Tough chops

[George K]

I got a new air fryer last week, and overall, I'm much happier than I was with the other model I had.

Frozen fries, grilled cheese - just perfect.

So tonight I wanted to make some pork chops. Here's what I did:

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2 pork chops 3/4" to 1" thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Compound Butter

4 tablespoons salted butter softened
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 splash Worcestershire sauce

Place the pork chops on a rack with airflow above and below them. Season the pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let the pork chops sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the air fryer to 390-400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dab any excess moisture off the surface of the pork chops.

Once the air fryer is preheated, place the pork chops in the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the chops and cook for another 5-6 minutes. The total cook time will depend on the thickness of your chops. The final temperature should be 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the pork chops are done, remove them from the air fryer and let them rest for 10 minutes, topped with the compound butter.

Compound Butter

In a bowl, combine butter, garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until well blended.

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I put a "Meater" thermometer into the chop and cooked it to a temp of 155 (Mrs. George abhors "pink"). I sprayed with some canola oil for browning.

The chops didn't brown, sadly. And, though well-done, they were flavorful but really really chewy.

What did I do wrong, other than cooking to a too-high temp?

[George K]

https://thestayathomechef.com/air-fryer-pork-chops/

[blondie]

I’ve never used an air fryer. But pork chops are one dish I serve up fast because they seem to change texture from juicy to yucky quickly.

[Mik]

Pork chops generally fare better in a wet brine, especially if cooking hot. Also, try only taking them to 145.

Do you like your Meater? I like my Inkbird wired set a lot and use it often, even inside, but I'm getting tempted.

[kluurs]

I've had some success with pork tenderloin in one of our air fryers which has a rotisserie feature. SWMBO sometimes is not happy with the aroma coming from the air fryer. As a consequence, we now have one unit as a dedicated outdoor unit. I have a quaint Glad garbage bag cover for it to protect it from the elements.

No, we have no cars on our lawn on blocks. Why do you ask?

[Mik]

Concrete geese you dress up, maybe?

[kluurs]

@Mik said in Tough chops:

Concrete geese you dress up, maybe?

Between the lawn gnomes...

[Mik]