Your Slow Cooker Is the Secret to Incredible Pork Chops (2024)

FAQs

Why are my pork chops tough in the slow cooker? ›

In a perfect world, to keep your pork chops from drying out in the slow cooker, choose thick-cut, bone-in pork chops. Part of the reason pork chops often turn out dry and tough is that they are a leaner cut. To prevent this look for 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch thick bone-in chops with a good amount of marbling and fat.

As with my dad's pork chops, grilling is a high temperature cooking method. While I recommend cooking low and slow, I emphasize the word slow. This will not be a fast cooking process, so try it when you aren't rushed. I put them in the oven, covered on the lowest bake setting, which happens to be 170 degrees.

Using a slow cooker

So, what's the key to cooking pork without drying it out? Regardless of how you prepare the meat, it's best to cook it at a low temperature slowly.

At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone.

Cook Low and Slow

Add your other ingredients and liquids, then set your cooker to “low.” Plan for 6-9 hours of cooking time for your warming slow cooker meal. This long, slow braise breaks down the connective tissue and fat, creating deliciously soft and juicy meat.

Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.

Then, if you want your pork to be extra tender, you can marinate it in a tenderizing marinade made with acids, like citrus juices, vinegar, or wine. For easier tenderizing, use a commercial meat tenderizer by wetting the surface of the meat, and then sprinkling the tenderizer over the meat.

Tenderize Pork with a Meat Mallet

An old-fashioned meat mallet is a quick, affordable, and reliable way to soften up any cut of meat. It's great for pork chops because you can use it lightly on thinner chops and put more force into thicker cuts.

The Slow Cooker as a Tool for Braising

You can even leave your house. Set the cooker to low; the high setting will boil the meat instead of braise it, so it's only a quicker trip to an undesirable outcome.

However, if the pork is cooked too long, it may become dry and hard instead of tender. When the internal temperature of the meat reaches 210 degrees F or more, the muscle fibers become tougher, and the meat becomes dry and chewy.

Should pork be covered with liquid in a slow cooker? ›

For an all-American classic, I use a mix of ketchup, grainy mustard, apple cider vinegar, and Coca-Cola. Your liquid should not cover your pork in the slow cooker: it should only come up about a quarter of the way up the sides.

Yes, it's generally recommended to add some liquid when cooking pork in a slow cooker to prevent it from drying out and to help distribute flavors. You can use broth, wine, barbecue sauce, or even just water depending on the recipe you're following.

Close the Proofer and allow the pork to cook for a total of 10 or 11 hours. Midway during the slow cook process you can turn the pork over once. After 10 hours check the interior of the pork with a thermometer. We recommend a temperature of 195-200 °F / 90-93 °C for tender, juicy pork which pulls apart easily.

Overcooked Pork Chops Are Tough

When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing. This is partly due to carry-over cooking.

Let your pork chops rest for at least 10 minutes after cutting. This lets the juices re-absorb into the meat, keeping it tender and moist. Tent foil over the top during the rest period to keep the pork warm. The exception to the resting rule is the slow cooker method.

If the pulled pork doesn't shred easily you either got the wrong cut of meat, or it is not done cooking.

But the old method of cooking pork to the well-done stage, offered an excessive margin of safety. And since overcooking shrinks meat fibers and squeezes our juices, overcooked pork is tough and dry. It's well worth investing in a meat thermometer or slender multi-use digital thermometer, to take away the guesswork .