quick and healthy recipe.
Chopped meat, beat, salt, pepper and pickle, as described above. Now grease the baking sheet with vegetable oil. We spread the meat there. Two tomatoes are cut into small pieces, put on top of the chops. Finely chop a large onion. Pour on tomatoes. We chop a bunch of dill and send it there. We lubricate this whole mixture with mayonnaise. And on top we put a “cap” of grated cheese (a gram of 150 will take a pound of meat). When the oven warms up to 200 degrees, put a baking sheet with chops. Bake a little more than half an hour until the cheese is lightly browned.
Under the pineapples
How to cook pork chops so that they are delicious and sophisticated? For this we do not need any special products, buy a can of canned pineapple rings. Prepared pork loin, sliced in portions, put in a baking dish, greased with vegetable oil. Place a pineapple ring on each chop. Sprinkle it all on top with grated hard cheese (100-150 grams). Put it all in the oven. Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. For a side dish, rice or pasta are best for such chops.
Under the fur coat
How to cook pork chops in the oven so that it is both a main course and a side dish? To do this, bake them under a coat of cheese, potatoes and mushrooms. First, prepare, chop and pickle 600 grams of tenderloin.
Lubricate the baking dish with vegetable oil. Two onions cut into rings and lay on the bottom. Place the meat on top.
Wash and clean 250 grams of champignons. Cut them into thin plates. Spread on meat and sprinkle with mushroom seasoning. Pour 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Coarse 4 large potatoes. We’ll cover the mushrooms and meat. Pepper, salt, sprinkle with herbs. Again, pour vegetable oil. Now add on top 100 grams of mayonnaise and smooth with a spoon. 200 grams of hard cheese rub. From it we will make the topmost layer of the dish. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. We put chops "under a fur coat" there. Bake for 50 minutes.
Features recipes in the oven. Interesting ideas
As you can see, there are two types of cooking baked chops. In the first case, they are pre-fried, and then baked in some sauce. An interesting recipe came up with the Flemings. How to cook Belgian pork chops?
Take 5 apples, peel, remove seeds. Each cut into 8 slices. When you place the chops on a baking sheet, place slices of apples around. Bake until the meat is ready for 20-25 minutes.
Poles and Germans offer another way. Sauté the bacon. Transfer them with the released fat to a baking dish. Sauté the pickled chops in batter. In a separate pan, add a few chopped cloves of garlic. Add a pound of sauerkraut and stew with sugar and peas. Place the cabbage on the bacon. Place chops on top. Pour the prepared chicken stock and bake until the meat is ready. In the second case, the chops are not fried beforehand, but baked immediately, under a “cap” of cheese. Between it and meat, you can still put layers of vegetables or fruits, such as pineapples, prunes. Potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, and ham will also be good.
We set out here the basic principles for cooking chop in the oven, leaving room for your culinary imagination. Try it and you will surprise your family and friends!