-1

A popular dish in Andalusia consists of pork sirloin chops in a whiskey sauce.

I've tried to recreate this at home by marinading for a short time and then frying, but the meat ends up rather tough, not anything like the tender melt-in-your-mouth variety I recall from Spain. (The marinade called for whiskey, lemon, and mustard, with crushed whole garlic cloves.)

Does anyone have any tips on how to properly cook pork sirloin to that effect?

Marti
  • 4,967
  • 6
  • 37
  • 49
nbubis
  • 370
  • 2
  • 12
  • Have you tried [black/iberian pork](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Iberian_pig) sirloin (solomillo de pata negra)? – J.A.I.L. Nov 05 '12 at 08:54
  • You need to add some detail, are you talking about a whole sirloin, or chops? What is the marinade, and how long are you doing it? Then what method are you using to prepare it? – GdD Nov 05 '12 at 10:07
  • @J.A.I.L. - are you suggesting that it's simply a matter of the meat used? this could very well be the case, but still I'm sure it can be done better than the dismal results I got. – nbubis Nov 05 '12 at 11:35
  • @GdD - Chops. The marinade called for whiskey lemon and mustard with crushed (but left whole) garlic cloves. – nbubis Nov 05 '12 at 11:37
  • 1
    @nbubis I'm suggesting it *might* be simply the meat. I've noticed surprise among foreigners (I'm Spanish, from Andalusia) when barbequing [iberian] pork and they feel it behaves like beef. – J.A.I.L. Nov 05 '12 at 11:50
  • @J.A.I.L. - would you care to share the method used (If you know one)? I saw it served all around Andalusia. – nbubis Nov 05 '12 at 11:57
  • 1
    @nbubis: Sorry, I've never prepared it by myself. Next time I'll see a relative who makes it I'll ask her. (Yep: it's my mom) – J.A.I.L. Nov 05 '12 at 12:18
  • 1
    Why is the downvote? – J.A.I.L. Nov 05 '12 at 18:29

1 Answers1

2

OK, with chops you have a some considerations, one is the quality of the port, next is how thick they are, last is how long you cook it. First, get the best quality you can. Get friendly with a butcher is my suggestion, as supermarket quality can be spotty. Next, get thicker chops. Your pork is probably tough because it is overcooked, and it is easy to overcook thin chops, so thicker chops stay juicier and more tender. Try to get them at least 1 inch or 2.5cm thick. You want your pork pink in the middle, not cooked through.

Third is how long you fry them. For very thin chops no more than 3 minutes a side, but for 2.5cm ones do 6 minutes on the first side, and 4 on the other. Scale those times up for bigger chops. I use an app called BB Meat Master for my cooking times, but there are websites with the cooking times as well.

Alternatively you could braise them, fry them off quickly, then pour in the marinade, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes depending on thickness.

GdD
  • 74,019
  • 3
  • 128
  • 240