A grilled pork chop makes a classic summer dinner for a low-key weeknight or a cookout with friends, but you may be inclined to shy away from it if you haven’t yet mastered the technique of making one. After all, in the words of outdoor cooking expert Fred Thompson, a badly-grilled pork chop “can be the most leathery piece of meat you have ever tried to eat.” This reason behind this, according to Thompson, is because pork is bred to be lean, so it’s easy to overcook the meat. To combat this from happening, keep reading for his three golden rules when it comes to grilling pork chops.
Fred Thompson’s Top 3 Rules for Grilling Pork Chops
 Rule #1: Go thick, not thin. Don’t try to grill thin pork chops. Bread them and fry them, and they’ll taste great. But if you put them on the grill, they’ll cook too fast and end up tough and flavorless. Buy chops that are at least 3/4 to 1 inch thick. He prefers bone-in chops, like a gracefully-curved rib chop or a husky, center-cut T-bone, which cook more evenly and have more flavor than boneless chops. |
 Rule #2: Brine, brine, brine. Brining pork chops, even for a short time, provides a little wiggle room on doneness. If you are forgetful and cook the chops for a minute or two too long, the brine will help keep the meat moist. And remember to pat the chops dry with paper towels so they sear, rather than steam, on the grill.
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 Rule #3: Watch the heat. Pork doesn’t like high heat. Put a chop over a hot fire and you’ll end up with a tough piece of meat, even if you’ve brined it. Setting up your grill for indirect grilling is a good way to go. You can put a quick sear on both sides of the chop and then move it to the indirect-heat area for slower cooking. |
Try one of his recipes—brined pork chops with grilled summer stone fruit—that makes the most of all of the above guidelines.
Brined Pork Chops with Grilled Stone Fruit
For the brine:
- 6 cups water
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. juniper berries (optional)
- 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbs. kosher salt
- 1 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper
- 6 bone-in pork chops, each at least 1 inch thick
- 6 ripe but slightly firm plums, peaches or nectarines, halved and pitted
- Canola oil for brushing
To make the brine, in a large bowl, combine the water, vinegar, brown sugar, thyme, juniper berries, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Place the pork chops in a large sealable plastic bag and pour in the brine. Seal the bag closed, squish the brine around the chops and refrigerate overnight.
At least 30 minutes before you plan to begin grilling, remove the chops from the refrigerator. Discard the brine, rinse the chops briefly in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling over medium heat; the temperature inside the grill should be 350° to 375°F. If using charcoal, bank the lit coals on either side of the grill bed, leaving a strip in the center without heat, and place a drip pan in the center. If using gas, preheat the burners, then turn off 1 or more of the burners to create a cooler zone. Brush and oil the grill grate.
Place the pork chops on the grill over the direct-heat area and sear, turning once, until nicely grill-marked on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Move the chops to the indirect-heat area and cover the grill. Cook until the chops are somewhat firm to the touch or until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of a chop, away from the bone, registers 145°F, about 15 minutes more for medium.
Transfer the chops to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, brush both sides of the fruit halves with oil. Place the fruit over the direct-heat area and cook, turning once, until nicely grill-marked, about 2 minutes per side. Serve the pork chops immediately with the grilled fruit on the side. Serves 6.
Grilling authority Fred Thompson is the author of the book Williams-Sonoma Grill Master, which includes more than 100 recipes. To buy the iBook version, which includes exclusive videos, search “Williams-Sonoma” in iBooks on your mobile device.
Master your other favorite meats on the grill with these tips here.
Based on 156 Review(s)
64 comments
Excellent! One inch pork chop. Hubby loved the pork chop…brimmed
them in Salt and warm water for 45 minutes. Then added light coating salt and ground paper, , with liite coating of live oil. , salt and pepper. Cooked 1”” chop on high (500) for / 2
mns .and flipped for another two mins. Turned gas’s grill down to 350 and moved chops to side with our heat. For maybe 15 to 20 minutes. More like 15 minutes. I think bringing ( easy!!!) and easy cooking on grill is key to great pork chops !!!!
nice info .Thanks
I marinate my chops in Zesty Italian dressing for about 20 min. Then grill them. They taste great!
Could you please provide a “printer friendly” option to print the recipes?
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[…] How to Grill Pork Chops | Williams-Sonoma Taste […]
Hello,
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I have been dying to grill pork chops on the grill. When I saw your recipe I couldn’t believe my eyes!
can’t wait to make them. They look totally amazing…..thank you…..
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Niềng răng mắc cài kim loại là phương
pháp chỉnh dùng mắc cài và dây cung đưa răng về đúng vị trí trên cung hàm, đảm bảo khớp
cắn và vấn đề thẩm mỹ.
Có 3 loại niềng răng mắc cài kim loại là Niềng răng mắc
cài kim loại thông thường, Niềng răng mắc cài kim loại tự khóa và niềng răng mắc cài kim loại mặt trong.
Niềng răng mắc cài kim loại dù là mắc cài bình thường hay mắc cài tự khóa đều có thể
áp dụng cho tất cả các đối tượng người mua.
Những trường hợp bị các khiếm khuyết
về răng như hô, móm, thưa, lệch lạc dù là trẻ nhỏ hay người lớn đều có thể sử dụng niềng răng mắc cài kim loại.
hồ hết danh thiếp nốt mụt đền trường đoản cú biến từ trần nhưng mà không cần điều trừng trị.
tuy rằng nhiên, nếu như bạn bị rất nhiều mụn, giàu thể do
các ái tình trạng phăng đa gây vào, các nốt mụn nà thường
không trung trường đoản cú biến từ trần. giả dụ bạn chứ điều trừng trị những kiểu mụn nào là, y sẽ được lại sẹo.
nếu như điều trừng trị cọ thuốc trừng phạt mụn, bạn cho nên đến gặp bác sĩ đa liễu đặt để hướng dẫn giống
tiết. cạc loại thuốc trị mụn rất da trạng thái như thuốc
hòn, thể kem, dung xít gel hoặc xà buồng giàu chứa
chấp các thành phần trừng trị mụn. Tùy ra tình yêu trạng da thứ bạn, bác sĩ sẽ chỉ định một loại thuốc hạp.
A dish is really great. thank you guys
Thank you! The recipe looks amazing.
Thank you for sharing this useful. thanks
Thank you! The recipe looks amazing.
Is there another oil you can use besides canola oil , it’s 100% GMO!?
I’m out of kosher salt and have Himalayan salt crystals. Will that be ok?
The recipe looks amazing. Can’t wait to try this out.
I tried it, it was good!
However, didn’t got the effect of the “glazed sugar” like in the picture.
The sugar/water ratio is a bit high? 1:24
I used charcoal BBQ and tried to follow everything as described.
Any advice? 🙂
What happens if we can’t grill the chops the next day? We don’t have experience with brining. Can they stay in the brine an extra day or two or will they be too salty? Better to remove them from the brine after 24 hours or so, and just keep them refrigerated until we grill them? Thanks for all the helpful information and instructions.
Just did this today on a charcoal grill and they turned out great! This was my first time grilling stone fruit and brining pork. I was looking for an easy summer recipe and this did the trick. I served this with a simple cucumber and tomato salad with balsamic vinegar. Thank you for the recipe!
I would suggest that before filling the bag with brine that you set it in a medium size bowl. This should keep the bag from falling over and spilling out all over your floor before you have a chance to seal it!
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. . . . .
I made theses tonight and they were incredible!! My husband finished his and wanted some of mine. That didn’t happen! Next time I will make 4 or more. 🙂
[…] How to Grill Perfect Pork Chops […]
I’m in the brining process right now, I added garlic and apple juice to my brine. I’m cooking them tomorrow for Easter, low and slow on charcoal. High heat to get a nice sear, then on the low side for about 10 minutes to get that smoke up in there. I am thinking of maybe throwing them in the oven on 200 to finish the cooking them off. Thoughts?
[…] every griller has their own technique for nailing the perfect grilled pork chops, there are some golden rules that should be followed if you want to make chops that’ll make your guests’ mouths […]
You don’t add the peaches to the brine, do you? Also, should the peaches be peeled before brushing with oil or butter after grilling chops? Wondering what would be a good starch/vegetable to accompany this dish.
Would it be alright to cook these in a cast-iron grill pan?
Wonder if this would work for lamb chops also?
HI
Great recipe, my brine is a bit different, but you have to try many to find the best for you.
I use a digital thermometer and remove them at 135º and let them sit for 10min. covered.
A little pink near the bone but you can leave that for a warm up later.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! What would be a good veggie to go with it?
Something light and seasonal would be nice—perhaps a simple shaved zucchini salad!
looks good
“Fred Thompson’s Top 3 Rules for Grilling Pork Chops”
Not the late Fred Thompson from Law and Order? The senator that ran for president?
looks good
yummy
cool
[…] Grilled Pork Chops With Medeteranean Inspired Tapenade– Yeilds 8 pork chops. Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine & William Sonoma. […]
Sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing this. Will be giving this a go one night this week 🙂 Simon
gotta love it
Great site and grilling tips!! I’ve been grilling for around 3 decades but only recently got into the world of low and slow. Man, what a difference!
Thanks John — so glad you like ’em!
would this recipe work well with a balsamic reduction to finish it off.
Yes, a balsamic reduction would be a great complement! Here’s a version if you need one (omit the beef): http://bit.ly/2air1Je
Made these last night WITHOUT brining as I did not have the time. My husband wanted grilled pork chops at the last minute. They came out very nicely. I think what was key was putting the chops on the unlit side for 10 minutes. My chops were thick and in only ten minutes on the unlit side they came out very juicy and perfectly cooked. Had I had time to brine they would have had that lovely char on the outside, but I brushed the chops with a bit of honey and they had a sweet taste in the grill marks. The peaches came out perfectly. Great recipe and will brine next time.
You’re making us hungry, Cindy!
Looks and sounds great so I can’t wait to try this recipe. How long do you recommend brining the chops?
Hi Mark, the recipe recommends brining overnight, so we’d follow that guideline. Hope you enjoy it!
Yes. This is a great recipe. It works very well but keep in mind that no matter how nice the grade of meat, a thin chop is hard to grill consistently while maintaining juicy freshness.
My wife and son picked up a Wood pellet grill for fathers’ day and I love it. This recipe works well for wood fired or charcoal cooking.
I have also used injection method to insert a mix of warm water and melted butter and salt. After sitting a moment they grill to a golden perfection while being perfectly moist. It does require more effort than normal though.
What is ‘injection method’ ?
The Injection Method consists of using an injection syringe to inject the marinade into the meat. You should be able to find an injector in better supermarkets or specialty kitchen stores. They don’t inject solids well so you should strain your marinade. Finely chopping fresh herbs, using a garlic press, pureeing in a food processor, and having strong hands helps.
True
I got a rake and lawn mower for Father’s Day…. Nothing like more chores! Lol
I get your point really…I wouldn’t want a washing machine for an anniversary either. Maybe they are trying to make the chores you already have easier for you. …just one way of looking at it…
Going for thicker chops makes perfect sense. I haven’t had much chance to grill pork chops, so this is really helpful. By the way, the advice on going thinner for frying is 100% accurate!
Now to find an excuse to try this recipe…
Trying it now, don’t have kosher so using only 1 TBS of table salt. I feel like it should be more though, but I am afraid of it being to salty. Anyone have any luck with this?
Hi Eddie: One Tbs. of table salt is about as salty as 1 tablespoon +3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, so to achieve the same salinity levels as the recipe suggests (2 Tbs. kosher), you may want to try just a just a hair more than 1 Tbs. of table salt. Hope this helps!
[…] found this recipe for grilled pork chops courtesy of a William-Sonoma newsletter and decided that this would be the year I learn how to […]
I have been dying to grill pork chops on the grill. When I saw your recipe I couldn’t believe my eyes!
can’t wait to make them. They look totally amazing…..thank you…..
Looks great. Looking forward to trying.
[…] doesn’t want to know how to grill the perfect pork chop? Master these outdoor grilling tips and you’re sure to enjoy a succulent piece of pork every […]