How do I cook really, really tough bone-in pork chops?

Question

We bought 10 lbs of organic bone-in pork chops from a local farm and the first few we cooked were so tough they were almost inedible!!

So I'm looking for either a method (step by step) or a recipe that will make them tender enough to actually eat. Easy to make and simple ingredients is preferred. I want to make them for dinner tonight.

Thanks!!

Answer 1

I would braise them. Put them in a pan with about an inch of water. Season them with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme. Cover the pan with heavy plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil. Put this in a 350 degree oven for about 2 hours. This method will tenderize them while giving them some flavor. If you like, you can transfer them to another pan, with some BBQ sauce, and cover and cook for another hour. What you will have are delicious chops, that are falling-off-the-bone tender.
Enjoy

Answer 2

Try braising them in a thick tomato herb and garlic sauce...you can make the sauce with fresh ingredients or buy a ready made cookin sauce.

Place chops in a covered ovenproof casserole dish and cover with the sauce.... place in a low oven gas 2/3 max and bake slowly for 1 to 1.5 hours
(perhaps will make eating them tonight a bit late depending on your location) check the level of sauce and top up as needed turning the chops during cooking. The meat should fall off the bone.

I often make a casserole meal the previous day and just pop back into the oven whilst I am aking the rest of the meal the next night reheating the casserole can take approx 45 mins giving me time to prepare veggies and rice or potatoes and cook.

If you have a slow cooker this is ideal


Next time you go the the farm shop tell them that the meat was very tough and ask for recipe/cooking suggestions.

enjoy

Answer 3

As a few people have said the best way is to braise them which means the connective tissue in the meat will break down over the long cooking period and soften the meat.
This recipe should work out best for you or try the link for another

Braised Pork Chops with Apples


Ingredients
4 pork chops
1 oz Butter or alternative
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 fluid oz. water
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp.Worcester sauce
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
2 onions, cut into rings
salt and pepper
fresh parsley to garnish
Directions
Melt the butter and oil together in a large skillet.
Season the meat with salt and pepper and then brown on both sides in the melted butter and oil.
Add the water, thyme and Worcester sauce and cook for 10 minutes, turning once.
Add the apples and onions.
Reduce heat.
Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Answer 4

It's too late for tonight but next time season them with meat tenderizer, pinch of salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Do not trim all the fat as that helps keep them moist. Brown them on both sides on top of the stove in a heavy pan. After they are brown add sliced onions, cover with lid or foil and bake in 300'F oven until tender, 21/2-3 hours. They should be tender and have a nice gravy you can thicken with a little corn starch and water. The gravy is good over cream potatoes or rice.

Answer 5

this works,take two table spoons of bicarbonate of soda ,mix to a paste, spread the mixture onto the meat,leave for four hours wash off thoroughly.
take the pork seal in a hot pan both sides ,chop onions celery mushrooms,any root veg you have place into a pan boil with two stock cubes for chicken,add the mushrooms for the last five minutes quater a couple of large potatoes,add them for the last ten minutes ,drain pan ,save water put the pork chops on the bottom of a casserole dish,add veg and potatoes ,open a medium can of cambell mushroom or chicken soup to the water from the veg mix thoroughly until the consistency of single cream
place sauce over meat and vegetables,casserole for 1hour 40 minutes on a medium hot oven for the first 40 mins then reduce oven temp to a slow roast heat for 1 hour, this really works for me i have this meal at least once per week.
the bicarb breaks down the tissue of the pork ,works really good on pig or ox liver tenderises it in a jiffy. regards LF
ps, use the condensed type of soup for your sauce base

Answer 6

one method I like is to sear both sides in a frying pan,just a couple seconds per side,and then put them in an oven safe dish.Usually a pyrex cake pan,add mushrrom soup and bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350.When you add the soup,just add 1/2 to 3/4 of the normal amount of water ,or use the ready to serve soup..This makes a nice thick mushroom gravy.

another meathod you can try is to pan fry them ,and at the last 2 - 3 minutes add about 1/2 cup of white wine.The fruitier the better.

Answer 7

You'll have to cook them long enough in some kind of liquid to break down the toughness. I would cook it like you would a chuck roast, for a couple of hours in a covered dutch oven in red wine or broth with flavorings like carrots, celery and onion. If you don't use flavorings they probably won't taste very good.

Answer 8

marinate for at least 12 hours, then put them in a baking pan, add seasoning, cover completely with foil, then bake in your oven at 350 for 45 mins, 400 for 30 min and 300 for 20 mins respectively....you will have really soft pork chops afterwards...enjoy.

Answer 9

for tonight you'd have to steam them in a pressure cooker. If later you could cook in crock pot for 24 hr.

Answer 10

In a slow cooker or pressure cooker