I make a lot of pasta with marinara, ragu bolognese, pesto etc. We just finished having a broccoli, bacon, onion and gruyere quiche for dinner that makes regular appearances around here. Another favorite is stir fry, I make that once a week or so. I also bbq throughout the year because our weather here is relatively mild. Other than that, tacos, nachos, salads, soups, stews and pot pies get made often around here depending on the weather. Based on the frequency of its appearance in this thread, I'm going to have to work on my roasted chicken method. When I tried Ann's high heat method the results were wonderful, but I spent more time cleaning the oven than I did cooking the bird. Note to self, when remodeling the kitchen get a self cleaning oven! :)

RE: Frying pork chops. clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by terri_pacnw (My Page) on Wed, Feb 6, 08 at 18:51 Depending on the thickness of the chops...they can be done in mere minutes. I'd bet you are over cooking. I cook pork chops two ways the most. 1) season with my favorite seasoning salt and let sit to nearly room temp.(meanwhile preheating oven to 400F) Add EVOO to hot frying pan. Sear side 1 until it's got a nice crust...2-3 minutes. Flip over and pop into the oven. Let cook about 5-6 minutes more or to desired doneness. (will also depend on the thickness.) I do this with center cut boneless loin or center cut bone in. (I don't like blade(sirloin) chops much myself.)~going for a hue of pink in the center. 2) Dip chops in seasoned flour. ~flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper or whatever you like.~again let chops come to room temp or close to it. Again hot pan, EVOO. Fry until a crust forms. Flip over and continue until the crust is formed. Pour in some chicken broth to about half way up. Cover and let simmer on low about 20 minutes. Take chops out, set aside. Carefully mix in flour to avoid lumps. Thin with milk or more broth. Put chops back in cover and let simmer until you are ready to serve..sometimes for me this another hour. (This will not be over cooked because of simmering in the broth and then the "gravy". This is a method that I have never heard of. It really sounds unique and in the right direction for some great chops! It doesn't answer my question but it is something I am DEFINITELY going to give a go, thank you! To everyone else I understand not to overcook the chops as they will become hard! I also realize that a lot of people like those center cut chops and have a lot of ways to cook them, but I just don't care for them. However my love of pork chops is in the "end/blade chops" not the center cut chops! I realize that most ladies like the C cut because of the lower calorie content and I can understand that, but I don't have a problem in that area. It's the technique with the super crust and tender interior that I need to learn. I had a great instructor, but at the time I just didn't pay attention!

Thank you Rob. So glad you enjoyed them! Beverly

If you insist on cooking pork chops until 160F internal, it is hard to avoid a dry, tough, bland meat. Brining can help, a little. Tricks like cutting a cavity inside the chop and filling it with fat (butter, etc) also helps. Breading the outside won't make the inside less dry, although the flavor of the breading may distract you. My approach is basically: - Brine if I have time - Don't over trim the chop, leave as much fat on as you can. Leave the bone in. - Pat the chop dry with paper towels. Dust it lightly with flour or corn starch if you want it even drier. - Rub the exterior with whatever you find tasty, at minimum salt and pepper - Oil the exterior of the chop - Get your pan as hot as you can. Don't use a non-stick pan or a thin steel or aluminum pan. Use a thick, heavy pan, preferably cast iron. Put it on high flame and walk away for at least 5 minutes. The pan should be smoking, almost scary hot. - Turn the hood fan to high or open the windows. - Drop a big pat of butter on the pan, it should melt and start to smoke and burn almost instantly if the pan is hot enough. - Place the oiled chop on the pool of browning butter. There should be sizzling and spitting. Don't flip, move, pat, or touch the chop. Yes, the chop may be stuck to the pan, ignore that, the sticking will break when the bottom of the chop is crusted enough. - After 2 minutes, remove the chop. The bottom should be brown and starting to get crusty. (These times are a starting point. Depending on your stove, you'll learn if 3 or 1.5 minutes works better than 2.) - Let the pan heat back up for a couple of minutes. Repeat with another big pat of butter and the other side of the chop. - After 1 minute, start measuring the internal temp. At 135F, pull the chop off the pan, to a plate to rest for 5 minutes. The temperature should coast up to the USDA-recommended 145F, or close enough. I cook my chops to 140F or so. I like it still a bit pink, and juicy. The point is that the high heat gets the exterior browning fast, before the interior is overcooked. There are combination baking/pan-frying methods too, which seem like too much trouble. You can also use the broiler - pre-heat the broiler on higj with the upper rack as close to the flame as possible, after you place the chop in the smoking hot pan, drop a pat of butter on the upper side, and place the pan under the broiler. This cooks both sides at once and is a big faster. A cable probe thermometer with a remote display helps. I imagine dcarch now sous-vides his chops?