No matter the Memorial Day weather, the grill makes an appearance. The menu shifts as the clouds roll in—quick-cooking, fully cooked brats when downpours happen, perfectly moist, bone-in pork chops in the sunshine.
Today’s lean pork may be good for our waistlines, but tricky for grillers. The challenge is to reap the benefits of the grill’s flavorful, smoky, dry heat yet retain moisture in the lean meat.
It’s best to brine large cuts of pork, such as loin roasts and shoulder, before grilling low and slow. A brine adds moisture without using a lot of acid, but requires a lot of time. For chops, I prefer a wet marinade to add moisture and flavor in a shorter time.
We like them all, but some chops are easier to cook. In our experience, it is best to leave the thick (sometimes called “double” chops) to the restaurants to cook. For home cooks, I prefer the stunning center-cut pork chops with frenched bones available at Trader Joe’s and the more accessible bone-in pork rib chops at most supermarkets. Boneless center-cut chops work, too, but they are just less dramatic-looking. Choose chops about an inch thick for the best marinade flavor penetration, uniform cooking, and portion control.
Remember that today’s lean pork shouldn’t be cooked to the well-done stage, period. There’s no need. Anything that might cause illness is killed at 137 degrees F, so cut your timing way down. Remove chops from the grill when they register 140 to 145 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the thickest area of the chop (you’ll have to insert the thermometer horizontally with a 1-inch-thick chop so it penetrates properly). Then let the chops rest on the serving platter, tented with foil, for about 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise a few degrees, yielding perfectly moist pork with just a hint of pink.
Serve the chops with crispy polenta seasoned with black pepper and parmesan, and topped with a fresh tomato and mozzarella salad. Then take in the compliments—the grilling season is off to a brilliant start.
