I recently experienced one of the major hazards of outdoor grilling - rain storms. As soon as I put my pork chops on the Big Green Egg, the sky just opened up and the rain poured down. I was excited about the bonus plant watering but not so happy about having to dodge lightening strikes to check on my dinner.
By the time the pork chops were finished cooking, I was absolutely soaked but fortunately the dinner was unaffected. (Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Big Green Egg?)
I grill pork on the Egg quite a bit but I found this slightly different take on grilled pork chops in my Cook's Illustrated magazine recently. I think that brining the pork really helped to keep the meat moist. No one in my family even suspected that there was anchovy paste on the meat either - what they don't know wont hurt them in this case.
Grilled Pork Chops
1 1/2 quarts cold water
3 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cut 2 slits in the fat on the end of each pork chop.
Combine salt and water and stir until dissolved. Put chops in water and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Stir together oil, honey, anchovy paste and pepper.
Pat chops dry with paper towels and brush 1 side with mixture.
Place oiled side down on hot grill. Grill 10 minutes. Brush other side with mixture and flip. Finish grilling.
These pork chops were super yummy. They were nicely browned (thanks to the honey) and moist (thanks to the brine) and juicy inside. This is my new favorite way to grill pork chops. Despite the rain, it turned out to be a pretty great meal.
Ciao!
Grilled Pork Chops
1 1/2 quarts cold water
3 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cut 2 slits in the fat on the end of each pork chop. Combine salt and water and stir until dissolved. Put chops in water and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir together oil, honey, anchovy paste and pepper. Pat chops dry with paper towels and brush 1 side with mixture. Place oiled side down on hot grill. Grill 10 minutes. Brush other side with mixture and flip. Finish grilling.
I think the cut sizes of the pork chop are significant if you want to get the grill right. There are no specific dimensions to follow. You just have to make the cuts even in terms of thickness, so the meat burns evenly. If the cuts are uneven, some parts of the pork chop may be undercooked, which could be unappetizing and unsafe at the same time.
ReplyDeleteDonna, you are absolutely correct. I highly recommend that everyone use a meat thermometer to make sure that all food has been cooked to safe temperatures. It is recommened that pork chops be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Thanks for reading my blog.
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