A Complete Guide to Pork Chops. A pork chop is just a pork chop, right Well, theres actually more than one cut out there Depending on what you buy, this popular cut of meat may be tender, mild tasting, and only need quick cooking or it can be tough and need braising but be extremely flavorful at the end. Pork chops are the equivalent of beef steaks and the priciest part of the animal. In fact, chops and steaks are actually quite similar in the way they are cut and priced. So heres a guide to the most common pork chop cuts, what they taste like, and the best ways to prepare them. What Part of the Pig Is a Pork ChopWhat Part of the Pig Is a Pork Chop Pork chops all come from the loin, which runs from the hip to the shoulder and contains the small strip of meat called the. Pork Chops with a delicious, light gravy. Great to eat with mashed potatoes too This recipe for Braised Pork Chops is from Southern Country Cooking from the Loveless Cafe, by Jane and Michael Stern. Try serving this with hush puppies and sour slaw. Pork chops all come from the loin, which runs from the hip to the shoulder and contains the small strip of meat called the tenderloin. The most common chops you see in the butcher case are from the ribs and the loin. Working our way down from the shoulder toward the back of the pig, we have four major sections where pork chops come from the shoulder or blade chops, rib chops, loin chops, and finally, sirloin chops. Heres the breakdown of each section. Shoulder Chop. Other names Blade chops, blade steaks, blade end pork loin chops, pork loin blade chops, pork shoulder steaks, pork shoulder blade steaks, pork steaks. Where its from The shoulder. What it looks like Shoulder chops have dark colored meat, lots of fat and connective tissues, and some blade bone. What it tastes like While shoulder chops have loads of flavor, they also have a fair amount of tough gristle and bone. The meat has to be braised to be tender or tenderized before cooking. How to cook it While shoulder chops can be cooked over high heat if tenderized properly first, they have enough fat to withstand being braised in slow, moist heat to break down the connective tissues. Rib Chop. Other names Center cut rib chop, pork chop end cut, pork rib cut chop, rib end cut, rib pork chop. Where its from The rib section of the loin, from the shoulder to the middle of the loin the rib bones attached to these chops are actually baby back ribs. What it looks like Large eye of lean loin meat and no tenderloin meat. There is a bone running along one side and sometimes a layer of fat on the outside. Rib chops from the blade end have more fat and connective tissue than chops from the shoulder end. What it tastes like The chops are very tender, have a little more fat than loin chops, and have a mild flavor. How to cook it Since the meat on these chops is lean, quick cooking like grilling, broiling, or sear roasting are the best methods. C80032_Hoisinbraisedporkchops_XXL.jpg' alt='Braised Pork Chops Recipe' title='Braised Pork Chops Recipe' />Brining first will help keep these chops moist and tender. Loin Chop. Other names Center loin chop, center cut loin chop, loin pork chop, pork loin end chop, porterhouse, top loin chop. Where its from The hip and loin toward to the back of the animal. Depending on where theyre cut from, the chops may have some pieces of tenderloin. What it looks like Loin chops cut toward the center of the loin will have a T shaped bone that has loin on one side and tenderloin on the other. Sometimes the more tenderloin present, the higher the cost. Top loin chops will have no tenderloin. What it tastes like Very lean, very mild pork flavor. How to cook it Because tenderloin and loin cook at different rates, loin chops can be hard to cook properly since both are present. Learn how to make Braised Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples. MyRecipes has 70,000 tested recipes and videos to help you be a better cook. Get Sunnys Apple Butter Braised Pork Chops Recipe from Food Network. Braised Pork Chops are served with lemon garlic red potatoes and take only 40 minutes to make. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons allpurpose flour or rice flour with 14 teaspoon salt and a dash of freshly ground pepper. Dredge 2 large boneless pork chops in seasoned. Like rib chops, they should be cooked quickly, so grill, broil, or sear roast these chops, but be careful not to overcook them. Brining will also help with keeping the meat moist. Boneless Chop. Other names Americas cut, pork loin filets. Where its from Usually toward the head of the loin above the loin chops, boneless pork chops are basically top loin or rib chops with the bones removed. What it looks like Lean meat, very little connective tissue or fat, no bones. What it tastes like The absence of bones to provide protection from overcooking and the lack of fat present usually around these bones means that these chops are less flavorful than their bone in counterparts. How to cook it Cook boneless pork chops the same way as rib or loin chops grilling, broiling, or sear roasting. It is highly recommended that boneless pork chops are brined. Sirloin Chop. Other names Sirloin steak. Where its from This cheaper cut is from the hip area toward the back of the loin. What it looks like Contains some hip and backbone, with a higher percentage of bone than other chops the meat is composed of various muscle groups. What it tastes like Lots of pork flavor, but tough unless braised. How to cook it Because of all the different muscles present, sirloin chops should be cooked over slow, moist heat, in braises or stews. Pork Chop Cooking Tips. Thicker is better. Nowadays, pork is bred to be quite lean and can be very easy to overcook. Thicker pork chops are more forgiving, so try to purchase double cut pork chops which are cut twice as thick as thin ones or ones that are at least 1 12 inches thick. Brine. Brining helps to keep the meat moist and offer a bigger buffer against overcooking. Plus, it injects flavor into this mild tasting meat Dont overcook. For the quick cooking loin and rib chops, be very careful not to overcook and dry out the meat. The USDA says to cook the chops between 1. F and let them rest a few minutes before serving. Go for bone in. The bone helps provide some protection from overcooking and also has some fat around it that keeps the pork juicier and tastier, so we prefer the bone in chops. Best Way To Store Blueberries. Learn more How To Cook Tender Juicy Pork Chops in the Oven. Easy German Recipe for Boneless Mustard Pork Chops. This boneless mustard pork chop recipe cooks up quickly but has all the classic flavors youd expect from traditional German fare that sometimes takes hours to cook. Try preparing it on a busy weeknight, its that fast. While the yield on this recipe is for 2 servings, it easily can be doubled or tripled. Mustard is the ultimate German condiment so its a natural in this recipe. German recipes also call for whole mustard seeds, which are mild and even nutty tasting before they are used in prepared mustards, heated or in marinades. Styles of German mustard include Bavarian Sweet Mustard, Medium Spicy Mustard and Sharp or Spicy Mustard. The mustard plant is so beloved by the German peoples, its also used in this Homemade German Mustard Pickles recipe.