Specifications for Evaluating Smoked Pork Chops Classes
Description:
Bone-in, smoked pork chops could consist of loin chops or rib chops. The cured and smoked chops should be free of bruises or blood spots. Chops should exhibit a cured and smoked appearance. The lean meat should possess a fine, smooth texture with a uniform and bright, reddish-pink color. Excessive under-trimming or over-trimming of the chop for any reason is not desirable.
Evaluation:
Bone-in, smoked pork chops should be evaluated by the following criteria:
- Cutability: Chops with a great area of exposed lean, little external fat, and a small amount of bone are desirable. For a smoked, cured chop, the chop should display acceptable muscling as evaluated by the size of the loin eye and tenderloin muscles. Subcutaneous/intramuscular fat should not be excessive. The size of the bone should be included in the evaluation, as a larger bone is less desirable.
- Color: A uniform dark, reddish-pink cured color should be observed on all muscle surfaces. This cured color should be uniform throughout the entire chop with as little color variation as possible.
- Physical defects: “Blood splashing” (specks or spots of blood), uncured spots, “two-toning,” or “greening” should not be present on the exposed cut surface. The texture of the exposed cut surface should be smooth and fine. Coarse texture may be the result of using meat of carcasses from mature animals or from inadequate cooking. The cut surface should be firm and non-exudative.
Committee Member: Nelson Gaydos
Smoked Pork Chops Official Placing: 1-4-2-3 Cuts: 1-5-3
Practice Questions
- Which chops has the largest bone (relative to the entire chop)?
- Between 1 and 2, which chop has the larger lean area?
- Which chop has the most internal fat?
- Between 3 and 4, which chop has the most 2-tome coloring?
- Between 2 and 3, which chop has the most connective tissue?
- Which chop has the smallest bone (relative to the entire chop)?
- Which chop has the most uniform lean color?
- Which chops displays blood spots?
Practice Questions Answer Key1. 3
2. 1
3. 2
4. 3
5. 2
6. 4
7. 1
8. 4
Official Reasons
1 > 4 because of more uniform lean color and 4 appears to have blood spots? Not sure here so I put a cut of 1.
4 > 2 due to much better overall color and appearance. Put my largest cut here, biggest drop in quality in the class.
2 > 3 because of smaller bone and larger lean area.
Both 2 and 3 have dry/ "cracked" lean areas putting them in the bottom pair.
