My Pork Chops are tougher than John Wayne

johnkitchens · January 2017

I love pork chops, but every time I grill them they come out tough. I cooked some last night they tasted great, but they were like chewing the bottom of a boot.

What am I doing wrong?

I have tried them in different thicknesses from 1/2" to 1 1/4", and I still get varying degrees of toughness. I normally cook them direct around 400F give or take.

I don't brine. I never have. I just salt and pepper them and cook them much like I would a steak. The only common denominator that comes to mind is I get them at the same grocery store. Living in the woods I don't have a lot to select from without a long drive.

Maybe the quality is my problem. I would like some advice on what I may be doing wrong. If any of you can help I would appreciate it. I certainly can't cook these for company. : (

JRWhitee · January 2017

Normally when I do chops they turn out great, not tough. I cook them indirect around 350. I did some nice looking 1" thick chops last week and they were like shoe leather. I did nothing different than I usually do, I blame the Pig!

nolaegghead · January 2017

What internal temperature are you cooking them?

Austin Egghead · January 2017

I dry brine my chops for several hours before the cook. Season chops and then cook @300ish direct until IT reads 130. Pull and wait 5 minutes (temp will climb to about 140). Also I cut my chops at least1.5 inches.

Carolina Q · January 2017

In the old days, people cooked to 165° internal. Killed everything, including the chop. Current FDA says 145°. Usually pull at about 135° and rest. Juicy and tender every time.

blasting · January 2017

is sous vide an option?

nolaegghead · January 2017

I think you might have stumbled on a crappy source of pork chop.

You can try cooking them slower (lower temp) and pulling at 130.

bhedges1987 · January 2017

pork chops won't be as tender as a filet. I didn't know the FDA says 145 now, I still go to about 158 and they come out tasty.

No filet tasty, but still tasty.

Lit · January 2017

blasting said:

is sous vide an option?

I love to stick my pork in Sue Vide

bgebrent · January 2017

Totally agree with what's said above. It's the IT. Yours was too high.

PSC · January 2017

i'd change to 350ºF the temp, indirect and if you want you can sear a bit at the end for presentation

thicker chops are more likely to stay moist than thin ones

jtcBoynton · January 2017

bhedges1987 said:

pork chops won't be as tender as a filet. I didn't know the FDA says 145 now, I still go to about 158 and they come out tasty.

No filet tasty, but still tasty.

Actually the USDA:

Cook all food to these minimum internal temperatures as measured with a food thermometer before removing food from the heat source. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook food to higher temperatures.

Product	Minimum Internal Temperature & Rest Time
Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb Steaks, chops, roasts	145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes
Ground meats	160 °F (71.1 °C)
Ham, fresh or smoked (uncooked)	145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes
Fully Cooked Ham (to reheat)	Reheat cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants to 140 °F (60 °C) and all others to 165 °F (73.9 °C).

Product	Minimum Internal Temperature
All Poultry (breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, and wings, ground poultry, and stuffing)	165 °F (73.9 °C)
Eggs	160 °F (71.1 °C)
Fish & Shellfish	145 °F (62.8 °C)
Leftovers	165 °F (73.9 °C)
Casseroles	165 °F (73.9 °C)

JustineCaseyFeldown · January 2017

overcooking.

the temp you cook at is far less important than the temp you cook to.

Carolina Q · January 2017

jtcBoynton said:

Actually the USDA:

LOL, I knew that. Just got my .govs mixed up. At least I had the pork temp right!

JohnnyTarheel · January 2017

375-400 raised direct and pull at 140.... always works for me

saluki2007 · January 2017

Agree it might be your finish temp.

paqman · January 2017

Brining makes a huge difference...

RockyMtnEgger · January 2017

Brining does make a big difference, and pulling at 140-145 is really crucial. If you do have the desire to wade into the sous vide world you will (likely) never mess up a pork chop again....or pork loin, etc....and finish it on the Egg....

Slabotnick · January 2017

You ever tried reverse searing them? I do brine but have really enjoyed reverse searing them and have been pretty tender.

GregW · January 2017

When they started advertising pork as the other white meat, it started becoming much leaner. I've read that pork is 25% leaner than it was 25 years ago.
To me, this has resulted in pork being much tougher on the grill. Not overcooking can help mitigate this situation.

Biggreenpharmacist · January 2017

JohnnyTarheel said:

375-400 raised direct and pull at 140.... always works for me

This right here is how I do it.

Hans61 · January 2017

Reverse sear or indirect the whole time with no sear. I usually cook mine indirect around 300-325 to an internal of 150ish and get juicy tender meat that way

if they're a 1/2 inch id pass on those :-)

Skiddymarker · January 2017

Lots of info here. Try the brine for at least 4 hours for a 1.5" center cut chop. Reverse sear at lowest temp you can get until IT is 130º, pull and hold until egg is hot to sear or use a CI pan. Sous vide makes the best chop if it is an option, give the egg the day off.

GrateEggspectations · January 2017

I agree with @paqman above on brining. My wife and I disliked until I started brining. Now we love them.

YukonRon · January 2017

I brine and tenderize. My brine is 3 cups of water 1/4 cup of salt, 1/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar. Place water in pot to boil add salt and brown sugar, stir until dissolved, cool to room (ambient) temperature, place chops in a sealable bag for a few hours (4 or more). Season as you prefer. Raised direct at 350F ish, until desired IT.
Does not suck.

THEBuckeye · January 2017

I saved this from a @hapster post:

550 direct

The thick chops were around 8min a side, turning and flipping every 2 minutes... Pulled them off around 148° IT they were super juicy, could have sworn I was eating steak

PirateBill · January 2017

Dang @nolaegghead don't know why but I'm liking the new avatar.

fishlessman · January 2017

thin chops cook quick, ive been freezing them first to slow that down. low 130's internal then pull. i guess you only need to hit 145 if your cooking it, its eaten raw in some countries

i also like bbq chops sauced and cooked hot for some charring

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johnkitchens · January 2017

Thank you so much for all the replies guys. I got tied up right after I posted this yesterday, and I am just now able to see your replies.

I should have mentioned in my original post that I am pulling them at around 145 internal.

They are always tough even at that temp. I think I need to try some purchased at a different store to see if possibly the meat is the problem.

fishlessman · January 2017

johnkitchens said:

Thank you so much for all the replies guys. I got tied up right after I posted this yesterday, and I am just now able to see your replies.

I should have mentioned in my original post that I am pulling them at around 145 internal.

They are always tough even at that temp. I think I need to try some purchased at a different store to see if possibly the meat is the problem.

once it reads 140 while on the grill its drying out fast, you need to take it off earlier. google german mett and you will see it eaten raw at room temp if pulling at 135 scares you

johnkitchens · January 2017

I will pull it at an earlier temp. I will have to tell my wife I pulled it at 190. She is scared to death of under cooked pork.

My Pork Chops are tougher than John Wayne

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