Had some lovely looking pork chops, no bone and very lean. They were around 50mm thick so I followed Douglas Baldwin’s suggestion and brined them for 2 hours then cooked them at 57C for 3 1/4 hours. They were very moist but tough. I have done them before and had mostly good results which makes me think it is the quality of the meat. My question is will cooking them longer make them more tender.
Yes, longer cooking times will result in more tender meat.
The fast growing lean breeds pork producers currently use do have a tendency to be solid. If you buy the same pork again you might consider doubling the time at that temperature.
You’re allowed to get personal with your food. Give the meat a pinch when it has achieved the planned cooking time. That will give you an indication of its tenderness. If it feels solid it needs more time.
If you do use a longer cooking time please share the outcome with us.
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I’ve got another two chops from the same batch so I will do as you suggest and let you know the outcome. Thanks for your response.
I find the opposite to be true with lean pork. Brining definitely helps with moisture, but I like higher cook temps and faster cook times. Which is why I avoid loin, and go for butt or shoulder cuts.
I cooked the two remaining chops from the same batch also at 57 C but for 8hrs and they came out very tender but not quite as juicy as there was also more juice in the bag at the finish.
Trab, OK, we got the tenderness you wanted. Try cooking for 6 hours.
More juice isn’t sufficiently helpful. How much? Keep on brining and decant the pork juices into a measuring cup so you know. Normally you should have about 1/3 cup (90ml) per pound (0.5kg) of meat. Most cooks new to SV are surprised at the amounts not realizing that in conventional cooking the meat likely lost more moisture in cooking however it evaporated.
. How much more I don’t know as I didn’t measure the amount of the first cook but there was certainly quite a bit more. The next lot I will cook for 6 hrs as you suggest. So thanks again for your helpful advice.
My pleasure, and please advise on your next results.
If you are particularly appreciative of delicious pork, consider avoiding the factory-produced grocery store pork and find a specialty butcher near you. They will offer meat from naturally raised heritage breeds like Tamworth or Birkshire. Near me several farms are producing wild boars which aren’t wild at all, just their name. The meat is similar, but darker and more delicious than pork.
Finally got around to cooking some more pork chops. I did one lot for 6 hrs and they were a huge improvement over the first lot. I then cooked another lot for 5 hours and they were even better so thanks again for your suggestion.
My pleasure. Thank you for the feedback.
Keep well.