The trick to Juicy Grilled Pork Chops is to brine the pork chops before grilling.
It’s not hard… just takes time.
They say pork is the new white meat I guess because it can be very lean. This is a good thing except for when it gets dried out and tough and flavourless.
Enter the overnight brine! Hands on time is only about 10 minutes but then the chops need to sit in the brine minimum 2 hours but overnight is better. Try not to exceed 24 hours so the texture of the pork doesn’t start to change.
After the brine, dry the chops and rub the dry mix on. Give that 20 minutes to absorb flavour and then on to the grill.
I am hooked on those 2 ” thick fairly lean chops from Costco. That also helps to keep the center moist.
In any case an instant read thermometer is your best friend to avoid over cooking. Mine took about 20 minutes over medium heat to reach 145 degrees. Then let them rest lightly covered (or tented) for about 5 minutes. The juices will redistribute and the temperature will rise a bit more during the ‘tenting’.
I served these with fresh corn on the cob. If you like the Mexican Street Corn flavours the cumin and chile in the rub will go well with the corn.
I also served a Panzanella salad on the side. All the makings of a delicious summer meal.
Wine Pairing for Juicy Grilled Pork Chops
Pork is quite versatile so lots of choices. The dry rub on the chops has lots of flavour so look for a sturdy white like a Chardonnay or oaked Chenin Blanc. A medium bodied red would also go well. Try them with a Rhone GSM blend, Merlot, Shiraz or Tempranillo.
Juicy Grilled Pork Chops
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 4 thick pork chops try for 2" or as thick as you can get
Brine
- 4 cups water divided 2 + 2
- 1/4 cup Kosher salt see Note 1 below.
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Dry Rub
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2/3 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chile powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 lime, juice only
- salt and pepper for seasoning
Instructions
Brining
- Add salt, vinegar and sugar to 2 cups of water and microwave to boiling point, stirring periodically to dissolve salt.
- When salt is dissolved add 2 cups of cold water. Allow brine to come to room termperature.
- Lay pork chops in a single layer in a shallow container. Cover with brine and refrigerate a minium of 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Turn the chops or container half way through to ensure both sides of the chops get lots of brine time.
- Remove chops from the brine and discard the brine. Lightly dry the chops with a paper towel.
- Mix all the rub ingredients together and rub onto both sides of the chops. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper.
- Allow rub to sit on chops for 20 minutes while BBQ grill is heating up.
- Grill over medium heat until internal temperature reaches 145° F, turning only once or twice. Mine took about 20 minutes but timing will depend on the thickness of your chops and the actual heat of your BBQ.
- Remove chops from grill, cover loosely and allow chops to sit 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
These are the best!
Best pork chops ever!