Grilled pork rib chops ‘glazed’ with a wet rub during finishing.
In my neck othe woods most meat counters offer a 3-4 bone pork loin rib roast that is pretty darned affordable. I can generally find one in the $6 $7 range that serves and satisfies all three of us for dinner. I certainly enjoy pork that is slow smoked or barbequed, and this cut of meat does lend itself quite nicely to those methods especially if you brine it before slow cooking. Previously Ive posted recipes for preparing this roast as a whole cut of meat and I also pinch a few extra pennies out of my food budget by purchasing the roast and trimming it into chops myself. If I purchase a 4 bone roast, I can trim the roast into nice big thick double chops for just my son and me. Dee-Lish-Us!
For this cook I did not brine the chops but you could if you prefer. Since I purchased domestic pork from a reliable meat source Im not worried about cooking it to Medium so it remains moist and juicy. This is not the pork my parents grew up with on the farms of Wyoming and Oklahoma so it doesnt need to be cooked to WELL Done aka so dry and tough you need applesauce with it. (Although come to think of it apple sauce is tasty with grilled pork!)
After trimming the 3 bone roast into nice think chops and while the grill was heating, I lightly seasoned the pork chops with a pinch of kosher salt on both sides and let them rest, covered, on the counter for about 15 minutes or so. Cooking cold meat straight from the fridge or cooler is one sure way to have it done on the outside and cold & rare on the inside. (Not an unwanted result in some preparations of beef or fish!)
Before placing the chops on the clean and HOT grates, I sprayed both sides lightly with canola oil. Canola oil is a high heat cooking oil that is perfect for using as a grilling lubricant rather than more expensive and less effiective olive oil.
I can never understand why folks use Extra Virgin Olive oil on meat before its grilled! EVOO is unprocessed and for a good reason its an excellent flavor enhancement to add to your steak, chop, chicken or even fish and vegetables after they are grilled. And then just a dollup or two no need to spread that good stuff all over! Virgin olive oil is not much better for grilling either and both versions of olive oil are expensive! Neither Extra Virgin nor Virgin olive oil are used by professional cooks for high-heat cooking they have a low smoke point. That simply means they burn at lower temperatures than do oils like sunflower, canola or peanut.
In addition to the seasoning before grilling I also seasoned about 1/4 cup of canola oil with a 1/4 tsp of garlic powder, ginger powder and cumin. After the first side was seared and I turned the chops I brushed this on to add some extra flavor to the outside of the meat. Adding these dry seasonings to a brine or dry rub prior to cooking would enable the flavors of the spices to penetrate the surface of the meat and, for this cook, I didnt want that. I wanted a layer of flavor on the outside that would touch my lips but not immediately touch my tongue with each bite.
Determining at what point in preparation, cooking or finishing as the appropriate time to apply a spice, wet-rub, glaze or sauce can alter the flavor profile of the dish you are cooking.
After searing both sides of the chops on the grill and brushing with the flavored oil, I removed the chops to a holding pan into which the remainder of the oil and a bit of fermented barley & hop liquid was also added. I sealed the pan tightly and set it on an unheated section of the grates, turned the other section on low and closed the hood to finish the chops for about another 15 minutes or until the meat reached an internal temperature of 160F degrees the USDA recommendation for Medium pork.
When it was time for service I place the chops on a platter and served adding a touch of Extra Virgin Olive oil to the meat and some chopped flat leaf parsley.
Happy Grilling!
