At the store
One of the most important steps to any grilling project, including grilling pork chops, is picking the right cut of meat and selecting quality meat. The main cuts of pork chops that you will find in the supermarket or at your local butchers shop are:
1. Loin chops (center-cut chops)
2. Rib chops (center-cut chops)
3. Sirloin chops
4. Blade chops (or shoulder chops)
The best cuts for grilling pork chops are the loin chops or the rib chops.
1st key step in learning how to grill pork chops - Buy fresh, center-cut rib chops or loin chops that are 1 inch thick.
In the kitchen
If you want to prevent your pork chops from becoming overly dry on the grill, brining your pork chops is a must. Pork chops, like chicken, are a leaner cut of meat so they require a brine to help make them juicy and tender. A basic brine is nothing more than salt water with a little sugar added. The salt helps the meat to absorb the water and helps breakdown proteins in the meat, thus making it more tender.
Basic brine recipe
* 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (recommended) or 1/4 cup Table Salt (without iodine)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 8 cups cold water
You can always experiment with adding different flavors to your brine such as peppercorns, garlic cloves, bay leaves or substitute table sugar with brown sugar or molasses. Place chops in a container that will allow them to be fully submerged within the brine mixture. Pour enough brine over the chops to submerge. Cover and refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours for 1-inch thick chops.
Remove the pork chops from the refrigerator and the brine. Pat the chops dry with a paper towel and let sit for 30 minutes in order to bring them to room temperature. Since we have infused our pork chops with salt, we do not want to add any more salt to the surface of the meat. However, we will want to add a little flavor. I like to brush the chops with a little olive oil and then rub-in some cracked pepper and some chopped garlic to each pork chop. You can also use your favorite rib rub or other type of pork rub.
2nd key step in learning how to grill pork chops - Brine the chops.
On the Grill
You will want to create a three-zone fire to grill the chops. If you have a charcoal grill, create a coal bed on one side of the fire that is 3 briquettes deep and on the other side of the grill a zone with a single layer of briquettes. Separate the two with an area that has no coals. If you are using a gas grill, you will want a medium heat zone (350 - 450F) and a high heat zone (450 - 550F). First, place the chops over the high heat zone and replace the lid. After 1 minute, remove the lid and flip the chops. After another minute, flip the pork chops and move them to the medium heat zone, then replace the lid. Let them cook for 3 more minutes. Flip them one more time and leave them over the medium heat zone. Cook the chops until they reach an internal temperature of at least 145F at the thickest part of the chop (an instant read thermometer is an essential grill tool) and have a nice light pink color in the center.
3rd key step in learning how to grill pork chops - For most of the grilling time, keep the pork chops over medium heat with the lid on. The chops are done when they are not totally white but have a very light pink color in the middle.
