Kitchen Cooking
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ByChase Shustack|
What makes a good pork chop? Does it have to be cooked in a pan and topped with a rich and flavorful pan sauce? Does it have to be put in a slow cooker and simmered for a few hours until the meat is so tender you can't even pick it up without it falling apart? However you like your pork chops cooked, one thing must always be consistent: the pork chops should be juicy, tender, and incredibly moist. Anything else just won't be up to par.
That's why, should you find yourself reheating leftover pork chops from last night's dinner, you may find that your chops aren't exactly as good as they were the night before. They're dry, tough, and flavorless– you feel more like a dog chewing on a piece of rawhide than an actual piece of meat. If dry and tough leftover pork chops are something that particularly bothers you, you may want to consider another method that isn't just throwing the meat in the microwave for a few minutes.
The following method is actually very similar to how you would normally make pork chops in the oven for the first time. All you need is your choice of baking dish, your leftover pork chops, and, should you have any on hand, your choice of cooking liquid or fat. This "re-baking" method may be a bit more time-consuming, but it will give you pork chops as juicy as the first time you made them.
Bake your pork chops in liquid or fat
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A very common method of making pork chops is to lay the pork chops in a baking dish, fill the dish with liquid, and then bake them. This re-heating method follows the same process, re-introducing the chops to liquids or fats in order to keep them moist and tender.
To go about this method is very simple and, while a bit more time-consuming than using your microwave, is relatively hands-free. Find your baking dish of choice, such as a glass baking dish or a casserole dish, and lay your pork chops inside of it as close as you can. Then, add your choice of liquid– this could be anything from leftover bacon fat, gravy, or simple store-bought stock. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that you should add at least one tablespoon of liquid per pork chop, though you may add more if need be. Cover the dish with foil and then bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
Unlike the microwave, the pork chops will not lose moisture thanks to all the liquid and the steam that builds up while in the dish. The liquid also adds extra flavor to the meat, which prevents any flavorless cuts of meat from being served. It's suggested you do this with pork chops that are still relatively "fresh," as pork chops that have been in your fridge for some time may still come out dry even in the oven.
You could also use a skillet
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While using your oven to reheat pork chops does result in a juicier chop, it's a bit of prep work just for some leftovers. Is there any way you could replicate the effects of the oven method without having to sit around and wait for your oven to preheat?
If you don't have that many leftover pork chops, a good method to reheat them is to use your stovetop and your skillet. Set your skillet over a burner at medium heat and add your cooking liquid (water, broth, or cooking oil should work just fine), and allow it to reach a bare simmer. Once your liquid is sufficiently heated, add your pork chops and then cover the skillet for around three minutes. At the three-minute mark, remove the cover and give the pork chops a flip. You may want to add more liquid here, just in case you think the amount of liquid in the skillet is getting too low. Once the pork reaches at least an internal temperature of 165 degrees, you can remove the pork chops and serve them as usual.
Aside from being a quicker way to reheat pork chops than the oven, you can also make a pan sauce out of the drippings and leftover fat to serve alongside your reheated pork chops. Whether you use the oven or the skillet method, you can at least take comfort in enjoying a juicy and tender piece of pork.
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