"The growth in vegetarian options is probably a good thing in a lot of ways, but most of us still love meat. In fact, according to FMI - the food industry association - the meat industry recorded its biggest year ever in 2024 with over $100 billion in sales. Beef, chicken, and pork are the top-sellers, and why not? All three are great, versatile choices. For one, it's hard to go wrong by picking pork chops for your dinner."
"Pork chops are cut from the tender sections of the hog, mostly along its back. At the front, towards the shoulder, we have rib chops. Then further back, where the ribs run out, you find loin chops. Finally, in the rear part of the loin before it merges into the hind leg, we come to the sirloin chops. You'll also see cuts from the shoulder or hind leg labeled occasionally as chops; I'll circle back to that in a minute."
"I'm a lifelong fan of pork myself, growing up in a family that raised pork and as a professional cook. In fact, the place where I held my first chef position was a regional chain started by a hog-farming family, specifically as an outlet for its own pork. So drawing on that experience, and the questions I've fielded over the years in cooking classes, here are some of the mistakes I often see people make with pork chops."
Pork remains a top-selling meat, with the meat industry recording over $100 billion in sales in 2024. Pork chops are cut from tender sections along the hog's back and include rib, loin, and sirloin chops, with occasional shoulder or hind-leg cuts labeled as chops. Rib chops are well-marbled and ideal for grilling; loin chops are leaner with an outer fat layer. Treating all chops the same leads to common cooking errors. Experience with hog farming and professional cooking reveals selection and technique differences that inform proper preparation to avoid overcooking and to maximize flavor and texture.
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