Karen MacInerney wrote:

> Last night, out of sheer laziness, I used a recipe of James Beard's
> that involved browning thick pork loin chops, then braising them in
> broth with some sliced onions for an hour. I've done it before with
> rather dry and jaw-exhausting results. Yesterday was no different:
> great flavor, dry and leathery texture.
>
> I've read that pork these days is less fatty than it used to be, and
> suspect that might be the culprit. I've considered larding them with
> bacon, but I think that would affect the flavor (not to mention my
> cholesterol count).
>
> Anyone have a braising tip they'd like to share? (Other than shooting
> the chops up with lard, that is.)
>
> Karen MacInerney
> Kitchen experimenter, family chauffeur, and culinary mystery author
>
I've recently had my first success with a pork stew - the meat was
pretty lean but did contain some fat. I stewed it below simmering point.
That seems to have made the difference. Apparently, stews are meant to
be cooked at 70 degrees Celsius. Too hard to control for me, but a bare
simmer or just below is manageable.