Too-thin porkchops

[Arey]

I recently bought four bone in pork chops at a place that usually sells beautiful big thick pork chops.  So I told the girl at the counter that I wanted four pork chops  and wandered off to do some more shopping.  When I got home and was wrapping the chops for freezing, I realized that they were so thin I never would have bought them.  They're not even a half-inch thick.  I cooked one with sauerkraut, and it was edible, but not enjoyable.  I'll be more attentive the next time, but in the meantime what do I do with the remaining three chops.  I don't pan fry so a quick pan frying of them is out.  Also just throwing them out is out.  How can I cook them so my jaw muscles don't start to ache after eating one.
I've been considering cutting them off the bone, flattening them out with the bottom of a heavy skillet, and doing a quick saute.

[rotuts]

""  I've been considering cutting them off the bone, flattening them out with the bottom of a heavy skillet, and doing a quick saute.""

 

this is a quick and easy bet.

[David Hensley]

Personally, I'd return them, and make it known that they were substandard to begin with. Nothing irritates me like paying good money for something (especially meats), only to discover that the bone is the thickest part...

[rotuts]

excellent point

[Beebs]

Schnitzel, maybe?  If you're ok with shallow-frying.  Or slice it into thin shreds and making a stir-fried noodle dish (I would make Shanghai chow mein - yum).

[HungryC]

Very thin chops are meant for grilling...hit 'em with your favorite dry seasoning blend (creole, greek, montreal steak, whatever)  and cook over direct, fairly high heat.  Flip just once.  They'll be done in minutes.

[Paul Bacino]

Schnitzel--I would  use to make a" breaded pork tenderloin " ( basically the same ),  you can jaccard them a bit, first or even pound thinner.

 

Shallow fry-- as note!!  I then transfer mine to a 200 F oven if making many of them

 

Flour-egg-corn flakes  ( allow to set for 1 hr ) ( season as you wish )

 

These are a thing of beauty in the mid-west

 

paully

 

Otherwise return them

 

Edited March 11, 2014 by Paul Bacino (log)

[andiesenji]

debone them, pound them thin, roll around a filling, tie and braise with carrots and celery.

[heidih]

For some odd reason these used to be on sale all the time when I was feeding teens. I either marinated or just brushed them with a soy based marinade that included garlic, ginger, orange or other tart marmalade, and a squeeze of citrus. Then tossed them under the broiler for just a few minutes. Kids picked them up and ate like chicken wings. 

[Shalmanese]

A technique that works well for too thin cuts of meat is to primarily sear just one side only for twice as long, then just give it a quick 10s flash on the other side to remove the pink & serve seared side up. It's not ideal but it's better than trying to get both sides brown without overcooking the middle and I'm often surprise how I can't tell that the second side isn't browned, especially if there's a sauce that goes over it.

[SylviaLovegren]

I'm confused by your statement you don't "pan fry" but you do "saute".  What's the difference?

 

Thin pork chops dredged in some seasoned flour, then pan fried (or sauteed) in a combo of olive and butter or bacon fat just until crispy, pan deglazed with either stock and lemon or wine is a favorite quick dinner around  here. 

[huiray]

I'm confused by your statement you don't "pan fry" but you do "saute".  What's the difference?

 

 

Ditto.  Technically a sauté would be with pieces of meat or stuff, but if he's going to cut it off the bone, flatten it then "sauté" the whole flattened pieces he's pan-frying it because technically that's done with big(ger)/whole pieces of meat/stuff.  Both with a little oil to cover the bottom of the pan; sauté technically at a slightly higher temp, pan-frying technically at a slightly lower temp.

 

The suggestion of flattening the cut-off piece of meat is not a bad one at all, I think - or make it into a sort of schnitzel, after breading; or do the equivalent of an Indiana pork sandwich, although that is usually done with flattened pieces of pork tenderloin.  How about flattening it completely and frying it into a crispy "chip", similar to what heidih mentioned...

 

Or simply cut it up into small pieces and do a stir-fry with it with suitable vegetables of one's choice.

Edited March 12, 2014 by huiray (log)

[Arey]

When I say pan fry I'm referring to shallow frying as opposed to deep fat frying.  I don't do either, but only because I have problems digesting it.  I love fried foods, fried chicken, fried seafood combos, fried oysters, fried eggplant, fried donuts. I really miss fried oysters, and fried chicken.

I'm certainly looking forward to trying some of the suggestions offered here.  And the next time, I will look hard at the chops before buying them.  Returning them isn't practical since the market I bought them at is over 40 miles from here. The smoked ham hock I bought there was big and very meaty, and the short ribs were cut the way I asked and were delicious. So two out of three purchases being what I wanted isn't bad.  Locally , this time of year, one out of ten is the best  you can hope for, which is why I have to drive over forty miles to buy pork chops, and other pork products, and short ribs.  This time of year you can't even find a flank steak down here. When summer comes and the rich people return to their multi-million dollar mansions, the local stores wil stock better goods and we year round residents  can stop subsisting on roots and berries.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Arey (log)

[SobaAddict70]

You know what comes to mind when I see "thin pork chops"?

 

Grillades and grits.  It's normally made with cuts like pork butt and pork loin, but there's no reason why you couldn't substitute pork chops for them.

 

That's out unfortunately, mostly because several recipes call for the meat being browned, usually in bacon drippings or oil (after having been dredged in seasoned flour).

 

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Classic-Grillades-Grits

[Chris Hennes]

Another option is sous vide: even if you don't have access to an immersion circulator, thin chops can easily be done via the beer cooler method.

[FauxPas]

Or you could brine them before cooking to keep them moister. Here's one version:

 

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/brined_pork_chops_with_gremolata/

[huiray]

I think one just simply needs to think of these pieces of meat as "pork", and not as "pork chops".  Most of the suggestions go along this route.  Treat it accordingly then.  

 

IMO the cut of meat called "Pork Chops"in the Western idiom is such an artificial cut, and might stand some thinking about it outside the usual parameters. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Last week the NY Times ran a piece on thin pork chops.  The method called for is to brine and then pan sear over a film of oil -- four minutes on one side, three minutes on the other.  Well, yesterday I was shopping and saw some thin pork chops.  So I bought them.

 

It turns out "thin" to the NY Times is 3/4 inch.  Mine are more like 3/8 inch.  Is this too thin?

 

If I pan sear should I reduce the time?  Alternatively I could shallow fry.  Suggestions?

 

[Okanagancook]

I have some pork loin slices that are about 3/8th inch. 

Last time I fried them with a little butter over a medium heat for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on one side; flipped and did another minute or so on the other and cut into it to see if it needed more.  I go for medium so still a little pink for me.  Just keep checking them.

[FeChef]

shake n bake

[Okanagancook]

SnB is nice with a squirt of lemon.  Coating needs to be thin otherwise the meat is lost.

[Paul Fink]

Thin pork chops was a stable growing up. My mother would rub them with caraway seeds,

do a quick sear and then finish in the oven for a few minutes.

[Okanagancook]

I just cooked my little steaks and forking over did them!

too high a heat, darn.

[gfweb]

Sous vide and lightning quick sear

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Briefly pan fried in butter.  Overdone.  Could have been worse.  Will try again.

 

I'm thinking lightning quick sear without sous vide.