Thin pork chops are an idea I learned from from John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger in Gourmet magazine. They suggest you think thin, crispy and flavorful, instead of the usual thick and juicy. For a quick weeknight meal on the grill, thin is good - it cooks quickly, and gets dinner on the table that much faster.
Even though we're going for thin and crispy, be careful to not overcook lean pork loin, or it will dry out. The brinerade gives us a little cushion, but the real trick is to only cook the chops on one side. The pork chops are thin enough to cook through, and they'll be nicely browned on the one side that's always facing the grill.
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Equipment
- A grill. (I use a Weber Summit, which is overkill for this recipe.)
Inspired by: "Doc" Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger: Grill It!
Grilled Thin Pork Chops, Quick Brinerated
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
Grilled Thin Pork Chops, Quick Brinerated. My recipe for thin-cut pork chops, grilled quickly on only one side.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds thin cut pork chops (¼-inch to ½-inch thick, preferably rib chops)
Brinerade
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Brinerate the pork chops: Whisk the brinerade ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Put the pork chops in a large bowl or a baking dish, reserve 2 tablespoons of the brinerade for later, and pour the rest of the brinerade over the chops. Flip the pork chops a few times to evenly cover with the marinade, then let them rest while the grill preheats. (Or, put the chops in the refrigerator and brinerate for up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to coat with the brinerade.)
- Set the grill for direct medium heat (350°F to 400°F): Preheat the grill, then set it for grilling on direct medium heat. For my Weber Summit, I preheat with all burners on high for 10 minutes, brush the grill grates clean, then turn the burners down to medium.
- Cook the chops: Flip the chops one more time in the baking dish to coat with the brinerade, then put them on the grill over direct medium heat. (Keep the lid closed as much as possible while cooking.) Grill the chops until they have good grill marks on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then rotate them 90 degrees (don't flip the chops - just rotate them) and grill until they have a good crosshatch of grill marks on the bottom, about 2 more minutes. At this point, the chops should be cooked through - they'll have gone from pink to white on the side that's been facing up the whole time. Remove them from the grill. (If you have thicker chops, and the top is not cooked through, flip them over and cook them for another minute.)
- Glaze and serve: Remove the chops to a platter and pour the reserved brinerade over the chops. Let rest for five minutes, then serve.
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1-2 pork chops
Variations
- Asian style: the soy sauce is already giving them a little bit of an asian flavor; you can play this up by replacing the balsamic vinegar with seasoned asian rice vinegar, and the olive oil with peanut or sesame oil.
- Barbecued pork chops: When done, brush the chops with barbecue sauce instead of the reserved brinerade.
- Don't forget to gnaw on the bones...it's my favorite part!
What do you think?
Questions? Comments? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
This recipe is part of Quick Grilling Week
Grilled Boneless Pork Loin Chops, Brined and Honey Glazed recipe
Grilled Corn recipe
Rotisserie Pineapple
My other Grilling Recipes
Inspired by:
"Doc" Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger: Grill It!
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G-Master says
Pouring the brine (containing raw pork) onto the cooked pork is a bad move.
Mike Vrobel says
I know, right? That's why I say to reserve some of the brine before you add the raw pork, so it isn't contaminated when you pour it onto the cooked pork. 🙂
Catherine says
Great Recipe! Tried it a couple of weeks ago and was worried about finding it online again. Thank you!
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome!
Dante says
Pork chops (thick or thin) have always been my grilling Achilles' heel--always dry as a bone. Tonight I was determined to get it right, so I searched and stumbled upon your recipe/technique. It produced the best chops ever, down to the grill marks. I wanted to take all the credit, but broke down and admitted to my friends I found the recipe in a Google search. I believe you're going to have a few more fans. Thanks.
Mike Vrobel says
Thanks, glad I could help you in your Pork Chop Quest!
Michelle Chrisman says
Excellent recipe and instructions. Thank you
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!
Lisa M says
These were ABSOLUTELY the best chops I've ever had. I've never cared much for pork, as my memories of it consist of dry shake n bake chops from the oven. My fiancee raved over these, and said he had the best lunch in the whoke plant the next day for leftovers! (he works in a mill with about 70 co-workers on the day shift). I found myself eating them cold from the fridge at 7am the next morning. We'll never make chops any other way... thank you for the phenomenal recipe and grilling tips!