How To Pick The Perfect Pork Chops For Grilling

Contrary to popular belief, pork chops are actually one of the best cuts of pork for grilling, not the worst. They're fairly inexpensive and easily grill up flavorful and juicy if you know how to handle them properly. Proper treatment, of course, begins with choosing the right cut of meat, as not all pork chops are created equal. Picking up the wrong type of chop can mean the difference between a succulent, grilled masterpiece and gnawing on what feels like shoe leather.

That's why, in terms of answering all your burning questions about grilled pork chops, most mistakes can be avoided at the grocery store — or, ideally, at your local butcher shop. To start, you want to choose the right type of chop, which is ideally going to be a rib chop. Of the four styles of pork chops, this cut has the best balance of fat and flavor over the loin, sirloin, and blade chops. Rib chops are the easiest to cook evenly and the least likely to become tough if you cook them a touch too long or over slightly too high heat.

It's also crucial to pick chops that are at least an inch thick with the bone in them. Thin chops dry out fast, often losing their juice before they're properly seared, while thicker ones cook more slowly. Additionally, the bone contains additional fat and acts as a moisture barrier where it connects to the chop, imparting both flavor and insulation as your chops cook.

Even when you've selected the perfect bone-in rib chops marbled with luscious fat, disaster can still strike. This cut of meat still dries out much faster than its red-meat counterparts, and needs some additional TLC to yield the best flavor, texture, and deliciously juicy bite. That's why wet brining is an essential step to grilling the perfect aromatic, smothered pork chops.

Soaking in a salty solution gently tenderizes the meat fibers, allowing the brine to penetrate more deeply, resulting in a juicier chop. All you really need for a decent brine is a few tablespoons of kosher salt dissolved in water, but you can also use the brine as an opportunity to give your chops a burst of flavor. In place of water, you can use broth or stock and zhuzh things up a bit with a few tablespoons of vinegar or citrus juice, along with lightly crushed whole spices and dried herbs. For instance, mustard seed and whole peppercorns with apple cider vinegar and a drizzle of honey would be divine.

Thicker chops also hold up better to brining, as they can soak for 30 minutes to 2 hours without becoming spongy, whereas a thinner cut would need to brine for much less time to preserve its texture. Just remember to pat the chops dry before grilling them to get a really good sear and that perfect crust. Chops that are too wet will steam and get rubbery.