Top Chops
Sell guests on the charms of chops with classic cooking methods and tempting trappings that bring out the best in on-the-bone cuts.
This article first appeared in the 1 February 2006 issue of Restaurants & Institutions (R&I).
R&I is the USA's leading source of food and business-trend information and exclusive research on operators and restaurant patrons. Editorial coverage spans the entire foodservice industry, including chains, independent restaurants, hotels and institutions. To find out more about R&I, visit its website www.foodservice411.com.
By Allison Perlik, Senior Editor
On-the-bone preparation is all the rage as restaurant chefs and noncommercial operators embrace the benefits of chops. Simply transformed into juicy, flavor-rich dishes via oven, grill or broiler, these lean, tender cuts earn kudos on menus with all manner of accoutrements.
"Last year people were big on steaks; 2006 will be about different meats [such as pork, veal and lamb]," says Executive Chef Troy Thompson at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey in Los Angeles, where the appetite for chops is big among protein-hungry diners.
Thompson and Chef de Cuisine Dakota Weiss offer two bone-in choices at fine-dining restaurant Jer-ne: grilled New Zealand lamb chops with Thai-style eggplant, and roasted Berkshire pork chop (also known as Kurobuta, a richly marbled heirloom pork variety) with savoy cabbage and whipped potatoes.
Though often on high-end menus, chops are at home throughout foodservice thanks to creative preparations. They're suited to operations from elegant to casual and lend themselves to hearty portions. In the kitchen, chops can be matched with brines, crusts and marinades or simply seasoned with salt and pepper.
"The key is that the meat is on the bone," says Executive Chef Todd Stein, who regularly features at least two bone-in items at mk in Chicago. "If you eat a pork chop off the rack, the flavor is so much better than just buying a butterflied pork chop or tenderloin. When you translate that to what the guest gets, the improvement is night and day."
Get Ready to Roast
Tender and well-marbled, chops take a shine to dry-cooking methods. Chef de Cuisine Daniel Jacobs roasts locally sourced, 5-week-old baby lamb chops at Narra in Evanston, Ill.
At The Inn Spot on the Bay in Hampton Bay, N.Y., co-owner and Executive Chef Colette Connor roasts pork chops in parchment for a now-signature dish she conceived after a shipment from a new purveyor yielded tougher-than-normal product.
"I had used parchment years ago for different foods and I thought it would trap steam and juice from the meat and make it tender," she says.
A sauce made from carrots puréed with chicken stock, fresh ginger and coconut milk is chilled to a thick consistency and spooned onto the chops. They then are wrapped in parchment packages that are placed on sheet trays and cooked in a convection oven. Connor, who suggests wrapping the protein no more than 2 hours before service so the paper doesn't become soggy, finishes the entrée with fresh herbs and accompanies it with basmati rice.
Chef Andre Jacquet puts a different twist on roasting with the stuffed veal chop he serves in the Foundation Room at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. The 12- to 14-ounce center-cut rib chops, chosen over loin chops for their marbling and larger size, are stuffed with 2 ounces of sautéed leek-and-brie mixture. They then are wrapped in caul fat, seared and finished in the oven.
"The caul helps hold in the stuffing and gives the chop an even crust. Then it melts away," he says.
Thrill With the Grill
While mk's Stein roasts Berkshire pork rib chops-cooking them to a delicate-pink medium-rare-he turns to a hardwood-charcoal-fueled grill for his 14-ounce veal porterhouse chops. A lean cut with a mild flavor, the meat emerges from the grill with a delicious kiss of wood smoke. The chops first are marinated at least two days in olive oil with rosemary, garlic, thyme and cracked pepper.
"When we cook on the grill, not only do we mark the top and bottom, but we cook it on the bone and on the fat sides as well," Stein says. "You can't do that while roasting, and it comes out so evenly cooked. You need to do that with a chop of this shape and size."
In the wood-fired grill at La Mancha Restaurant & Bar at The Galisteo Inn in Santa Fe, N.M., Executive Chef Enrique Guerrero seasonally switches among wood varieties from pecan to piÁ±on (pine nut) to impart flavor to chops and other items. The currently menued pork chops, grilled over mesquite, first are brined in a mixture that includes salt, apple cider, honey, cinnamon, juniper berries, anise, allspice, peppercorns and bay leaves.
Fine-dining settings find that, with the right preparation, chops of all types fit the menus, while midscale and noncommercial operators typically experience the greatest success with pork chops.
Pittsburgh-based Eat'n Park Restaurants features chargrilled, center-cut pork chops marinated in sesame-garlic sauce, ginger and teriyaki. At Chagrin Falls, Ohio-based Claddagh Irish Pubs, boneless pork chops are stuffed to order with a balsamic-spiked sourdough mixture and grilled on both sides for smokiness and visual appeal. The 6-ounce chops are finished in the oven so they are evenly cooked inside and lightly browned outside, says Director of Operations and Corporate Chef Greg Jones.
Morrison Senior Dining, a division of Charlotte, N.C.-based Compass Group, The Americas Division, menus pork chops (and occasionally lamb) at least once a week at its continuing-care and assisted-living accounts. While some higher-end clients control chop portion and quality by breaking them down in house, others save time and labor by ordering precut portions.
The chops are prepared with brines, marinades or rubs, the latter often composed of low-sodium bases, olive oil, fresh herbs and dried spices.
"These techniques infuse flavor and also have the benefit of tenderizing the cuts a little more, so even if they are a bit overcooked we can offer great product," says John Riskin, regional director of service and culinary.
Bring on the Broiler
Grilling is a popular approach to chops, but broilers-often the preferred equipment in steak- and chophouses-also provide the one-two taste punch of charring and caramelization.
Nearly all meat options at Newport Beach, Calif.-based chain Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar are prepared in a 1,600F broiler, and 14-ounce veal chops and double-thick lamb chops are no exception.
"The texture of the meat is conducive to that type of cooking. We use a black pepper-and-kosher salt mix to season, and it puts a nice crust on the chops as we broil them," says Corporate Executive Chef Russell Skall, who menues lamb, veal and pork chops to provide protein options for guests while serving cuts consistent with the steakhouse theme. Except for pork, all are purchased in subprimal cuts and butchered daily in house by Fleming's chef-partners and sous-chefs.
At Restaurant O, an upscale, contemporary American operation in Greenville, S.C., Executive Chef-partner Rodney Freidank sears thick, 8-ounce lamb chops in the broiler and brings them to temperature in the oven to avoid burning the bones. Seasoned only with salt and pepper, the chops are complemented by jalapeÁ±o-mint gastrique.
"We cut them thick because customers eating steaks and chops expect a big portion of protein," Freidank says. "Thick cuts also provide more leeway in cook times-you can get a better crust outside without overcooking the inside."
Movable Feasts
Banquets come with their own kitchen rules. Four chefs experienced in high-volume arenas share tips: Executive Chef Chuck Courtney at the Viceroy Palm Springs in California; Executive Chef Patrick Crane at The Art Institute of Chicago (a Palo Alto, Calif.-based Bon Appetit Management Co. account); Executive Chef Michael Macchi at Bartolino's in St. Louis; and Executive Chef Kevin Prendergast at the New York Marriott Marquis.
Order chops for delivery the day prior to an event to make certain they meet specifications.
Grill or sear meats up to a day in advance to cut preservice work time.
After searing, make sure chops are properly cooled before wrapping/covering to ensure they don't continue to cook in trapped steam.
When holding chops on aluminum trays, lay parchment underneath the meat to preserve flavor.
Pull seared chops from the walk-in early enough to bring them to room temperature before finishing.
Fully cook chops as close to service as possible; to avoid overcooking, don't hold too long in hot boxes.
During rethermalization, use racks in sheet or roasting pans so chops don't rest in their juices.
Where possible, roast chops in whole racks to retain moisture and hold temperature, then carve to order.
Cook-hold ovens are practical solutions for banquet service.
To add flavor and sheen, brush chops with herb butter or top with hot jus before service.
Prep Pointers
Sending perfect chops from the kitchen with confidence demands tried-and-true equipment and techniques that yield consistent results. The choices of some leading chefs:
Executive Chef Kevin Prendergast at the New York Marriott Marquis relies on three 18-rack combi ovens that inject bursts of steam to keep chops moist as they roast.
For banquets, Prendergast composes plates on a 9-foot conveyor belt. Staff stand on either side, each adding a required element before the plate is garnished, wiped clean and transferred to thermostat-controlled, vented hot boxes for service.
At Restaurant O, Executive Chef Rodney Freidank relies on a freestanding, infrared broiler, which can be turned off between uses and brought back to temperature quickly for the intense heat required to perfectly sear steaks and chops.
Chef-partners at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar prefer gas broilers with ceramic blocks that heat from the top down, searing meats and creating appealing crusts.
Jer-ne chefs vacuum-seal marinated chops in bundles of four or five for holding, taking care to wrap bones in heavy-grade paper towels so they don't pierce the packaging.
