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Summer may be over but you can still enjoy great grilled pork chops by stovetop grilling!
Stovetop Grilling: Year Round Summer Taste
Believe it or not, I was never much of a fan of indoor grilling on the stovetop. Originally, I dismissed it as an ineffective way of cooking and could never understand why friends raved about it.
The thing I was missing about stovetop grilling was using the proper pan. What I had was cheap junk, in a word. There’s no way that a ceramic-coated aluminum pan was going to get hot enough to actually cook food. You’d get grill marks, but that was about it.
So I decided to treat myself and buy a very good quality double-burner cast iron grill pan. It’s like the difference between night and day. I first realized this when I made my Grown-Up Burgers.
These can also be cooked in a nice heavy skillet if you prefer.
Pork Chop Rub
My basic rub for these chops has a good herby and slightly spicy flavor. However, you can make a few changes to add some smoky flavor and heat.
If you want a deep smoke flavor, then use all smoky paprika. If you like considerable heat, then use hot paprika and some cayenne pepper for a real five-alarm flavor.
I also decided to brine these chops for a few hours so they’d remain nice and juicy, but if time is of the essence, you really don’t have to do the brine.
Now a word about paprika. It’s a major flavoring in this rub so the stuff you get in the dollar store just won’t cut it here. Many stores sell the genuine Hungarian kind and that’s an excellent choice. But if you live in a place where selection isn’t so great, I get this variety of assorted paprikas from Amazon. You get the hot and smoked kind and the general mild one. You will be surprised at the wonderful flavor the mild one actually has.
Throw Some Peppers On
While that stovetop grill is piping hot, why not throw on some mini peppers or pepper strips?
They go wonderfully with these spicy pork chops. In fact, any vegetable will do for grilling. I used mini peppers because the store had them on sale, but onions, mushrooms or green beans work really well here too.
The Recipe
Spicy Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 boneless loin pork chops 1-in/2.5cm thick
- Oil
Brine:
- 1 qt lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
Rub:
- 2 tbs high-quality sweet paprika
- 1 tbs high-quality smoky paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
Instructions
- Brining may be omitted if you prefer.
- Mix brine ingredients, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Place pork chops in a deep dish and cover with the brine solution. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
- Mix rub ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
- Remove chops from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of chops with a bit of oil.
- Sprinkle rub on both sides of chops and rub into the meat.
- Heat a stovetop grill or large skillet over medium-high heat. If you are using a skillet, add 1 tbs of oil to the pan to prevent sticking. If using the grill, this is not necessary.
- Grill chops for 8-10 minutes on each side. Chops should register 170F/75C internally. If you desire chops well done, you can finish cooking in a 350F/180C oven for 5-10 minutes.
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