Let’s Talk about Pork…
For this recipe we used beautiful double cut bone in tomahawk pork chops that we picked up from the local butcher. We highly recommend this cut not only for its flavor and juiciness but for the epic presentation. If you can’t acquire one of these monster chips, fear not. You can use any thick cut pork chop or take a boneless pork loin and cut it into 2 inch thick pork steaks.
How to Get Great Grill Marks
When grilling any steaks or chops we all love to see those perfect diamond grill marks. To us it says the meat was prepared with love by someone who knows what the hell they’re doing. To get perfect grill marks you need a few things. First a hot grill with even heat. Second, you need grates that are lightly oiled just before you lay the meat down. Finally it’s about the placement of the meat.
Picture a clock in front of you and the grates are pointed at twelve and six. You want to lay the meat down so that the steak or chops are pointed at ten and four on the clock. After the meat is down don’t touch it for 2-3 minutes. After that you want to rotate the meat to a fresh part of the grill to a two and eight position and then leave it alone for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat the same method on the other side so that you have perfect grill marks on both sides.
To finish the meat I place on a tray or foil over indirect heat until I’ve reached the desired internal temperature. Roast the meat for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
What Internal Temperature Should Pork Chops Be??
Long ago when meat preparation was questionable and food borne illness was a higher concern pork chops were recommended to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Just like poultry. This made the pork very dry and grainy. I think this is why pork chops got a bad rap over the years.
Fast forward to today with much higher quality meat and better understanding of food safety the federal guidelines in the United States have lowered the recommended internal temperature of pork to 145 degrees F. Pork chops across America rejoiced at the news that they would no longer be served over cooked and dry.
Carryover Cooking
When cooking any type of meat you will experience carryover cooking. This is where the meat's internal temperature continues to rise even after it’s been removed from the heat. The hotter the grill temperature the more the meat will continue to cook once removed. I always plan that my steaks and chops will rise about 3-5 degrees F. after removing them from the grill. The leaner the meat the more important this can be to remove the meat from the heat a few degrees early.
Seasoning and Sauce
For these chops we keep it simple with just salt pepper and garlic seasoning. Try to avoid using spices with sugars or paprika because they tend to burn. You can add the flavor in the form of a finishing glaze just like you would brush on pork ribs during the final portion of the cook so that the sauce has time to absorb into the meat.
We chose a South Carolina mustard sauce because it has the perfect balance of tanginess and sweet. The sauce has a beautiful golden color and is outstanding on pork chicken and even shrimp.
South Carolina Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
½ cup Brown Sugar
¾ cup Yellow Mustard
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp Molasses
1 tbsp Ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Granulated Onion
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
½ tsp Salt
Instructions:
Crumble the brown sugar to remove any lumps then add mustard and vinegar. Whisk until smooth then add remaining ingredients and whisk again to combine.
Grilled Tomahawk Pork Chop
Ingredients:
1 Large Double Cut Bone In Pork Chop (about 2 inches thick)
¼ tsp Sea Salt
¼ tsp Coarse Black Pepper
⅛ tsp Granulated Garlic
⅛ tsp Granulated Onion
2 tsp Avocado Oil
Instructions:
- Brush the pork chop on all sides with avocado oil or any neutral flavored oil and then season liberally with sea salt, black pepper, garlic and onion seasoning blend. Let the meat sit in the fridge uncovered while you heat up the grill.
- Once you have a hot 2 zone fire set for direct and indirect cooking. Make sure to clean the grill grates and lightly brush with oil. Place the pork chop on the grates pointed at the ten and four positions of a clock for about 2 minutes. Then rotate the chops to the three and eight position for another 2 minutes. After that brush and re oil the grates and repeat the process on the other side of the pork chop.
- After you have perfect grill marks on both sides, move the chops to the indirect cooking zone. Brush the chops with a light coating of the mustard sauce then set the chops bone side down on its side to continue cooking until you reach an internal temperature of about 140-145 degrees F. You may decide to brush on a few more coats of sauce depending on how much sauce you like on your pork.
- Once the Pork Chop is fully cooked let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
