why cant I cook these things? Please give me your failsafe recipes and add your own cooking nemeses

[DwellsUndertheSink]

I cannot cook pork chops. I want to be able to, because my family love them, (i dont) but they always turn out hard and tough and a bit pants really. I tend to buy loin chops, and for example, I did them this weekend in a casserole with apple and cider ...still yuk. So tell me how I make lovely loin chops please!

Second....tomato pasta sauce. I want to make my own that tastes all sweet and intense like the jars, but all I manage to make is something that tastes like tinned tomato. I just want to make a lovely sauce that has everyone reaching for bread to mop up the remains.....

Pork chops - I think either cook quickly under a hot, hot grill - OR very, very slowly in a moist casserole. Nothing inbetween.

Pasta sauce. Sweat down some onion, bit of celery in water. Once that has softened add diced garlic. Then canned tomatoes - maybe two tins. Herbs. Seasoning - I like Marigold Vegetable Bouillon powder in it too.

Leave to simmer gently for a long time - at least an hour - but keep checking on it. Taste. Add tomato puree if you think it needs it, pinch of sugar?

I cant cook chops, either!

For a good pasta sauce:
Use a base of lots of garlic and finely chopped spring onions instead of normal onions (sweeter). Use really good olive oil to sweat them in. Add as much dried oregano as you like to taste (I use a whole tablespoon).
Add a combination of passata, a few chopped ripe tomatoes, splash of white wine, some bay leaves. Tinned tomatoes are crap.
Dont cover the pot - cook in a big pan or dutch pot, leave uncovered, bring to the boill and then let simmer uncovered for at least half an hour. Add some shredded fresh basil leaves 5 mins before end of cooking.
The result is an intense, sweet, lovely sauce (excellent with meatballs). This is a version of Nigella's recipe.

Add a splash of water to it if it thickens too much!

Pork chops (loin) .... Rub with olive oil, season, sear both sides on a high heat and cook for a relatively short time only. Shoulder steaks are better in the casserole as they require longer cooking time and the contain more fat to keep them moist.

Tomato pasta sauce... Start with the best quality canned chopped tomatoes you can find (or use fresh with the skins and seeds removed) and then the secret is long, slow cooking. Sweat off some finely chopped onion, garlic, a teaspoon of sugar and plenty of seasoning & herbs in olive oil until it all starts to caramelise a little round the edges. Then add the tomatoes and a good dollop of tomato puree, turn the heat way down and leave it for well over an hour stirring occasionally, allowing it to reduce, thicken and change colour. I do mine in the pressure cooker as it's quicker and then freeze portions for another day.

thank you all - I shall try the pasta sauces this week.

Why is pork so hard to cook - I can do a roast pork, by chops just not my thing.

I can't cook chops either, you are not alone!!

It's taken me a long time, but I have mastered pork chops. Basically I realised that frying or grilling them never worked. And slow cooking was not right for a chop. I researched. And now I have CRACKED it.

you need a pan that can go in the oven. This is essential.

Heat oven to about 180.

Take pork chop and get it nicely covered in olive oil. Stick a sage leaf in either side if you want to be fancy. Bit of salt and pepper.

Heat your pan on stove to high heat.

Slap chop into pan. Let cook for about 2 - 3 minutes to brown. If there's a nice ring of fat, hold the chop with tongs with the fat in the pan to fry for another minute or two to start crisping it up.

Turn chop over.

Immediately out chop in the oven in the pan.

Cook for approximately 8 minutes, depending on thickness (here you might need To experiment a bit).

Remove and set aside to rest.

If you want a little sauce, carefully (without forgetting that the handle is hot. I have made this mistake and needed a trip to a&e) make it in the hot pan. Drop a large knob of bitter in to melt and sizzle then squeeze in some Lemon juice (for v simple) or use masala wine with lemon for slightly posher version.

Spoon sauce over chops and serve.

I really struggle with mashed potato

I cook chops in a wok. Brown the outside, turn down low, add a blob of grainy mustard and some creme fresh, mushrooms and onion, keep topping up with water if it gets thick.

I dont make tomato sauce anymore. I buy the jars from Lidls (about 90p). They have red, green, orange or purple lids. chunky veg, herb and garlic and one other. If you WERE to make sauce then fry onion, garlic grated carrot and celery. Add chopped toms, balsamic vinegar, herbs and 1tsp sugar. Anchovies, capers and olives. Smoked bacon or chorizzo is lush too but for less faff I'd go with the Lidls one. It is my fall back for camping holidays or pouring over meatballs.

DH says I cant cook sausages - I just happen to like them cremated. He likes them flabby.

Dwells - top tip....add a chopped red pepper to your tomato sauce. It makes it even sweeter and moister. PS I'm rubbish at pork chops unless they are cooked long and slow and in a marinade.

methe, I bought a potato ricer for mash. then add lots of butter (Not marg) and some hot milk.

I also find that you need to leave the spuds cooking for a minute or two after you think they are done...because Im always in a hurry.

Two tips: firstly try brining your pork chops for an hour before cooking. A simple brine is 2 tablespoons of table salt dissolved in 200ml of water. Submerge the chops for an hour in the brine, then drain and rinse off the brine. Pat dry and pan fry.

Secondly, a very simple tomato sauce is made by emptying two cans of tomatoes into a saucepan. add a peeled onion cut in half, 50g butter and a good pinch of sugar and salt. Leave to simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the onion and serve.

All kinds of grated veg work lovely in tomato sauce - squash, carrots etc

We have pork loin chops regulary and they are yummy and tender.

I coat mine in panko breadcrumbs and pan fry.

Cover with flour then beaten egg and then cover the chop in panko. It is good to do this an hour or so before frying. Leave them in the fridge once coated.

Heat frying pan to very hot, add olive oil and fry each side for 2.5 minutes. No more or becomes tough. At the end squeeze over lemon juice.

tomato sauce. fry an onion and a celery stick (finely chopped), a carrot (grated) in oil until soft.
add a good gluck balsamic vinegar (malt also works). cook until vinegar has dissapeared.
add a teaspoon mustard, tablespoon concentrated tomato paste, teaspoon stock powder, crushed garlic.
add a tin chopped toms.
simmer for an hour.

Tomato & Basil sauce recipe from BBC Good Food which I use all the time. Tastes good with spaghetti and meatballs or just with pasta.

1 garlic clove, crushed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
Half a veg stock cube
1 tsp sugar
Handful of fresh basil, torn (or 1/2 tsp dried)

• fry garlic in a tbsp of oil on a medium heat for one minute
• add all the other ingredients except for the fresh basil (if using dried then you can add this now)
• bring to the boil then simmer for 5 mins
• add the fresh basil
• job done

Tastes delicious.