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grilled pork chops with indian spice rub
Grilling fans in New England must take advantage of every opportunity to use their grills while the weather’s nice. Now while I’ve been known to grill when there’s 6 inches of snow on the ground and more is falling, that’s more a test of endurance rather than a sublime experience of man and fire coming together to make good food.
Thus last night we tried yet another new grill recipe using pork chops and it was indeed sublime. Now pork in general is pretty lean these days and easy to cook into tough, dry leather. But I think this recipe from The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue solves those problems—a brine is a must for most cuts of pork—and results in some mighty tasty chops. And while the name says “Indian,“ keep in mind that there isn’t any hot pepper in the dish. You can add your own or save it for the side dishes.
Ingredients:
12 Tbsp kosher salt (or 6 Tbsp table salt)
6 Tbsp sugar
3 Quarts cold water
4 bone-in pork loin rib chops or center-cut loin chops, 1-1/2 inches thick (about 12-ounces each, ideally, although we used 6 smaller chops to come out to the same total weight and kept a close eye on cooking temperatures)For the rub:
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Directions:
1. Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water in a 2-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag (or divide evenly between two 1-gallong bags). Add the chops and seal the bag(s), pushing out as much air as possible. Store in the refrigerator for one hour, turning halfway through. Remove the chops from the bag(s) and pat dry thoroughly on both sides with paper towels.
2. While the chops are brining, assemble the rub. Our fennel seeds, cardamom seeds, cinnamon and cloves are all in whole form so we grind them up in a spare electric blade coffee grinder that we keep just for spices. (It’s disconcerting to get a blast of cardamom or fennel in your morning coffee, so we keep the spice grinder and actual coffee grinder separated.) One standard stick of cinnamon made about 1/2 tsp for this recipe.
When the chops are ready coat both sides generously with the rub.
3. Light a chimney starter filled with charcoal (use hardwood if you’ve got it) and allow it to burn until it is covered in a gray ash. Warning: hardwood charcoal burns quicker than briquettes so keep an eye on it. It should only take 20 minutes to light. Much longer than that and it will all be gone by the time we get out to your grill.
Build a two-level fire in your grill, stacking most of the coals on one side and them moving some to make a single layer on the other side. Put the cooking grate on and cover with the lid for five minutes to let it heat up. Scrape the grill clean and oil with paper towels dipped in vegetable oil, if necessary.
4. Grill the chops, uncovered, over the hotter side of the grill until browned on each, about 2-1/2 to 3 minutes each side. Move the chops to the cooler side of the grill and cover with a disposable aluminum roasting pan. (Charcoal grill covers tend to pick up some funky flavors over time that can transfer to the meat while cooking. Gas grills don’t have that problem.) Grill, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted through the side of the chop (stay away from the bone or it will throw off your reading!) registers 135 degrees, which should take about 7 to 9 more minutes.
Transfer the chops to a platter and cover loosely with the foil pan and let rest for five minutes to let the internal temperature rise to 145 to 150 degrees.
If you’re using a gas grill: Turn all the burners to high, close the lid, and heat until the grill is very hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape the cooking grate clean and oil if necessary. Leave one burner on high and turn the other burner or burners to medium-low. Cook the chops as directed, with the lid down rather than using a foil pan.
Serves 4.
Source: The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue
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