I’m sure I’m not the only one who has dried out some pork chops by over cooking them. After doing some reading I’ve learned a few tricks that make cooking pork chops foolproof.
Thicker is Better: 3/4″ to 1″ grill better than thinner chops. I prefer chops with a bone in them.
Marinate: Pork is drier than red meat and doesn’t have as much flavor so some time in a marinade will not hurt anything.
Ready the Grill: Move the charcoal to one side of the grill because we’ll be using direct and indirect heat to cook the chops.
Grill Them: Place the chops over the charcoal and cook for four minutes on each side. Then move them to the side with no charcoal and cook for five minutes on each side. I try to reach an internal temperature of 155(F) and let carry over take me up to 160(F). Take them off the grill and cover with foil letting the chops rest for five to ten minutes.
I know that you are supposed to take pork up to 170(F), but that is back when pigs were fed garbage and slop. Pork today is very clean and many things I’ve watched and read regarding pork say that there is minimal risk in only taking pork to 160(F). Your mouth will thank you.
Drop a comment and let me know if this helped.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I like to barbque with charcol but when I cook pork chops the middle gets white but the top and bottom of the pork chop is a pinkish color. Do you know what that means
When you BBQ, most of the time you’ll get a smoke inclusion in the pork.That’s what the reddish tint is. The white means that the smoke hasn’t penetrated that deep. If you want it to get red all the way through, try going lower on the heat and adding some hickory sawdust that’s been moistened but add it sparingly. Try not to go above 275 degrees during cooking. 250 would actually be better. What you’re doing is actually hot smoking.
If you don’t like the red, cook faster with a higher heat.
Outstanding suggestions. I was able to cook some of the best pork chops I have ever tasted following your advice. Thanks!
Good tips! I sometimes put a bowl of water on the grill when I am grilling ribs to add moisture in the atmosphere. I am going to try that out with the chops and see what happens!