Grilled Pork Chops can be Tough and Flavorless. Follow these rules to Grill the Perfect Pork Chop Every Time.
Perfect Grilled Pork Chops
Ever grill a chop and have it come out dry, tough and flavorless. There are reasons for that. Three to be exact.
First, you want to make sure you’re selecting the right chop for grilling.
Second, you want to make sure you are preparing it properly.
Third, you want to make make sure you are using the right grilling method for your chops.
We’ve tested all these pork-chop-grilling-factors and we think we’ve found the best way to grill a chop. If you are interested, read on.
Meat Selection
It all starts at the butcher shop. Pick the wrong cut of meat and you are in for a tough, flavorless grilling session. Not to worry…we’ve created a summary of the type of chop – ranked by tenderness, juiciness and flavor. In short, rib chops are the best.
And if you take only one thing away from this article, make sure steer clear of the sirloin chop! Also – Be sure to make sure your pork chops are bone-in. The bone and connective tissues around the bone impart flavor to the chop when cooked. Yum.
| Chop Name | Tenderness | Juiciness | Flavor |
| Rib Chop | Good | Good | Excellent |
| Center-Cut Chop | Good | Fair | Good |
| Blade Chop | Poor | Excellent | Excellent |
| Sirloin Chop | Poor | Poor | Poor |
Images courtesy of porkchops.com
Pork Chop Preparation
After many a grilling test, we determined that grilled pork chops need to be brined, and then dry-rubbed. Grilling tends to dry out pork, and brining adds moisture to the chop and gives you moist, well-seasoned pork that is difficult to overcook. Plus, brining only takes about one hour, while marinating can take several. Just make sure you pat the brine off the chops when you’re done, or you’ll be in for some salty pork.
Pork Chop Brine Recipe
Brine Ingredients
6 Tablespoons kosher salt
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
4 Bone-In Rib or Center-Cut pork chops, 1-1/2 inches thick. Each chop should weigh about 12 oz.
Your favorite dry rub or some ground black pepper
An disposable aluminum roasting pan large enough to cover all of the chops
Brine Directions
Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in in three quarts of cold water in a 2-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag
Refrigerate the bag with the chops in it for about one hour. Make sure all the pork chops are covered with brine. Turn the bag after 30 minutes if necessary.
Remove the chops from the brine and pat dry thoroughly
Coat the chops with the dry rub or season generously with the black pepper
Grilling your Pork Chops – Charcoal
If you’re going to do it, do it over charcoal. Gas is acceptable but charcoal is going to give you that extra flavor. Here are the charcoal directions, step by step:
1. Build a two-level charcoal fire. I.E. put most of the coals on one side of the grill, and put a thin layer of coals on the other side . This gives you two different heats to grill with. Use the bank of coals for high heat and searing, use the thin layer of coals for slower cooking.
2. Let the grilling rack heat up for about 5 minutes after setting up your fire. Make sure the lid is on.
3. When the pile of coals (the hot side) is medium-hot, and the thin layer of coals is medium-low, then your grill is ready.
Tip: Hold your hand 5 inches above the grill grate. Medium-hot: Hand gets hot after 3-4 seconds. Medium-low: Hand gets hot after 7 seconds.
4. Grill the chops, uncovered over medium-high heat until browned on each side. 2-1/2 to 3 minutes per side. Move the chops to the cooler part of the grill and cover with the disposable aluminum pan. Continue grilling for about 7 minutes, turning once.
After 7 minutes check the temp with an instant-read meat thermometer. If it reads 135 F, you’re done. Pork is safe to eat at 140, and the chop will reach this temperature after it rests. This is due to the bone holding extra heat. If you don’t have bone-in pork chops, grill until 140 F.
5. Once the internal temperature reaches 135, take the chops off the grill and cover them with the disposable pan. Let them rest for 5 minutes (by goeres at dhead fashion). Internal temp should rise to 145 during this time. Serve after 5 mins.
Grilling your Pork Chops – Gas Grill
1. Turn one burner on medium-high, another on medium low.
2. Grill the chops, uncovered over medium-high heat until browned on each side. Move the chops to the cooler part of the grill after 2 1/2 – 3 minutes on each side. Continue grilling for about 7 minutes, turning once.
3. After 7 minutes check the temp with an instant-read meat thermometer. If it reads 135 F, you’re done. If you don’t have bone-in pork chops, grill them until they reach 140 F.
4. Once the internal temperature reaches 135, take the chops off the grill and cover them (aluminum foil or a disposable pan works well). Let them rest for 5 minutes. The internal temp should reach 145 during this time. Serve your pork chops after resting 5 minutes.
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s easy to make awesome grilled pork chops if you just select the right chop, brine it and then cook it using the right method. By thinking with the entire process in mind, your pork chop grilling adventures are sure to end in success. What do you think? Have you grilled pork chops recently? Leave a comment or send us a pic! support@pitbossbelt.com
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This grilled pork chops recipe was brought to you by the Pit Boss Barbecue Recipe. The Pit Boss Barbecue Belt will help you grill chops, steaks and anything else you want. Man your Grill!
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