It seemed like a place for all things porky and choppy was needed.
Personally, I’ve been on a quest, along with several friends, to find the best pork chop in a NJ restaurant. I’m going with Semolina in Red Bank. Mine have always been cooked properly and I love the mix of sauce and onions. My runner up is 2nd Floor in West End Long Branch. Their insane ham sauce must be sampled.
The best one I ever bought and cooked myself came from Monmouth Meats in Red Bank. It was a long time ago but I am sure it was prime. Not certain if it was Berkshire.
(You should have merged the pork chop comments from the big ole steak thread over here too!!)
I’m +1 on Semolina being the best, they really put the pork chop on my radar as a must try dish. My 2nd place is tied between Blu Grotto and La Grilia, both of which make it murphy style with the peppers onions and potatoes. A close runner up is Olive and Ivy, they use a rib chop, which is similar to a T-bone / porterhouse steak, where you have the T bone with two different meats on each side. Very good as well. (FYI I"m pretty sure the bone of the rib chop is the same bone for baby back ribs)
In the Wall Shoprite on RT. 34 in the butcher case they also have a Kansas City porkchop which I found to be better then the Berkshire chop. Simply grilled with a rub of olive oil, garlic salt and black pepper.
I don’t have much history with or knowledge about pork chops. What’s the difference between Berkshire, Kansas City, Prime and plain old pork chops? I typically buy thin, bone-in chops as I usually prepare them marinated Vietnam Bistro style and then grill them.
Then these large fat pork chops would probably be of very little interest to you. Similar to beef steaks, the cuts depend on where they are located with the loin being the most desirable. The Birkshire chop is a marketing name for chops (similar to CAB in red meat) from pigs raised with less hormones etc. and suppose to provide a better porky taste than standard.
Bottom line given the price of pork vs. beef many restaurants are placing big fat pork chops (ala Semolina) on their menu’s because (big fat) meat eaters like me will enjoy them as much as a steak. However the profit on a big fat pork chop is 4x’s that of an equivalent steak, so that’s the true bottom line to it all.