When cooking pork chops, you need to be concerned about the cut of pork and the thickness of the meat. Pork chops with a bone will heat faster and cook quicker than boneless chops, and thick pork chops need to be babied a bit in order to prevent undercooked insides and overcooked outsides.
Grilling Pork Chops
Pork chops that are grilled should be trimmed of excess fat and then rubbed lightly with olive oil. The best way to bring out the flavor of pork chops is to add a dry rub that includes a few of your favorite spices. Some spices that go well with pork include paprika, garlic, meat tenderizer and a little crushed cumin seed. If you plan on using sauce over a rub, it is preferable to place the sauce on the table as dip rather than as a basting sauce.
Broiling Pork Chops
If you're watching your waistline, broiling pork chops is a good idea. Broiling means the exterior of the meat will be seared or sealed so that the interior of the meat will be juicier. It also means most of the fat will drip away from the meat. When broiling, remove the broiling pan, and preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before placing the meat into the broiler. Place the room temperature meat onto the room temperature broiler pan, and then push it back into place in the broiler.
Keep in mind that broiling pork chops differs greatly from grilling pork chops. When broiling, heat comes from above. The heat is only about two to four inches from the meat, and only one side cooks at a time, but, because the meat is not sitting in fat while it cooks, this is an excellent way to make healthier foods. When broiling a one-and-a-half-inch-thick pork chop, sear the meat on one side by setting the meat four inches from the heat, and broil for about four minutes or until golden brown. Before you flip the meat (with tongs), sprinkle with spices but not salt, and then lower the rack to about six inches. Broil the second side for approximately five minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Sprinkle with salt when the chop has been removed from the heat. If you salt the meat while it is cooking, it will actually draw moisture out of the meat rather than seal the moisture in.
Pan-Frying Pork Chops
The meat should be well seasoned before it hits the pan, and the pan shouldn't be too hot. If you have ever pan-fried meat and thought too much of the moisture evaporated, try adding about an inch of broth or water to the pan and allowing the chops to simmer until the liquid is nearly evaporated. This will generally result in pork chops that are tender enough to be cut with a fork.
Regardless of how you cook pork chops, however, they dry out easily. Make sure pork chops are kept tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. Try to avoid freezing them, as they lose moisture when they thaw.
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