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How to Choose the Best Pork for Grilling

What's the best cut of pork for grilling? What's the difference between thick-cut and thin-cut chops? And is bone-in-or boneless better? Here are the test kitchen's recommendations.

What's the best cut of pork for grilling? What's the difference between thick-cut and thin-cut chops? And is bone-in-or boneless better? Here are the test kitchen's recommendations.

At the supermarket, pork chops may be labeled “loin chops,” a term that can apply to sirloin, blade, center-cut, or rib chops. Sirloin chops are tough and tasteless; blade chops are best cooked long and slow. Center-cut chops have a bone that divides the chop into meat from the loin and a small portion of the tenderloin. The tenderloin portion cooks more quickly, so center-cut chops can be challenging to cook evenly. That leaves rib chops—our favorite for grilling.

Thin vs. Thick-Cut Pork Chops

What’s the difference? About an inch. Thin-cut pork chops are more common and are often sold in family packs. They are about 1/2 inch thick, while thick-cut pork chops are about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Bone-In vs. Boneless Chops

To settle this debate, we boned several rib pork chops, grilled them, and then compared them with their bone-in counterparts. The meat that was cooked on the bone had better flavor and was undeniably juicier. Why? First, the bone insulates the meat closest to it, protecting it from exposure to the air so that less of the flavorful juice can evaporate during cooking. Second, deposits of fat are generally located next to the bone. Fat is both a crucial source of flavor and, as it melts during cooking, a source of perceived juiciness. When the bone is removed, some of the fat (hence flavor and juiciness) goes with it.

Buy Natural Pork. Avoid Enhancements

Pigs today are bred to be 50 percent leaner than they were 50 years ago—a response to market demand. But less fat equals drier, less flavorful pork. Enter “enhanced pork,” which processors inject with a solution of water, salt, and sodium phosphate. In the test kitchen, we much prefer natural pork, which has far better flavor and won’t dry out if you cook it correctly. You won’t find the terms “enhanced” or “natural” on package labels, but if the package has an ingredient list, the pork has been enhanced. How is commercially enhanced pork different from pork that you brine yourself in a saltwater solution (a step that we recommend for thick-cut pork chops)? With brining, you get to control the salt level as well as how long the pork stays in the brine.

RIB CHOP

RIB CHOP: This test kitchen favorite stays moist.

CENTER-CUT CHOP

CENTER-CUT CHOP: Our runner-up is more difficult to cook evenly.

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