Summer is here and the grilling’ is fine! When I came across some inch thick steakhouse pork chops I knew I wanted to grill them, and I wanted a nice juicy, tender chop. Let’s face it, we’ve all chewed our way through a dry as sawdust, flavorless pork chop. No wonder my husband is not a fan of grilled pork chops, I mean who can blame him? Just thinking about all those tough as shoe leather grilled chops I’ve all cooked up over the years doesn’t exactly get your tastebuds watering, does it? But it doesn’t have to be that way if you brine those chops before throwing them on the grill.
If you happen to have a Sous Vide, I can highly recommend trying these Sous Vide Steakhouse Pork Chops for sensationally tender and juicy pork chops. It takes some preplanning though, since it will take a couple of hours to get them on the table, but it is well worth the time to cook them using the sous vide method of cooking.
Don’t have a sous vide? Don’t despair! What if I told you that you could grill juicy, tender and flavorful pork chops on the grill? With no fancy equipment like a sous vide needed. Wanna find out how to do it? Keep reading to find out how easy it is.
The secret is brining the chops overnight. This infuses them with juicy flavor and results in a tender flavorful pork chop.
Start by rinsing chops under cold water and patting them dry.
Look for bone-in, steakhouse cut pork chops that are about an inch thick for the best results.
Place the chops in a large ziplock bag and set them aside while you make the brine.
In a saucepan, combine 2 cups water, ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup Kosher salt.
Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer until sugar and salt have completely dissolved and the brine is clear and no longer cloudy.
Remove the pan from heat and add the 2 cups of ice cubes to the saucepan. Stir until ice has melted and the brine is no longer hot.
Pour the cooled brine over the pork chops in the ziplock bag. Seal the bag squeezing out excess air. Refrigerate chops overnight, for up to 24 hours, making sure the chops stay submerged in the brine solution.
In a small bowl combine the spice rub ingredients; paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, dry mustard and pepper.
Remove the chops from the brine and pat them dry with a paper towel. Use your fingers to press the spice rub onto the pork chops pressing it into the surface of the chops. Be sure to coat the chops completely with the spice rub.
Preheat gas barbecue grill to 350-375℉.
You can also pan fry these chops in a cast iron skillet on the stove if you do not have a grill. Heat skillet over medium high heat and add a tablespoon vegetable oil or lard to the skillet. Cook until chops reach an internal temperature of 145℉.
Grill chops (with lid down) for 7-8 minutes on the first side, flip and grill (with lid down) on the second side for another 7-8 minutes.
Cook until the chops reach an internal temperature of 145℉.
Remove chops from heat and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
A huge shout out to Plainchicken.com for this fantastic technique and the recipe for these grilled chops, they turned out superb! When I came across the recipe it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. I brine my turkey every year for Thanksgiving and it produces the moistest most flavorful turkey ever, why not use a brine on other cuts of meat like pork chops that are notoriously dry. It’s brilliant actually and there are no special pieces of equipment like a sous vide needed!!! Be sure to check out the Plain Chicken website, there are loads and loads of fantastic recipes on the website. It will inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new. It inspired me to give this recipe a try and I am so glad I did! Thank you Plain Chicken!!!
Brined Grilled Pork Chops
Equipment
- large ziplock plastic bags
Ingredients
- 4 1-inch thick pork chops, bone-in
Brine:
- ¼ cup Kosher salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups ice cubes
Rub:
- 3 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse chops under cold water and pat dry.
- Place chops in a large ziplock bag. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine water, sugar and Kosher salt.
- Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer until sugar and salt have completely dissolved.
- Remove pan from heat and add ice cubes to the saucepan. Stir until ice has melted and brine is no longer hot.
- Pour the cooled brine over pork chops in the ziplock bag. Seal bag squeezing out excess air. Refrigerate chops overnight, for up to 24 hours.
- In a small bowl combine spice rub ingredients; paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, dry mustard and pepper.
- Remove chops from the brine and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Use your fingers to press the spice rub onto pork chops pressing it into the surface of the chops.
- Preheat gas barbecue grill to 350-375℉.
- Grill chops (with lid down) for 7-8 minutes on the first side, flip and grill (with lid down) on the second side for another 7-8 minutes, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145℉.
- Remove caps from heat and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Did You Make This?
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