Everybody has had bland, dry pork chops before. Well, these are not that. With an insanely flavorful whiskey maple soy marinade, a kiss of smoke, a unique sweet-heat from our Down With the Swine rub, and a tasty finishing sauce, you will be begging for more.
Let’s be honest. Most of us have had bad experiences with pork chops in the past. Dad burnt them on the grill or mom overcooked them in the oven and you were forced to eat a tough, dry, hunk of pork.
The good thing is, they don’t have to be that way! Pork chops are delicious when cooked right. So how do you cook them right?
Well, my method is to start with a marinade, cook to temperature (not time), and add a finishing sauce. Now, I know what you’re thinking: good barbecue doesn’t need sauce! I completely agree. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a good finishing sauce to enhance the meat — rather than cover up bad barbecue — and that’s exactly what this recipe does.
This marinade does call for a couple of special items that you probably don’t already have in your fridge or pantry. Don’t worry, you can substitute whatever you do have and it will still turn out great. But if you want to really go for it, do yourself a favor and order BLiS Barrel Aged Hardwood Smoked Soy Sauce and Barrel Aged Fish Sauce. Believe me, after tasting them, you will use these quite often in your cooking.
BLiS is an innovator in barrel aged ingredients, run by a former chef who has worked in big-time kitchens around the world. You can read more about BLiS in The Firestarter.
The other ingredient you will need to go out and get is Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon. It’s on the inexpensive side as far as bourbons are concerned, and depending on your drinking palate, you may use it more for cooking than actually drinking, but it’s worth having, especially for this recipe. I’ve used it for maple bourbon cookies before too. If you don’t have it, you can substitute any whiskey, but it won’t have that maple flavor so you can add in a couple drops of maple extract or maple syrup.
For your marinade, mix together 1/4 cup of your bourbon, 1/4 cup of your soy sauce, 2 TBSP of your fish sauce, 2 TBSP of minced garlic, 1 TBSP of honey, 1 TBSP of vegetable oil, and 1 TBSP of water. Those measurements may need to be adjusted slightly depending on the thickness or quantity of your pork chops.
Whisk it all together and then pour into a large Ziploc bag, FoodSaver bag, or pan with high sides, making sure to completely cover your pork chops. Place into the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight.
After marinating, pull your chops out and give them a generous sprinkle of our Down With the Swine rub on all sides. Fire up your grill to around 400 using the indirect heat method. Once it’s up to temperature, put your chops on the indirect side and let go for 5-6 minutes. Flip them and let go for another 5-6 minutes.
This is where the other important factor in cooking pork chops comes in. Yes, I said 5-6 minutes per side, but really we’re cooking to temperature, not time. You’re going to want to have your instant read thermometer handy to make sure you don’t dry them out. You’re going to pull them off the grill when they reach 145 degrees, so from here, it’s all about your judgement.
I like to flip them again and rotate them 90 degrees to keep one side from always being the closest to the direct heat, and also to get your grill marks going in a checkerboard pattern. Keep doing this until your chops are 145, then remove and let rest on a cutting board — I highly suggest a Rosewood Block (ask them about a Pasatiempo Barbecue discount) — for a few minutes while you get your finishing sauce ready.
For the finishing sauce, mix the other half of your marinade ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and let simmer until the sauce thickens. Be careful because if you aren’t stirring regularly, it could boil over. You also don’t want to let it go too long because it’ll get way too thick. Again, use your judgement to get the thickness you like.
Once the finishing sauce is ready, plate your pork chops, pour a small amount of sauce over top of them and serve.
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 4 Thick Bone-In Pork Chops
- Down With the Swine rub
- ½ cup Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
- ½ cup BLiS Barrel Aged Hardwood Smoked Soy Sauce
- 4 TBSP BLiS Barrel Aged Fish Sauce OR Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 TBSP Garlic
- 2 TBSP Honey
- 2 TBSP Vegetable OIl
Instructions
For the Marinade
- In a medium bowl, mix together the bourbon, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, garlic, water, and vegetable oil
- Separate half of it to reserve for finishing sauce
- Place the other half in a FoodSaver bag, large ziploc bag, or pan with high sides, then place your pork chops inside. Make sure the marinade covers them on all sides. Depending on the thickness of your chops, you may need to make slightly more marinade.
- Place into the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight
Grilling your Pork Chops
- After marinading, heat your grill using indirect heat
- Sprinkle a healthy amount of Down With the Swine rub on your pork chops
- Place your pork chops on the indirect side and let go for 5-6 minutes
- Flip and let go another 5-6 minutes
- Flip again and rotate 90 degrees for another 5 minutes
- Flip again and let go for another 5 minutes
- At this point, your chops should be nearing 145 degrees internal, and when they reach that they are done. Note: Depending on the heat of your grill, the cook time may vary, so monitor closely after your second flip.
- Once done, remove from grill and rest for 5-10 minutes before eating
For the Finishing Sauce
- While grilling, place your reserved marinade into a small sauce pan, bring to a boil, and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently (If you leave it alone without stirring, it may boil over, so keep a close eye on it)
- Once it has thickened, remove from heat
- Spoon finishing sauce over top of your pork chops
