Grilled Thick-Cut Pork Chops

Course: dinner, Entree, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: brine, grilled, pork chops

Prep Time: 12

Cook Time: 33

Brining Time: 2

Total Time: 2 45

Servings:

Calories: 563kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Grilled Thick-Cut Pork Chops are meaty loin chops flavored with brine to infuse the meat with moisture before they're grilled to caramelized perfection.

Prep time includes 2 hours for brining the pork chops.

Print Recipe

Equipment

stockpot
gas or charcoal grill
meat thermometer

Ingredients

For the Brine

3 cups (750 milliliters) water
1/2 cup (145 grams) kosher salt
1/3 cup, packed (65 grams) brown sugar
1/2 large yellow onion cut in half
1 head garlic cut in half across its width
1 large bay leaf
1 tablespoon (10 grams) black peppercorns
1 teaspoon (3 grams) crushed red pepper optional
1 large lemon halved
2 medium limes halved
4 cups ice

For Grilling the Pork Chops

2 1/2 pounds (4 each or 1.1 kilograms) thick-cut pork chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the Brine

Add the water, kosher salt, brown sugar, yellow onion, garlic, black peppercorns, chili pepper flakes, and bay leaf to a large stockpot.
Squeeze the lemon and limes and drop the peels into the pot.
Bring the liquid in the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring the liquid frequently to dissolve the salt and sugar in the pot.
Cook the liquid for 1 minute after it comes to a boil.
Remove the pot from the stove after the liquid boils for a minute. Allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
Add ice to the brine once it has cooled to room temperature. Stir the ice in the brine to chill it, then carefully pour the brine into a wide dish. I use a deep casserole dish for this.

Brine the Pork Chops For At Least 2 Hours, But No More Than 12 Hours

Nestle the pork chops into the bring in a single layer.
Cover the baking dish with plastic film and refrigerate the meat for at least 2 hours, but no longer than 12 hours.

Remove the Pork Chops From the Brine and Preheat the Grill

Remove the pork from the brine after 2 hours and an hour before grilling them.
Pick lingering peppercorns or seeds from the pork chops and dry the meat well. I usually lay the pork chops on paper towels and pat them dry.
Heat a gas grill to 425°F (220°C) and oil the grates to keep the pork chops from sticking.
Since you can't turn down the heat on a charcoal grill, pile charcoals on one side for searing the meat and leave the other side empty.

Grill the Pork Chops

On a gas grill: Sear the pork chops for 4 minutes on the first side. Use a pair of tongs to flip the chops over and sear them for another 4 minutes.
Decrease the temperature of the grill to 350°F (180°C) and cook them for another 12 minutes- flip the pork chops over after 6 minutes to keep one side from getting too dark- or until a meat thermometer reads 145°F (60°C) when inserted into a chop.
Brush any sauces or glazes on the pork chops during the final 12 minutes of grilling.
On a charcoal grill: sear the meat over the coals for 4 minutes on both sides.
Move the pork chops to the side of the grill without the coals and continue grilling the chops for 12 minutes- flip the pork chops over after 6 minutes to keep one side from getting too dark- or until a meat thermometer reads 145°F (60°C).
Brush any sauces or glazes on the pork chops during the final 12 minutes of grilling.

Rest the Pork Chops Before Enjoying

Once the pork chops reach a safe internal temperature, remove them from the grill to a sheet pan.
Tent a piece of foil over the pan and allow the chops to rest for at least 10 minutes. Season the pork chops to taste with additional kosher salt and black pepper.
The flavor of these pork chops is versatile enough to enjoy alone but is complemented by crunchy, pungent dishes.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

A porterhouse or ribeye pork chop are preferred, but center-cut, or New York pork chops, work well, too.
You can use a thinner pork chop (3/4 to 1-inch) for this recipe, but you must decrease the lower-heat grilling time to 6 minutes (sear the meat for 4 minutes on each side as instructed).
To use boneless chops for this recipe, decrease the lower-heat cooking time to 6 minutes.
Brush Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Sauce, Whiskey BBQ Sauce, or the Guava Sauce from these party meatballs on the pork chops during those last 12 minutes of grilling.

Baked Thick-Cut Pork Chops:

Preheat an oven to 400°F (205°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
Arrange the room temperature, dry pork chops on the sheet pan in a single layer with space around each chop.
Bake the pork chops for 21-24 minutes, flipping them over halfway through baking time, or until a meat thermometer reads 145°F (60°C).
Remove the pork chops from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Tips and Techniques:

Thick-cut pork chops are labeled that way in the meat section.
You can speed the cooling process by submerging the pot in ice water and stirring the brine frequently.
After 12 hours, the meat can no longer absorb the brine. The longer you brine meat, the mushier it becomes, so you don't want to overdo it.
Drying the pork chops after removing them from the brine is important to ensure they caramelize on the grill instead of steam.
Allowing the pork chops to come near room temperature is important since cold meat takes longer to cook.
Avoid using a grill fork to flip the chops. Puncturing the meat with a fork allows the juices to flow out and dries out the pork chops.
Allowing your pork chops to rest for 10-15 minutes produces a juicier chop.
Serve grilled thick-cut pork chops with cold, crunchy sides like slaws or salads and mild-flavored grains like rice, couscous, or quinoa.

Storage Instructions:

Store leftover grilled pork chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
To reheat grilled pork chops: place them in a shallow dish with a small amount of water or beer and warm them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8-10 minutes. You can also do this in a skillet over medium heat.

Freezing Instructions:

To freeze pork chops after brining:
1. Pat them well so they don't leak water into their container.
2. Put the meat into a freezer-safe storage container and freeze the pork chops for up to 6 months.
3. Thaw frozen pork chops in the fridge overnight, then give them another pat to dry before grilling.
To freeze grilled pork chops:
1. Allow them to cool, then place them in a freezer-safe container.
2. Freeze the pork chops for 2 months.
3. Thaw grilled chops in the fridge, then reheat them until warmed.

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