Mediterranean Grilled Thin-Cut Pork Chops
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 14, 2011
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes freezing
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
6 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops (see note), about ½ inch thick¾ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon brown sugar ½ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano 1 ½ teaspoons black olive tapenade ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
Before You Begin
To prevent the chops from curling, cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through the fat around the outside of each raw chop.
Instructions
- FREEZE CHOPS Pat chops dry with paper towels and rub with salt. Arrange on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and freeze until chops are firm, at least 30 minutes but no more than 1 hour. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and pepper in small bowl; set aside. Mix remaining butter, oregano, tapenade, and zest in another small bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 15 -minutes. (Butter-oregano mixture can be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day.)
- GRILL CHOPS Pat chops dry with paper towels. Spread softened butter-sugar mixture evenly over both sides of each chop. Grill, covered, over hot fire until well browned and meat registers 145 degrees, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to platter and top with chilled butter-oregano mixture. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Serve.
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes freezingYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
6 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops (see note), about ½ inch thick
¾ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 ½ teaspoons black olive tapenade
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
6 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops (see note), about ½ inch thick
¾ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 ½ teaspoons black olive tapenade
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
6 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops (see note), about ½ inch thick
¾ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 ½ teaspoons black olive tapenade
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To ensure that our Mediterranean Grilled Thin-Cut Pork Chops would brown quickly, we partially froze them to eliminate excess moisture from the exterior. Salting them first prevented them from drying out and allowed us to skip brining. A combination of softened butter and brown sugar spread over the chops resulted in a golden-brown crust when they came off the grill.
Before You Begin
To prevent the chops from curling, cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through the fat around the outside of each raw chop.
Instructions
- FREEZE CHOPS Pat chops dry with paper towels and rub with salt. Arrange on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and freeze until chops are firm, at least 30 minutes but no more than 1 hour. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and pepper in small bowl; set aside. Mix remaining butter, oregano, tapenade, and zest in another small bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 15 -minutes. (Butter-oregano mixture can be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day.)
- GRILL CHOPS Pat chops dry with paper towels. Spread softened butter-sugar mixture evenly over both sides of each chop. Grill, covered, over hot fire until well browned and meat registers 145 degrees, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to platter and top with chilled butter-oregano mixture. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Serve.
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