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One change the USDA made guarantees you can cook up juicy grilled pork chops.
Pork chops have had a bad rap over the years because too many people cooked the bejesus out of them, leaving them dry and undesirable. For years, we were told that they had to be cooked well done to a temperature of 160F degrees.
All of that changed in 2011, when the USDA updated its standards.
It’s just as safe to cook cuts of pork to 145F degrees with a three-minute rest time as it is to cook them to 160F degrees, the previously recommended temperature, with no rest time. The new cooking recommendations reflect the same standards that the agency uses for cooked meat products produced in federally inspected meat establishments, which rely on the rest time of three minutes to achieve a safe product.
Thank you USDA. Now, pork chops only take about 5 minutes to grill per side, and they’re so juicy.
In order to get sexy grill marks, make sure your grill is nice and hot before adding the pork chops to the grill. After two minutes, peek under the chop. If it has a nice sear, rotate the chop 90 degrees and continue grilling for 2-3 more minutes.
Then flip. Cook them to that internal temperature of 145F degrees. This will take another 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chops. After the first two minutes, brush on this sweet, smoky, tart cumin orange marmalade, and let it cook onto the chops until they’re ready.
Then, as the USDA recommends, let them rest for three minutes while you’re getting the rest of the meal pulled together.
A dish like this deserves a fancy plating. Spoon some of the extra marmalade into a circle and add the chop right on top. Add a few grilled asparagus and some herbs to garnish. Juicy and beautiful.
More Pork Recipes
- Quick & Juicy Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Smoked Whiskey Peach Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin Filets
- Pork Porterhouse Chops with Lingonberry-Dijon Sauce
Grilled Tomahawk Pork Chops with Cumin Orange Marmalade
Ingredients
Cumin Orange Marmalade
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp shallots, minced
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp butter
Grilled Pork Chops
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tomahawk pork chops
Optional Garnish
- fresh thyme
- orange zest
Instructions
Cumin Orange Marmalade
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cumin and sauté for one minute.
- Add the marmalade and vinegar and heat for one more minute. Whisk in the butter, until melted. Set aside.
Grilled Pork Chops
- Combine the salt, pepper and cumin. Brush olive oil onto the pork chops and rub evenly with the spices.
- Heat the grill to high (about 400F degrees). Grill the pork chops about 4-5 minutes.
- Flip. Grill 2 more minutes. Brush with cumin orange marmalade. Continue grilling 2-3 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145F degrees. Let rest for 3 minutes.
Plate
- Spoon some of the marmalade onto a plate. Place the pork chop on top. Garnish with fresh herbs and orange zest.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
