Pork Sirloin Chop

The pork sirloin chop is the unsung hero of the pork world – and frankly, that’s exactly how I like it. While everyone’s fighting over the rib chops and tenderloins, smart cooks know that the sirloin end delivers outstanding flavor and tenderness with less overall fat.

Let me give you the anatomy lesson. Picture yourself as a pig one more time (yes, we’re doing this again). The sirloin chop comes from the hip end of the loin, opposite from the rib section. Now, in the bad old days of commodity pork, this was the section you’d avoid because it was leaner and had a tendency to dry out faster than you could say “the other white meat.” But that was then, and this is now.

With heritage breeds – our Berkshire or Duroc beauties – the sirloin chop is a completely different animal. The superior marbling that these breeds are famous for runs throughout the entire loin, including this hip section. What you get is a chop that’s got enough fat to stay moist during cooking, but not so much that it overwhelms the clean, meaty flavor that makes pork chops great in the first place.

The sirloin chop has a slightly different texture than its rib counterpart – a bit firmer, with a more pronounced pork flavor that really shines when you keep the seasoning simple. Salt, pepper, maybe a touch of garlic or herbs, and let the meat do the talking.

Cooking-wise, these chops are forgiving. They’ll handle the grill, the stovetop, or the oven with equal aplomb. Just remember the golden rule of pork: back off the heat a bit. About 75% of what you’d use for beef will do the trick. These chops want to be cooked through but not beaten into submission.

This is smart cooking with great pork, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.