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

FAQs

How to bbq pork chops perfectly? ›

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.

Pork Chop Method: Pan Fried Pork Chops

Using this method, you brine the chops in a simple brown sugar and salt brine before pan-frying the pork. You sear the chops in a cast iron pan that has been preheated over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and cook the pork, flipping often, for 8 to 10 minutes.

The best method for getting BBQ sauce to stick on meats. Is to apply the sauce after the meat has been mostly cooked. This ensures the surface is going to be done releasing moisture and has enough texture for the sauceto hold onto. Add the BBQ sauce before the last 10 – 20 minutes of cooking.

Apply dry rub and refrigerate the pork for at least 8 hours.

Create your dry rub by combining 2 tsp (6 g) of salt, 1 tsp (2 g) of dried herbs, and ½ tsp (1 g) of black pepper. Blot each side of the pork chops so they're totally dry, and then coat the meat with the seasoning.

Tenderize Pork with a Meat Mallet

An old-fashioned meat mallet is a quick, affordable, and reliable way to soften up any cut of meat. It's great for pork chops because you can use it lightly on thinner chops and put more force into thicker cuts.

Rosemary, oregano, and marjoram are great herbs on pork chops. Consider swapping out the thyme or sage for one of these to switch things up.

Heat a grill pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Coat the pork chops with EVOO and season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill the chops, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes, basting liberally with the glaze during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

While there are a number of ways to cook pork chops for dinner, baking is arguably the easiest path to perfection. The hands-off cooking method cooks pork chops gently and evenly without the need for extra fat, resulting in juicy, healthier pork chops that pair well with practically any side dish.

What is the secret to moist pork chops? ›

Fat is key to keeping pork chops moist

Basting them with fat, such as butter. Add in aromatics while basting for more flavor — similar to how you might cook a steak — and then you have the added bonus of browned butter and crispy garlic and/or herbs to serve with the meat.

Like steak or chicken, pork also needs a lot of salt to bring out all the flavor. If you really want to be fancy, you can brine the pork chops in some salt water (season it with other stuff like whole peppercorns and bay leaves).

The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.

You've basically got two choices when it comes to cooking pork chops ~ go quick and hot or low and slow… both will result in tender juicy chops if you're matching the right cut to the right method.

Thin pork chops, shrimp, and burgers tend to cook quickly. Leaving the grill lid up will slow the cooking process by reducing the temperature around the meat. For thicker cuts, you want to close the lid to keep the temperature high and even.