For the “other white meat”, pork if not cooked properly is not as nearly as forgiving as chicken. Who here hasn’t served a overcooked, dry, tough piece of pork that resemble a worn out piece of shoe leather? The juicy piece of meat you originally intended to serve is now being hacked away at with forks and knives, gnawed at or smothered in a sauce to add some moisture. I am just guessing here, but I am sure this is how applesauce came to be paired with pork chops. The moist sweet applesauce would add moisture and flavor back to the pork, rendering it eatable. In my opinion, this really isn’t honoring the animal that it came from.
Pork of today is very lean with very little fat. Cooking at too high of a temperature or for too long (which was usually my m.o.) can dry out the meat. The problem here is, we have all been trained that pork must be cooked until it is white thru out, just as chicken ,or we risk getting sick. Except, cooking your pork until the center is white will surely guarantee you a dried out tasteless piece of meat. So what’s with the bad advice? If it is known that cooking the pork this long will dry it out why was it ever advised?
Trichinella, that is why!
As this is a food blog and I hardly want to gross you out and ruin your appitiete before you even read the recipe.. I will simply advise you, if you really want the details on that one, Google it. I think that best rather than my explaining it here. But keep in mind, before you swear off pork altogether or continue to cook the living daylights out of it, pork is getting an unfair bad rap for this one. According to the CDC’s Trickinellosis Surveillance --- United States, 1997 –2001; Most reported cases of Trichinella came from eating wide game. Only 12 of the 72 cases in the 5 year study were associated with eating commercial pork. 9 cases with noncommercial pork. If you think about how much pork is consumed each year here in the US and only 21 people came down with this desiese in 5 years; I would say the odds are in our favor that we really have nothing to worry about. So go ahead and eat the pork. You have better odds of getting in to a car wreck on your way to work then getting sick eating pork. Simply put, the pork you and I buy from the store has been grain fed under strict guidelines, therefore, Trichinosis has been virtually eliminated.
That being said, there still are some strict guidelines that must be adhered to when cooking pork as with all meats. The culprit is bacteria that can be introduced into the meat thru the butchery process. You can treat pork as you would whole cuts of beef, as long as the sides are seared adequately then there should not be any problems with bacteria. You must also be careful not to cross contaminate your work space or utensils. Ultimately, the best way to protect yourself against any food born yuckiness is to cook your meat to the correct temperature not color. The USDA recommends that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.
Therefore, I little pink in your pork chops is okay today.Apple Cream Glazed Chops
2-4 boneless pork chops
2 tbsp e-v olive oilS/P to taste
1/8 tsp granulated garlic
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp butter1/2 C packed light brown sugar
2 medium granny smith apples
1/2 pint heavy cream
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pre-heat your grill or use a stovetop grill pan over medium heat. In medium sauce pan and over medium heat melt butter and brown sugar until is starts to caramelize. Add cored and sliced apples and stir frequently until the whole mixture is caramelized. Stir in Cream and cinnamon, cover and remove glaze from heat. Rub pork chops with olive oil and s/p to toast. Sprinkle with garlic and
red pepper flakes. Grill chops for about 7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove chops and plate onto a nice serving platter. Let rest for at least 5 minutes. Pour glaze and apples over chops and enjoy!
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