Q
Q_Egg
Guest
All excited to get in another Traeger pellet cook ! Ran to Costco for terrific looking package of thick (~1 1/2in thick _ 3 in wide), boneless pork loin chops.
These chops have always been tough for us no matter how they have been cooked .... so also grabbed a Jaccard 16 tooth meat tenderizer. Punched the tenderizer as directed about 4-5 times across each chop ... on both sides .. ( I know .... you some of you guys warned me to get the 48-tooth Jaccard ).
Seasoned 4 of the chops with 4 different rubs .... D Pig, K Stone, D Klose, J Henry.
Started the Traeger (Apple .. bottom .. & .. Oak top pellets), chops went in at 180*F for 30 minutes. Cranked up temp to 325*F ... planning on around 45 more minutes. Internal temp hit 165*F within 30 more minutes. Sampled a chop on each end for internal temp. Digital temp readout on hopper end .. and .. dial thermometer on right-side lid .. both indicated close to the set temp (325*F).
Only ate two of these large chops, seasoning was OK ... maybe good, since it was definitely there, but not at all overpowering. Chops had attractive appearance, somewhat moist surface, not dry inside.
BUTTTT .... they were dang tufff !!! .... almost like I remember the previous chops that were not 'tenderized'. What the chit happened? Please give me some temp and times thoughts that would help make these chops more tender! I was concerned to cook too long, dry them out, and make them even tougher .... was I wrong? How about just 225*F throughout the cook until 165*F ? What about lots more Jaccard 'punches' (like 48 tooth)?
Can thick loin chops ever be tender ??
Dang frustrated!
These chops have always been tough for us no matter how they have been cooked .... so also grabbed a Jaccard 16 tooth meat tenderizer. Punched the tenderizer as directed about 4-5 times across each chop ... on both sides .. ( I know .... you some of you guys warned me to get the 48-tooth Jaccard ).
Seasoned 4 of the chops with 4 different rubs .... D Pig, K Stone, D Klose, J Henry.
Started the Traeger (Apple .. bottom .. & .. Oak top pellets), chops went in at 180*F for 30 minutes. Cranked up temp to 325*F ... planning on around 45 more minutes. Internal temp hit 165*F within 30 more minutes. Sampled a chop on each end for internal temp. Digital temp readout on hopper end .. and .. dial thermometer on right-side lid .. both indicated close to the set temp (325*F).
Only ate two of these large chops, seasoning was OK ... maybe good, since it was definitely there, but not at all overpowering. Chops had attractive appearance, somewhat moist surface, not dry inside.
BUTTTT .... they were dang tufff !!! .... almost like I remember the previous chops that were not 'tenderized'. What the chit happened? Please give me some temp and times thoughts that would help make these chops more tender! I was concerned to cook too long, dry them out, and make them even tougher .... was I wrong? How about just 225*F throughout the cook until 165*F ? What about lots more Jaccard 'punches' (like 48 tooth)?
Can thick loin chops ever be tender ??
Dang frustrated!