If you eat meat, you probably sometimes wonder whether it’s possible to eat better quality products without paying ridiculous amounts of money. There’s no denying that the higher quality of meat also means better nutritional values and better taste. If you like eating pork, a simple solution may be to always go for the heritage pork. Heritage pork chop is relatively easy to get nowadays, even when it comes to double-cut pork chops. There are various reasons why you should always aim to buy this particular type of pork meat.
What Is Heritage Pork?
Heritage pork involves a selected breed of pigs with bloodlines of hundred years. They were raised by humans well before the agricultural revolution and are still being raised by conventional, traditional methods, which allow them to live their lives to the fullest. There is no place for industrial breeding of pork and no quick turnaround time. The animals are also not fed antibiotics or hormones to speed up their development and their growth. Their meat is free of any chemical additives, meaning it is far healthier and tastier than the pork meat we can usually find in stores.
Intensively farmed pigs are stored in small cages, cramped and mishandled, due to the need for quick turnaround time. On the other hand, heritage pork comes from free, healthy pigs handled carefully and with care. There are various breeds of heritage pigs: Berkshire, Tamworth, Red Wattle, Duroc, Gloucester Old Spot, and Yorkshire, just to name a few. The quality gap between heritage pork chop and the meat of the industrially farmed pigs is huge.
What Is a Pork Porterhouse?
Buying pork in various supermarkets probably convinced you that it should be a soft and lean type of meat. That is, however, untrue. As you will find out by trying heritage pork chop, healthy pigs which aren’t fed chemical adjectives produce a very different type of meat. One of the key differences is the fat content – heritage pork has a much higher one than the industrially produced pork – this means heritage pork chop is much harder to overcook than a “regular” one. Essentially, the best kind of pork piece is known as a pork porterhouse. And what is a pork porterhouse? This is basically a loin chop that comes from the combo cut of the top loin and tenderloin.
Because of the lack of chemicals and additives, heritage meat and pork porterhouse are also much healthier for you. What you get by purchasing heritage pork meat is 100% antibiotics-free, top-quality meat from a healthy naturally and correctly farmed pig.
What About Double Cut Pork Chops?
Another thing you may be interested in if you are looking for a tasty alternative to traditional meat includes double-cut pork chops. As you probably know by now, usually, chops are cut from the ribs. Traditionally, a single cut chop (not only from pork but from any animal) only contains one rib. Double cut chops contain two ribs. But that is not the only difference.
We explained what’s a pork porterhouse already. That said, double chops are taken from the pig’s loin. Rib chops also come from the front of the pig, while loin chops come from the rear, making it the delicious pork porterhouse. Both end in the rib cage, and because of this, the double-cut pork chop is also commonly known as a butterfly chop.
With everything said, all that’s left to do is learn how to cook double-cut pork chops.
How to Cook Double Cut Pork Chops with Apples
You will need:
- 4 double-cut loin chops
- some sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of butter
- half a sweet onion
- half a teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 4 ¼- inch thick slices of a tart-sweet apple
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- half a cup apple butter
Preparation
Cut a slit in each chop in such a way that it would form a pocket midway through. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Set the grill rack about 6 inches above the heat source and heat up to medium warmth.
Set a skillet on the grates and melt the butter. After a short while, add rosemary and onions, and cook constantly stirring for 7-9 minutes – or until the onion becomes soft and caramelized. Remove from the grill grates and cool slightly.
Rub the apple pieces with brown sugar and insert one slice into each of the chop pockets. Add ¼ of the mixture to each chop.
Grill the chops for 6-8 minutes. Rotate a quarter of a turn and grill for about 5 minutes more, then flip the chops and repeat. Cook until the internal temperature reaches about 150 degrees Fahrenheit / 70 degrees Celcius. Serve with apple sauce. Once you know how to cook double-cut pork chops, you’re bound to use this dish as a main course meal for all special occasions!
Instead of the usual hamburgers and ribs, spice things up a little and prepare a delicious heritage pork chop. Of course, if you don’t feel up to it, you can always treat yourself to a lovely meal in Coconut Grove, where the staff of Glass & Vine will welcome you with open arms and a smile. We pride ourselves on delivering the tastiest dishes in the most serene Miami setting. Our restaurant’s garden overlooking the sea is the perfect spot to help you forget about the stress and worries of daily life; simply enjoy the moment and the meal to the fullest.
