Christmas meal plan help, PLEASE

[stoneeyes317]

After years of going to my parents for Christmas and eating my moms main dish, I finally convinced her to let me make the main dish. My mother cannot eat meat if it's even the tiniest bit rare inside. Any hint of pink and she will not touch it. My dad used to cut off the end of a big steak and start it 5 minutes earlier than the rest just so my mom would eat some. It was like cardboard . I've picked out a recipe where pork chops are cooked in the oven in a sour cream gravy. You sear the meat, pull it and then prepare the gravy, nestle the chops back in the pan, cover with gravy and bake until done. I've got a probe thermometer I'll use to cook the chops until they are 145-150. I figure if the meat is covered with the gravy mom won't be able to tell they aren't well done. My only question is what type of chop should I use? I'm leaning towards getting a big pork loin and cutting thick chops from it (basically large medallions). My thinking is that this will be somewhat cost effective since I believe I'm cooking for 15. My fear is that these lean chops may dry out without enough gravy.

Thoughts and opinions welcomed and encouraged. If I can't find out an answer with my cookbook collection this is my next reference

eyes317

[reinhard1]

with the meat situation you have i would do this. one of the tastiest meals out there is a pot roast. cubs has their chuck roast on sale this week for 2.98 a pound. some of the best gravy's i have made were with pork and beef together. i would get a pork butt to complement the pot roast. this would give you two meats.

i have done a 5 lb chuck roast and a 5 pound pork butt this way. no spices needed. take a large roaster [enough for the meat you are going to prepare]. i put 2 bottles of beer in the roaster. then i went and put in one box of lipton beefy onion soup mix in the beer and mixed it up good. [one box of the soup mix has two packs in it]. then i put the meat in the pan and rolled the meat around in the liquid [both the pork and beef roast].

then i covered the roaster and put it in the oven at 350 for two hours. then i take the cover off the pan and turn the meat over, put the cover back on and keep it in the oven checking every half hour until the meat starts to come apart easily with a fork.

then i take th meat out and and make the gravy. if more liquid is needed all i do is put one more bottle of beer in the pan and add another pack of soup mix. do a taste test and when satisfied stir in your flour to thicken the gravey. i put the flour in some warm water and use a blender to make sure there is no lumps and then slowly stir it in the pan. the pan should be on top of your stove simmering at this time while adding the water four mix. when all the gravey is done to your liking i return the meat to the gravey and serve the meat and gravy out of the roaster.

mashed potatoes [i have homemade dumplings] and vegies or your favorite side dish. there is also a Christmas meal thread going on in the cooking forum so there may be some ideas on that as well. good luck.

[jmd1]

If you are set on chops, i would do the bone in type. You can pick the thickness but with the bone the moisture and taste will remain. I do pork chops in cream of mushroom soup a couple times a month. Family likes them and is a good change of pace. You can get a couple family packs and let er rip. You can then if you don't want the bone take them out of the pan prior to serving and remove the bone. The meat will be grayish as it will be in the soup and should not have to worry about them being dry. Good luck.

[thirdeye]

reinhard1 makes a good point with the roasted chuck or pork butt. They will be in the 200° range when falling-apart-tender, no hint of pink.... and the gravy from either roast will be delicious.

Your pork recipe sounds good too, my only concern would be the sour cream in the gravy breaking down if it's cooked too long. As far as chops go I like your idea of buying a whole loin. They are an excellent value and you can slice boneless chops as thick as you want to. Boneless loin chops are easier to cook in this application because of their uniformity, and you are dealing with one muscle verses the loin and tenderloin in a bone-in chop.

If you want a fancier presentation, buy a bone-in loin and slice each chop with a bone attached, bear in mind they will be thick, and bone-in loins are more expensive.

As far as helping with moistness, brining the chops will keep them moist and even allow you to cook to a slightly higher doneness and still be moist.

Another idea to insure your mom's portion will be more done, just cut some thinner, and mark them with a toothpick so you can find them in the baking dish. Select your Mom's chops from the center of the loin because the rib end of the loin has several muscle groups visible which will appear darker when cooked, giving the impression of undercooked meat. These are rib end slices. Center chops have one big eye.

[Leaky]

Cooking for 15 is always a challenge. If you do the chops, I think the boneless loin idea would be the best from both a cost and cooking standpoint. Thirdeye's pic of the French Cut Bone-in Loin is awesome. Cook it as a whole loin and let people cut their own chop.

RH1's idea of the Chuck and Butt is an excellent one. Easy and delicious along side a BIG pot of mashed potatoes. Other people could bring the sides.

Another idea - Lasagna has been a staple Christmas meal in our family. 2 large pans with salad and garlic bread works really well. I have a great recipe if you wanted.

[fishinchicks]

We have very lean pork chops, and regularly make pork chops with rice. It has a cream soup mixture over it as well. If you add a little beef stock to slightly thin the gravy, and cook it low and slow, they will turn out tender.

Another option is to marinate the chops, and grill them. They always turn out nice and tender that way.

[stoneeyes317]

O.K., I'm glad I asked here. Reinhardt, I knew about the other post but didn't feel like hijacking it, so I figured I'd start my own .

I am pretty set on this recipe, I've cooked it in small quantities before for the 3 in my family but I usually use tenderloin tips and haven't tried chops yet. I found @ HyVee today a whole pork loin (like thirdeye's picture) for $2.99/lb. They were selling the end of the loin @ $2.69/lb. and the center cut @ $3.99/lb. and when I talked to the guy behind the counter he listened and then suggested the whole loin, as some here have done as well. An 8.5 lber cost $24.50 and I've got it in the freezer until I need it.

Thanks to all who posted, and thanks thirdeye for the pics, they help me understand what the guy behind the counter was saying about the different cuts. I hadn't thought about cutting mom's chop thinner (I just want her to taste what well cooked rather than well done meat is ) but I also hadn't thought about the sour cream breaking down. Following the recipe will have the oven @ 300 for 1 hr., so do you think that will be too long? Also I thought about putting the whole loin on mt Egg until it reaches 140-145, then wrapping it in foil and taking it to my folks (about 45 minutes) and then cutting the chops and finishing it in the oven. Any thoughts on this?

[jmd1]

we do whole loins every now and then. i cook them in the oven low and slow and then throw some kraut around it with some dumplings to finish it off. Good luck anyway you do it i bet it will be good.