How to Grill Pork

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Categories: Food | Meat | How Tos

  • Learning how to grill pork is a must for the barbecue enthusiast. The right sauce and technique can bring out the juicy taste of this meat—if you follow these tips, you'll be eating well.

  • Learning how to grill pork is a must for the barbecue enthusiast. The right sauce and technique can bring out the juicy taste of this meat—if you follow these tips, you'll be eating well.

  • Introduction

    • Just about every barbecue fan likes some well-grilled pork chops. They're flavorful and juicy when done right, but can be tricky to master. With practice, however, you'll be the toast of the barbecue circuit.

  • Step 1: What You'll Need

    • Like any task, grilling pork requires the right tools. Keep everything below on hand so you don't have to go looking for it when you need it.
    1. Grill: Either gas or charcoal. Gas may be a better option because of the easily adjustable heat level.
    2. Fresh pork chops: There's a variety of different pieces of meat you can get (either with or without bones, thin or thick). The thickness of the chops will affect both the grilling time and how you grill them.
    3. Long grilling fork
    4. A sharp knife
    5. Barbecue sauce
    6. A brush to apply the sauce

  • Step 2: Preparing The Grill

    • Of course, before you toss the meat on, you need to get the grill good and hot. Consult the instructions for your grill if you have a question as to the specifics of any of the steps.
    1. Light the grill
    2. If it's a gas grill:
      1. Make sure the fuel is properly attached, and that you have enough gas to cook with.
      2. Turn on the gas, then light the grill with either a match or with a built-in mechanism.
    3. If it's a charcoal grill:
      1. Fill the bottom of the grill with charcoal.
      2. Spray lighter fluid over the coals.
      3. Use a match or a lighter to set the coals aflame.
      4. Wait for the coals to turn gray, then put the grill surface on top.
      5. If you're cooking thicker chops, you'll want to set aside about half the grill with a lower fire.
    4. To prevent sticking, you might want to spray cooking oil, such as Pam, over the grill.
    5. Whether you're cooking thin or thick chops, you'll want the grill to be as hot as possible when you start cooking.

  • Step 3: Grilling The Pork

    • Now that you've got the grill good and hot, it's time to start cooking. Make sure you've got everything you'll need, and double check that the grill's as hot as you can get it.

  • Thin Chops

    • For thin chops, you'll want to cook them just like steak ("thin" here being around half an inch thick).
    1. Keep the grill as hot as it'll go for the duration of cooking.
    2. Put the chops on the grill.
    3. Leave them on just long enough to sear the bottom side; depending on how hot you were able to get the grill, and how many chops you put on, it's entirely possible that the first chop is read to flip by the time you're putting down the last one.
    4. Once the chops have all been seared on the bottom, flip them.
    5. Spread the barbecue sauce over the chops. You'll want to spread it thin, don't leave clumps and puddles of it on the meat.
    6. Give the meat a few minutes, as the grill surface will have cooled some after the initial searing.
    7. Once the bottom side is seared, flip the chops again.
    8. Put another coating of sauce on the pork.
    9. Close the grill, and let the meat cook for a few more minutes, depending on how hot you got it.
    10. Open the grill back up, and slice one of the thicker chops open to see if it's done. It should be white all the way through; if it isn't, let the chops cook some more before taking them off and serving.

  • Thick Chops

    • For thicker chops—about an inch to two inches thick—you'll cook them more like chicken: Sear them fast, then cook them slow.
    1. With the grill as hot as it will go, put the chops on.
    2. Once they're seared on the bottom, flip them.
      1. If you're using a gas grill: Immediately turn the gas down; the grill surface will stay hot long enough to sear the second side.
      2. If you're using a charcoal grill: Flip the chops over on the hot side, and wait a minute or so for them to sear, then switch them to the cooler side of the grill.
    3. Spread the barbecue sauce over the chops.
    4. Close the grill.
    5. Let the meat cook on the lower fire for five minutes or so, depending on the thickness.
    6. Flip the meat, and reapply the sauce.
    7. Close the grill again, and let the meat cook for a little while longer.
    8. After a while, test the meat by slicing open the thickest chop. You'll want to make sure it's white all the way through. If it's still got pink in it, let the meat cook for a while longer, then test again.
    9. Once the meat's cooked through, take it off the grill and serve it.

  • Conclusion

    • Pork is a great food to grill because of its juiciness and great taste. It takes a little bit of technique to get right, but the results are worth it.


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