Grilling Pork Chops

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GilliAnne

Senior Cook
Joined
Jul 19, 2015
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158
Location
Antrim
I used to be able to grill/broil pork chops with very satisfactory results, but for the last while they have turned out rather chewy. Anyone got any tips for better results?

Gillian
 
Make a brine for your pork chops. Use bone in rib chops, as the bone will keep the meat more moist.
Brine solution:
2 cups water
3 tbs. Kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar, maple syrup, or brown sugar
3 tbs. mustard seed
1 tbs. black pepper


Optional herbs, 1/4 tsp.
dried thyme
Rubbed Sage
Summer Savory

Heat water to a boil. Add other ingredients. Let simmer fr ten minutes. Remove from heat. Add remaining cup of cold water. Place pork chops into a zipper freezer bag. Add brine solution and seal. Place in fridge overnight.

Pork chops should be 3/4 to an inch thick. If grilling over charcoal, make a divided pile on opposite sides of your grill. Light both sides. When fully hot, place a disposable drip pan, half filled with water between the piles. season your chops. Put chops on the grill over the drip pan. Cook for about 5 minutes per side with the lid on, and vents half closed. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the chops. You're looking for an internal temp of 135' F. Place chops directly over the charcoal. Cook another 3 minutes or so per side, or to an internal temperature of 145.

The brine is a salt solution. In nature, all things try to become equal. Salt will pull fluid into the chop as it enters the meat tissue to equalize the osmotic pressure, making it juicier, and will also break down the meat fibers, tenderizing the chops. The other flavors in the brine recipe will accent the pork flavor.

For the last minute or so of cooking, you can glaze the pork chops with BBQ sauce, hoisin sauce, pineapple, or peach, or apple glaze.

Cooking times will vary depending on the charcoal type, the amount of charcoal used, and the size of your grill. Use a meat thermometer.

For gas grills, ignite part of he grill, and at first, cook over the unlit side with the cover closed.

Others will give you alternate methods, such as putting lardoons into the chops, or cooking in foil.. There is no single method that is correct.

i know this method works from personal experience. I hope your next batch of grilled pork chops is spectacular.

And just so's ya knows, pork steaks and country style ribs have the same flavor as do the chops, but also have better fat marbling, making them easier to grill.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I use this for about 2 chops, double for more.

Don't really measure the water, I use a container large enough to generously hold the chops.

water to generously cover the chops
1 Tbsp kosher salt
heaping tsp sugar

Stir til disolved, add chops - a minimum 20 minutes - I try for 30 if I remember far enough in advance.

tip: if you used warm/hot water to disolve salt/sugar, add ice cubes to cool before putting in chops.

I'm not sure but think I originally got this from ATK?
 
obviously, something has changed.....
I'm fond of what we here in the colonies call "heritage pork"
Berkshire is kinda' the most available - and to note, I buy rather thick pork chops: min. 3 to preferred 4.5 cm thick. it's all 'special order' at the Heritage pork supplier.



I brine it in 7.5% salt solution for 3+ hours. to overnight - so 'not got time' shouldn't be an issue.


broiling in a typical electric oven , . . is problematic. under the broiler start to finish turns out tough.
so I put the brined pork chops in at 300'F/150C' for roughly 10-15 minutes, raises the internal temp to roughly 100'F/38'C.
remove the chops from the oven, switch to overhead broil mode, allow to preheat, then put the chops back in to cook/surface crispt to 140'F/60'C, remove and rest so the carry over brings them up to finished temp.
 
Pork used to be a lot more fatter, so to speak. Lately with the health craze, pork been raise lot more leaner. You have to account for that. As far broiling, I'd sooner fry them than broil.
 
If you cut steaky bacon into the fatty, and, meatt parts, you can cut the fat into small pieces to use as lardoons, to wnhace the fat content of the chops. Tge lardoons will alo add a subtle smovkey flavor. The meaty parys can be fried and used as bacon bits, added tobeans and potato recipes, or wraaped around seafood. Just another optio.

Seeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Thank you all. I don't really have time for brining, sorry.

Gillian
Pish posh, it takes almost no time to make a brine, needing to think about it just two hours before you grill/broil/pan fry chops. The simplest brine is as easy as 4+4: four tablespoons of salt to four cups of water. Then immerse the chops in the solution for two hours. I give them a quick rinse and thorough pat after that to make them less salty and dry enough to get a good sear.

If you find you have time to make something with more than two ingredients, I highly recommend a brine recipe that CraigC here at DC posted. The end result is delicious. It's buried in a thread, though, rather than being posted as a recipe in the "Pork" forum. I pulled it up for you so that you can find it with just one click here: Adjusting seasoning for thick pork chops If you aren't a beer drinker, you might be able to buy just one bottle somewhere that sells alcohol that way near you.
 
I have brined chops for about 30 minutes, actually think it was only 20, but whatever, they come out great! That is with pan frying. (have never broiled chops)

That 20 minutes is while you are either peeling potatoes, waiting for the water to boil fro rice. Vegies, salad... throw the chops on, everything done.
 
Since you're in the UK, take a look at this week's recipe in The Guardian for grilled pork chops. You probably won't want to do the salsa or marinade (substitute brine for marinade, if you wish), but do scroll down to the method.
It looks very good, and I think it may be what you're looking for.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/20...tina-habanero-pineapple-salsa-thomasina-miers
Notice how the author mentioned "fatty pork"? The British didn't have the ridiculous low-fat craze we did, so their pork is still gloriously fatty. The pork roast I had in Ireland was simply fantastic.
 
Life is very busy for me these days - my husband passed away at the end of June and I'm still dealing with paperwork related to that, so I don't always have a lot of time to cook a meal or think ahead about things like brining or any other kind of marinades. Also, the marinade would have to be kidney-friendly as I have chronic kidney disease. I did look up kidney-friendly pork chop recipes and found some nice sounding ones, which I might try sometime, who knows. Meantime I did try grilling a pork chop, turning it over every 5 minutes, which was an improvement on the previous attempt.

Gillian
 
I too have kidney issues. For tender, juicy pork chops, pan fry in a seasoned CI pa. Use a meat thermometer set to 140' F' Lightly brown both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add 1 tbs sherry wine, cover, and finish to 145' F. Remove and serve with apple sauce on top. I like touse rib chops, bone in. Enjoy.

Seeeeya; ChiefLongwind of the North
 
@GilliAnne I'm so sorry to hear of your husband's passing, please except my condolences. It can't be easy for you, I hope you have a support team around you.
Thank you for your kind words, Kaneohegirlinaz. Yes, I have very supportive family and friends, for which I thank God.

Incidentally, on the subject of cooking pork chops, I cooked one for my dinner tonight - broiled it under a different grill, 15 minutes each side, and it turned out much better than previous recent attempts.
 
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