These perfectly tender and very juicy grilled butterfly or pork loin chops are brined overnight, then marinaded for 4 or more hours prior to grilling, and basted during the grilling. Much simpler than it sounds — and well worth the wait — as well as worth every super quick and very easy step taken.
This was one of my late husband’s own recipes for grilling pork chops, but I find that it is excellent when used for skillet sauteed and oven baked or broiled chops (of any kind) also. However, only the oven baked chops require basting. I’ve included directions for these at the bottom.
Mark’s Grilled Butterfly or Pork Loin Chops
For perfect, super juicy, tender chops every time!
Grilled Pork Chop Brine Solution:
2-1/2 tsp. salt per 1 cup of water
Make quantity sufficient in which to immerse and cover the chops.
Marinade & Grill Basting Sauce:
Make marinade recipe twice — but only when indicated — once for a marinade and again for grill basting sauce.
May omit fresh minced garlic cloves and minced onions (if desired) for the basting sauce — but do not omit for the marinade.
1/8 cup honey
3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
6 Tbsp. Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
4 Tbsp. onion, finely minced
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
6 (3/4 to 2 inch thick) butterfly or pork loin chops, boneless
Seasoning:
ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
To Brine:
In a 13 x 9 casserole dish, brine the pork chops in a single layer, overnight, covered in brine and the dish covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.
Remove from brine, holding up to let excess fluid finish dripping off, then drain on a thickly layered paper towel covered cutting board for 4 to 5 minutes turning over once after 2 minutes.
To Marinade:
In a clean 13 x 9 casserole dish, whisk together all marinade ingredients — except pepper.
Coat chops well on both side and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover dish and refrigerate for 4 or more hours to marinade, flipping the chops over after two hours.
To Grill:
Remove from refrigerator, discard the marinade, and allow the chops to sit for 30 to 45 minutes to warm to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a bowl make the marinade recipe again to use as a basting sauce and prepare the grill — greased and heated to medium heat. If desired, may omit fresh minced or crushed garlic clove and finely minced onion for basting sauce.
Season chops with pepper to taste and place chops on an greased grill over medium high heat, close lid and grill.
Baste frequently, going no longer than 1-1/2 to 2 minutes between bastings, using up half of the sauce for each side.
Grill 5 to 6 minutes for 3/4 inch thick, 6 to 7 minutes for 1 inch thick, 7 to 8 minutes (1-1/2 inch thick) each side undisturbed before turning only once; 2 inch thick chops will need to be given an additional 30 seconds more on each side — or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 145 F degrees.
Rest 3 minutes (in which temperature will continue to rise and it will finish cooking while off the grill).
Serve immediately after resting.
Other cooking methods:
Here are directions for my own other methods of cooking. Times given are for 3/4 to 1 inch thick chops. Increase times by about 30 seconds for 1-1/2 inch thick chops or by about 60 seconds for 2 inch thick chops.
Skillet:
Brine overnight and marinade for 4 to 6 hours. (No basting)
Preheat a 12 inch iron or heavy skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons oil or butter, and fry 3 chops at a time for about 3 to 4 minutes undisturbed then flip and fry for another 3 minutes or until reaches 145 F degrees. Rest 3 minutes and serve.
Oven baked:
Brine overnight and marinade at least 5 or 6 hours. Prepare basting sauce.
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Bake chops for 30 minutes flipping over after 15 minutes in a shallow buttered baking pan. For easier clean up line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Baste frequently. Rest for 3 minutes and serve.
Oven broiled:
Brine overnight and marinade for 4-1/2 to 6 hours. (No basting)
Preheat oven on broil setting (5. Place chops on a greased broiling pan about 4 to 5 inches (top rack) from the broiler heating element and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, turn over and broil 4 to 5 more minutes or until reaches 145 F degrees. Rest for 5 minutes to allow center to fully cook through (the outside cooks faster than than the inside during broiling) and serve.
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