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Giving up on Pork Stuff

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mollyshark
mollyshark Posts: 1,519
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
You know, about a year ago I would make this skewered pork stuff with just about anything and it would be delicious. Now it is tasteless. I soaked these for hours in peach preserves and drowned them in Firewalk before skewering with pineapple. Now no matter what I do they are bland as hell. The pork chops/roasts are beautiful cuts over at Costco. Little fat, tons of meat, tender as hell..and absolutely NO taste. Very discouraging.[p]Also I have this bad habit of burning skewered stuff. I think I'll leave off any kind of sugar substance like these preserves until maybe the last 5 minutes. No matter what distance from the coals, the sugar just torches.[p]Sigh.[p]MShark
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
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    MollyShark,
    I can't imagine your cooking being "tasteless" but if you say so I believe you. Same thing has happend to me on more than one occasion. Maybe try a different recipe or use different seasonings. Don't give up on pork though, it's the stuff that makes Egg'n really fun...[p]Spring "The Other White Meat" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    plchops2.jpg
    <p />MollyShark,
    Have you tried indirect at 225. Then baste the last 10-15 minutes? [p]Mike
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  • mollyshark
    mollyshark Posts: 1,519
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    Car Wash Mike,[p]No, but that would probably help. I think my problem is too much flame. It's lethal with the sugar. Ok...next time I'll lower the temp and put up a barrier.[p]mShark
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    MollyShark,[p]Some folks think that the pork industry has ruined the pork flavor through breeding to make it the other white meat, aka low fat and calories. The fat is the flavor.[p]If you LOVE pork there are the 'heirloom' breeds such as berkshire which you can find mail order at Lobel's, etc. These are pigs that are closer to what pork used to be. I've ordered berkshire rib chops once and they were noticably better IMO.[p]Other than shoulder and bacon I only eat today's pork as a healthy meal that's tasty and low fat. Pork tenderloin has less fat than a skinless chicken breast these days.[p]Todd
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  • EggRacer
    EggRacer Posts: 400
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    MollyShark,[p]We like the pork at Central Market, esp. the pork chops. I agree that a lot of the pork has become rather bland even the Owens Sausage I used to love hasn't got the same zing. It's hard to imagine how todays cheerleaders would be able to yell, 'Pork chop, pork chop greasy, greasy, we can beat the (insert opponents name here) easy, easy.' The grease is gone and so is the thrill.
    XLBGE & LBGE
    North Richland Hills, TX
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  • mollyshark
    mollyshark Posts: 1,519
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    Seattle Todd,[p]Exactly. I've tried the Berkshire at Central Market and it makes good tenderloin variations, but I've hesitated to cut it up for kabobs at that price. Particularly with my propensity to torch the damn things. I think Carwash has a point. With today's delicato tomahto pork, lower the temp and get it away from the flame.[p]I will prevail. Sigh.[p]mShark
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  • Bucky Buckshot
    Bucky Buckshot Posts: 100
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    MollyShark,
    The pork industry recognizes that in their effort to lower the fat content in pork they have also lowered the taste. They are working on the problem but it takes time. It took 40 to 50 years to breed hogs with less fat, lets hope it won't take that long to get the flavor back. Bucky
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    MollyShark,[p]As other folks have mentioned, breeding the pork lean means breeding the flavor out. However, one thing I came across recently mentioned that pigs absorb fat directly from what they eat. So hogs that have been allowed to go after nuts, roots, etc, have all the rich flavor of those foods. So the feed the factory hogs get probably is tasteless to begin with.[p]Time to inject pork with flavored butter.[p]gdenby

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  • AuntieEgger
    AuntieEgger Posts: 258
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    MollyShark,
    Sounds like your cooking at too high temps for too long. Pork dries out fast. Try coating your pork chops with oil. I soak/marinade my chops in Italian Salad dressing then cook direct @ 300 10 min’s per side ,, put BBO sauce on then leave a couple min’s more and they are always very tender. The oil tends to lock in the juices. [p]
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    MollyShark,
    little fat MEANS little taste. american pork has nearly had all the flavor bred out of it.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    MollyShark,
    Maybe a little late on this post but...
    I brine pork from Costco - chops for several hours and
    a whole loin for overnight. I use about a cup of Kosher
    salt, maybe 3/4 cup sugar and what ever spices you want
    to add such as some crushed pepper corns, crushed, fresh
    garlic cloves, hot pepper flakes, etc. I also only cook
    pork to 135 - 140 deg. internal temp. The temp will rise
    as it rests. Give it a try.
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