Barbecue Rosemary Pork Chops Recipe | The Gracious Pantry (2024)

FAQs

How do you BBQ pork chops so they don't dry out? ›

As mentioned previously, the biggest culprit behind dried out pork is overcooking. According to Ray Lampe (aka Dr. BBQ), “cook your chops just as you would a steak -- 145 for medium rare and 160 for medium and always with a 3 minute rest [to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat].

This method for making perfect pork chops is simple—first, the chops are seared in a very hot pan for about 3 minutes, then they're flipped and cooked the rest of the way in the oven. Preparing them this way ensures that they're cooked through but not overcooked. No one wants tough, dry chops.

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt, pepper and a spice rub if you'd like, then brush them with oil. Sear the chops on the hot side of the grill and let them cook until they easily release without sticking, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side 4 minutes more.

A longer brine will bring more moisture into the pork, but a quick brine will still be helpful if you're in a rush to get dinner started. A thick pork chop (1 ½” to 2”) can brine for longer, but avoid brining for more than 8 hours to prevent toughness. After brining, rinse pork chops and pat dry to remove excess salt.

It helps prevent moisture loss during cooking, and the salt also helps tenderize the meat from the inside out. If you want an extra juicy piece of pork, brine it before cooking. You can make an effective brine just with salt and water, but additional seasonings do help.

Cooking pork chops in the oven can yield to a tender and juicy meat. Brine bone-in pork chops then sear them first before finishing them off in the oven.

15 mins on a grill flipping both sides until the juice seeps out the surface of meat, then take off grill, rest for 1-2 minutes then enjoy ! No more so than any other meat. Tender cuts, like tenderloins and chops, don't need to be cooked for a long time. In fact too long will toughen them.

If you're not confident in your cooking skills, there is one foolproof way to guarantee your pork ends up on the tender side, even if you cook it too long: Soak it in a brine or a marinade. According to Hazel, these kinds of preparations always produce the most tender outcomes.

Heat the bbq sauce up before basting the sauce on to the chops during cooking. The sauce will stick to the food better if you heat the sauce up first.

How long should you cook pork chops on the BBQ? ›

Grill the pork chops over direct heat, with the lid closed, until the pork chops are well-marked, for 8-12 minutes total, turning once. For juicy pork chops, the chops should still be barely pink in the middle and 140°F. Rest the chops for 5 minutes for the juices to set into the meat before cutting, and serve.

It's not necessary to poke holes in the pork chops before marinating. The marinade will penetrate the meat and infuse it with flavor without the need for puncturing the surface.

Some of my favorite herbs, spices, and seasonings to use as a pork chop seasoning are cumin, garlic, paprika, and chili powder. Some others that go well with pork are sage, rosemary, cayenne, thyme, and coriander. Brown sugar and clove are a great way to add in some sweetness.

Brush pork chops with vinegar and then brush with a thin coat of olive oil. Lightly sprinkle the pork chops with each of the seasonings. Flip and repeat on the other side. Place in the frying pan until browned on one side (usually about 7-12 minutes).

Brining pork chops is one of the best ways way to guarantee a juicy cooked pork chop. Even a quick 30-minute brine (or up to four hours) makes a big difference. It's not strictly necessary — you can still use this method to make great pork chops even without brining — but if you have some extra time, I recommend it.

Stay away from the higher temperature ranges that will leave the pork irreversibly tough and dry. Remember, in an overcooked pork chop, there is no fat to compensate for how the muscle fibers have squeezed out all their water, and there is no gelatin waiting to appear to re-introduce liquid to the meat.

Bake your pork chops in liquid or fat

A very common method of making pork chops is to lay the pork chops in a baking dish, fill the dish with liquid, and then bake them. This re-heating method follows the same process, re-introducing the chops to liquids or fats in order to keep them moist and tender.