Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram. Show
Follow updated Sep 9, 2022 A quick soak in an easy brine makes for perfect grilled pork chops every single time. Jump to recipePage URL comments Comments We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.  Credit: Mia Yakel/Kitchn When you’re picking out something to throw on the grill, skip the chicken and expensive steaks and head right over to the pork section. This lean meat is versatile, grills up quickly, and won’t be dry as long as you do one step before throwing it on the grill. Slice it up for salad or whip up a quick sauce and dinner is done. Here’s how to grill juicy, flavorful pork chops every single time. Credit: Mia Yakel/Kitchn What Cut of Pork Chops Are Best for Grilling?When buying pork chops, there are a lot of options since chops can be cut from different areas of the loin. The section at the front of the loin near the shoulder, called the blade end, is the fattiest cut. Rib chops are leaner and have a large, smooth section of meat. Bone-in center-cut chops have both the loin and tenderloin, and the sirloin is from the back end and has lots of muscles. For grilling, I like rib or center-cut chops since they’re tender and don’t have too many chewy muscles. While I personally like bone-in since I like nibbling on the meat attached to the bones, boneless will work too. I always buy pork chops that are at least 1-inch thick, as thinner pork chops tend to cook too quickly before they have a chance to develop a nice crust on the outside. Credit: Mia Yakel/Kitchn What’s the Deal with Brining Pork Chops?It’s a good rule of thumb to always brine pork chops before grilling. Because pork chops are fairly lean, submerging them in a brine does two things. First, it keeps the meat moist by introducing extra moisture, which provides a little insurance in case the meat gets a little overcooked. Second, it evenly seasons the meat beyond just the surface. The base of this easy brine is just cold water whisked with salt. I like to add some sugar to help with browning on the grill, and you can also throw in aromatics like citrus peel, peppercorns, or bay leaves (or all three!). Diamond Crystal kosher salt is what I use in my brine, but if you want to use another kind of salt, I recommend using an equal weight, not volume, of salt since the size of the salt granules vary greatly across brands and weight is the most accurate measurement. Brining doesn’t have to be elaborate or take a long time. Since these are chops and not a big bird like a turkey, even brining for 30 minutes does wonders, and that’s about how long it’ll take to heat up the grill. The chops can sit in the brine for up to two hours, but don’t go beyond that or the texture of the meat can get spongy. You can even brine individually frozen pork chops — just put them in the brine for the full two hours. They’ll be defrosted and ready to grill at that point. Credit: Mia Yakel/Kitchn How Should I Season My Pork Chops?After the pork chops are brined, there’s no need to rinse them off with water — simply dry them very well with paper towels. You can sprinkle on some black pepper at this point, or go with your favorite spice or spice rub. Just use a spice rub that doesn’t contain salt, as you’ve already seasoned the chops. Credit: Mia Yakel/Kitchn How Long Do Pork Chops Take on the Grill?When preparing an outdoor grill for pork chops, you’ll need to heat it for two levels of heat. The chops get seared over high heat to get those gorgeous grill marks for about three minutes per side, then moved over to medium heat to finish cooking, which will take anywhere from four to seven minutes depending on the thickness of the chops. This creates a nice crust on the outside and juicy meat inside. And remember to keep the grill covered the whole time so that heat doesn’t escape. OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs with Nylon Heads $12.99 Bed Bath & Beyond Buy NowThe pork chops are ready when they register 145°F in the thickest chop, but don’t serve them just yet — let them rest for five minutes so that the juices in the meat redistribute themselves and the muscle fibers relax. If you’re feeling saucy, serve your grilled pork chops with some chimichurri or sweet and tangy barbecue sauce on the side. Credit: Mia Yakel/Kitchn 1 / 10 Comments 7 Ratings How To Grill Pork ChopsPrint Recipe A quick soak in an easy brine makes for perfect grilled pork chops every single time. YieldServes 4 Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 10 minutes to 17 minutes Show Nutrition
Per serving, based on 4 servings. (% daily value)
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
Recipe NotesStorage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. At Kitchn, we know how important it is to find recipes that are worth your time. That’s why every tutorial — like this one — features recipes that have been tried and tested by our team of developers and at-home cooks from across the country. Questions or feedback for us? Say hello: [email protected]. How do you cook pork chops on the stove top?When you're frying thin pork chops over medium-high to high heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side is just right for browning and cooking them all the way through. For thicker chops, brown on both sides then check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. It will take 5 to 6 minutes per side to completely cook them.
How long do you need to grill pork chops?Thin pork chops typically take 8 minutes to cook (4 minutes of searing on each side). Thick pork chops typically take about 20 minutes to grill to perfection - 8 minutes of searing over direct heat, plus 12 minutes of finishing over indirect heat.
Is it best to fry or grill pork chops?The quickest way to cook pork chops is to pan-fry or griddle them. As the chops can be quite large this method is best when serving one or two people. If you're cooking for more you might want to try roasting or grilling.
How do you know when pork chops are done on the stove?If they are firm to the touch, they are done. (See the touch test.) If you wait until you see juice oozing out of the top of a chop, it is definitely done. You can also check the internal temperature of the pork with a digital thermometer; when the pork registers 145°F in the middle, it's done.
|
How to grill pork chops on stove
Related Posts
Copyright © 2024 boxhoidap Inc.
