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Pork chops using Cooks Illustrated method

Plcharfoon
Plcharfoon Posts: 32
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum
I have adapted Cooks Illustrated method of doing thick pork chops on the grill. Brine for four hours in a beer/salt solution, orient vertically with the bone down using skewers to space, cook to 125F, take off the grate and keep warm while you stoke the fire for a final char. More work, but well worth the results...

Comments

  • NibbleMeThis
    NibbleMeThis Posts: 2,295
    That is one I have tabbed in the periodical to try but haven't gotten around to yet.  I like that idea.
    Knoxville, TN
    Nibble Me This
  • brianwdmn
    brianwdmn Posts: 371
    That looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
    Marietta, East Cobb, GA
  • chuff
    chuff Posts: 255
    Cooks Illustrated techniques sometimes seem goofy and overly complex, and I don't necessarily love everything about their business model. Having said that, everything I've ever followed their instructions on has turned out exactly like they said it would. In my experience if they say that something will work a certain way that is exactly what will happen. 
    XL BGE
  • Austin  Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
    Nice cook.  What type of beer did your use in the brine?
    @chuff, not only do the CI recipes turn out as written, every recipe that I have adapted for cooking on the egg has been a success.
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
  • JWBurns
    JWBurns Posts: 344
    I completely agree with @chuff

    This particular method calls for brine, which is a useful preparation method, but the other steps seem as chuff said,
    overly complex.

    I guess it's to appear "fancy" or self-important? Heck if I know. Ultimately the end result is the same.
  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
    I've been doing boneless chops trex style with great success. I may try this though.
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    edited July 2012
    what's goofy or self-important about it? or complex?

    look at it for what it is.  a way to heat the bone while hardly cooking any other part of it.  this solves the perpetual issue of the perfectly cooked chop suffering from the meat near the bone being raw. the skewers just keep them from falling over. heat up the bone with direct heat to jumpstart the meat surrounding the bone  that way it'll not be raw when served.

    the rest is nothing more than a Trex cook, or XERT actually.  reverse sear.

    gotta look past what we think we are seeing/hearing, and get to the rationale behind the idea


    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • chuff
    chuff Posts: 255
    Some clarification. I didn't say this method was goofy or overly complex. I said CI recipes and techniques often SEEM goofy and overly complex, but that if you follow them they ALWAYS work exactly as advertised. For a perfect example of this see their technique for the perfect french omelette. It takes close to half an hour and has a ridiculous number of steps for an omelette. If you try it, though, you'll get a damn near perfect french omelette every time. 

    i cook from their magazine and their TV shows all the time because I've learned to always trust what they say. They go squarely in there with Alton Brown into the "if they say it will work then it damn well will work" group. So far the CI/Cook's Country/ATK crew and Alton are the only ones in that group. 

    I still don't like a lot of their business practices though. 
    XL BGE
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    edited July 2012
    sorry.  i was reading jwburns.  he quoted you.  i didn't see that he was quoting you, and i comingled your words and his ("I guess it's to appear "fancy" or self-important? Heck if I know.").

    just seemed he was seeing only 'complex' but not looking into the logic.  it's not at all complex.  it may seem complicated, but complex and complicated are not the same thing.

    it's actually incredibly simple in concept.  glad you found it worked for you.  i usually hot-tub the chops in order to boost the temp near the bone.  this bone-down method though is a good way to cook a few chops at once, staring cold' and getting that meat near the bone to cook too.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Plcharfoon
    Plcharfoon Posts: 32
    Great discussion everyone...
    Nice cook.  What type of beer did your use in the brine?
    @chuff, not only do the CI recipes turn out as written, every recipe that I have adapted for cooking on the egg has been a success.
    I like full bodied ales, stouts, etc...
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Interesting approach. I've seen them do this with really big porterhouses, but didn't think to apply it to pork chops. Might have to give this a go.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • gtcharlie
    gtcharlie Posts: 65
    Gave the method a shot last night.  Realy didn't notice much difference in the finished chops.  Then again I have found brined pork chops to almost alway turn out extremely well on the egg.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    the only thing the bone-siode down cook is going to do is cook the meat which surrounds the bone.  usually the bone insulates the meat, and you are left with sometimes raw or undercooked meat at the bone, especially with thick chops.  if you did not notice any raw meat, then you actually DID benefit by cooking them that way.

    it would be hard to notice because i think we'd all assume the meat would have been cooked anyway.  but in reality, it's usually quite pink/red around the gone unless it's taken to much higher temps (like grandmas' 180 degree internal temps for pork)
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • JWBurns
    JWBurns Posts: 344
    I think the trick to the CI method is that you must rub your belly and pat your head for the first few minutes of the cook.. Really brings out the flavor of the meat :)
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    i think people are misunderstanding the point.
    :)

    the key to why they propose the method is their use of the the word "thick" in describing the chops.  just by looking at the method you can see it is about cooking evenly, including the meat around the bone.  the brine is incidental.

    it's got nothing to do with flavor, but is intended to deliver a uniformly cooked thick chop, with no raw center, and no overcooked exterior.

    Trex (or Xert) for a steak which just happens to be pork.


    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Plcharfoon
    Plcharfoon Posts: 32
    Stike...exactly!!! Was never able to achieve a nice evenly cooked chop until I tried this. Always over cooked loin and undercooked next to the bone.
  • LPGator
    LPGator Posts: 10
    Did you put a rub on before you cooked? I've brined poultry but sometimes it comes out too salty, specially after I've put a rub on. Could be I'm brinig too long as well.
  • Plcharfoon
    Plcharfoon Posts: 32
    Yes, before cooking and with all of the salt in the brine you can go very light on salt in the rub (if at all).
    LPGator said:

    Did you put a rub on before you cooked? I've brined poultry but sometimes it comes out too salty, specially after I've put a rub on. Could be I'm brinig too long as well.

  • brianwdmn
    brianwdmn Posts: 371
    CI actually has a rub recipie accompanying this method and doesn't contain salt.
    Marietta, East Cobb, GA
  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
    I use CI recipes a lot and always learn new ways of doing things. I think the business practices brought up earlier come down to the overuse of email (not quite spam, but close) and the constant bombardment of products/books they are selling. I have not done pork chops using this approach yet..nice to see someone getting good results so I think I'll give it a rip...
    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
    BTW PLcharfoon, the roasted cauliflower looks great too. I like to do it that way but tossed in EVOO and curry powder...
    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
  • Plcharfoon
    Plcharfoon Posts: 32
    The secret ingredient is a few mashed anchovies mixed in with the EVOO, garlic and chili flakes for heat. Curry sounds good too!

    BTW PLcharfoon, the roasted cauliflower looks great too. I like to do it that way but tossed in EVOO and curry powder...

  • lake_guy
    lake_guy Posts: 3
    New XLBGE owner here.  I cooked my first thick cut bone-in chops last night.  they turned out amazing, best I've ever done.  I was looking on the forum and didn't find too much in the way of recipes so thought I would post what worked for me.
    • Brine for 2 hrs - used this recipe.  This is the first time I've used a brine for chops and it really makes all the difference.  Highly recommended.
    • Removed the chops from the brine and let stand at room temp for 30 minutes.
    • Seasoned generously on both sides with Porky's Smokey Bar-B-Que.  This is where I departed from the recipe mentioned above.  Only thing I used it for was the brine.
    • BGE at 400 for the cook.  Somewhere between 8-10 minutes per side.  I used a meat thermometer to ensure at 150 before pulling.  I checked them 2-3 times per side, opening the lid which of course dropped the temp but it also has the advantage of moving the chops on/off the hotter part of the fire.
    • Let stand for 10 minutes after pulling off the grill.
    • Chops were uniformly done, Just a slight bit of pink right at the bone.  I would say little to no pink in the rest of the meat.  I think the brine really made a difference, I could easily see how they might have been a little over cooked without it.
    Next chops cook want to try out the Dizzy Dust that I've seen so many rave about.  Am also interested in trying out some other brine recipes, I'm completely sold on using a brine for all chops in the future.
  • ratcheer
    ratcheer Posts: 189
    I was already thawing pork chops for today's cook. I think I will use much of lake_guy's recipe from weber.com and his cooking method.

    lake_guy, did you cook direct or indirect? From the cooking time, I am guessing direct, but I want to be sure. Thanks.

    Tim
  • lake_guy
    lake_guy Posts: 3
    it was all direct cooking.
  • ratcheer
    ratcheer Posts: 189
    I did it, yesterday. The chops were awesome. Thanks for the tip, lake_guy!

    Tim