Oakridge BBQ Pork Chops

BBQ Pork Chops! Ahhh, pork. Who doesn’t love pork? Well ok, I guess there are a few unfortunate souls out there who aren’t inclined to eat pork. But, for the rest of you, goodness-gracious do we have a treat for you: BBQ Pork Chops! These pictures were taken by Brad Trump of Brad Trump Photography, and they are wonderful. Brad used our Venison Rub sample on his grilled pork chops and he reports back that they were “Outstanding!” Looks like he’s not only a grill-master, but also a pretty talented photographer too (Brad’s my brother, by the way… Hi Brad!) I will narrate Brad’s pictures below to walk you through the process of using our rubs and give some BBQ tips along the way. If you haven’t tried our Venison Rub on grilled pork chops, pork burgers, or even beef steaks and hamburgers, you really should.

Pick out some nice, thick center-cut loin chops from your local butcher. The ones Brad picked look fabulous. Notice the light ribbons and flecks of fat running through the chop. That is exactly what you are looking for in a quality pork chop. This particular chop came from the back-loin. Other cuts of pork will do equally well, so just pick the cut you are most comfortable with.

In this shot, Brad has applied the rub generously to the top side. He will give it a light pat to help the rub adhere, then gently flip it over to apply rub to the other side as well.

Because we only use a very small amount of salt in all of our rubs, you can apply them as liberally as you’d like. The more you pile on, the more intense the flavor, but you never have to worry about your meat becoming too salty from overuse.

After the rub sits for a few minutes, it will begin to dissolve. We recommend that you allow the rub to completely dissolve before you begin grilling. This gives all of the herbs and spices a chance to mingle and actually adhere to the surface of the meat. If you don’t wait long enough, you stand the chance of most of your rub falling off while grilling. This happens with any applied seasoning, so be patient and give your rubbed meat a 20-30 minute rest before you put them on the grill.

This will give you ample time to get your grill ready. It looks like Brad is using his trusty Weber charcoal chimney and a fair amount of Kingsford charcoal. We like the Weber charcoal chimneys because they are simply the best of their kind. They last forever and they get your charcoal started very quickly. You’ll also notice that Brad is not using any lighter fluid. This is another Pro tip; skip the lighter fluid. No matter how much you use, your food will always taste like lighter fluid fumes. Use a charcoal chimney instead and a few sheets crumpled-up newspaper to light it. I use my 150,000 BTU propane turkey fryer to light mine. Only takes a few seconds… And, no I’m not a lighter-fluid snob. I used the stuff for years. However, in the pursuit of the best flavor, I have found through my own experiences that food cooked over charcoal (lump or briquettes) tastes much better when no lighter fluid is used. Try it for yourself next time and tell me if you don’t agree.

Now the coals are ready and so are the chops. Notice how the rub has dissolved almost completely and very few of the raw sugar granules are visible any longer. This is exactly how you want yours to look just before you take them to the grill. Again, this only takes a few minutes, and your patience will be rewarded.

Now, over a medium-high heat grill, begin to put a sear on the first side. After about 90 seconds, place your lid over the grill tightly and wait another 90-120 seconds. If your lid has air vents, be sure they are fully open.

BBQ Pork Chops
Remove the lid and flip each chop. I like to use tongs to do my flipping and moving, as I find they do less damage to the rub crust you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Also, when you use tongs, it’s very easy to determine if the piece of meat is ready to be flipped or not. If you gently raise up on it and it still sticks to the grill, then it’s not ready to be flipped yet. Wait another 30 seconds and try again. Once the meat releases easily from the grill, flip them over and repeat the sear and lid process from above.

Once you have put a nice sear on both sides, finish the cooking process with the lid closed the entire time. Only raise it to flip, rotate, or check on your progress. Many folks don’t realize this, but much of your flavor development happens while your lid is closed. If you cook with it off the entire time, much of the flavor you could have built escapes into thin air. It also makes charcoal fires to burn to hot causing burning and scorching. Use your lid, they gave you one for a reason…

When you’re finished, they should look like this. If your temperature conscious, shoot for an internal temp of 140-145. Remove each chop from the grill and place on a rimmed baking sheet or a plate with sides. Then loosely cover with some aluminum foil and allow them to rest at least 5 minutes. Do not skip this step. Again, your patience will be greatly rewarded.

Venison & Wild Game Rub

Oakridge BBQ Pork Chops

Venison & Wild Game Rub

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