Grilling 101

Guest Post by Leah of Real Farmwives of America and Friends and Beyer Beware

After the long, cold winter we had, I am craving pork chops right off the grill. And boy do they taste so good after spending several hours in a good spicy brine. Learn more about how to make your own brine over at my Hunk of Meat Monday post.

But to learn more about grilling, and gas grilling to be exact, it is all right here.

To start, you want to start with a great piece of meat. I love to grill with cuts of meat that have the bone. I think it adds to the flavor of the meat. I also would recommend having a piece of pork that is at least an inch thick.

Whether you brined, marinated or dry rubbed you pork, let it sit out for about 15 minutes at room temperature so it is not so cold when you throw it on the grill.

I grill at a medium heat. You don't want to torch the juice out of your meat. You want to make sure you preheat the grill just like you would a traditional charcoal grill. I place my pork chops over the heat.

 

Unlike beef, I need to make sure my pork to be done. Not hockey puck done, but fully cooked. (Our mothers were taught to cook the hell out of pork to kill all the parasites that pigs were exposed to when they were raised on pasture. These parasites have been eliminated from the pigs since we have moved pigs into barns. No fear, it is not your mother's pork.) While pork is referred to as the other white meat, it is a red meat. So, don't be afraid if the inner meat is still pink as long as it reached 145-150 degrees on the grill.

I seasoned my pork with a BBQ seasoning salt. I cook for about 8 minutes on each side for an inch thick chop. After cooking on both sides, you want to let your chops rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Resting insures the juice will be locked in for the most flavor.

If you love lots of BBQ sauce on your chops, grab your favorite bottle of sauce. What is your family’s favorite sauce? Ours is Sweet Baby Rays Honey Chipotle Sauce.