What Meat Cuts to Grill/Barbecue
Grilling usually involves a high heat and a short cooking time, choosing the right cut of pork for your grill/barbecue is essential. Suitable cuts are
- Tenderloin, lean, tender meat that is quick to cook, extra care needs to be taken to ensure it does not dry out.
- Rib chops are perfect for barbecues, marbled with fat that keeps it tender and moist.
- Belly slices/rashers, ask the butcher to keep a decent amount of fat on it, the fat will melt and tenderize the meat as it grills or cooks over a barbecue.
- Pork Shoulder chops has a decent amount of fat on it, one of the most popular barbecue/grilling cuts for pork.
Of course you can use other cuts, such as shoulder chops, sirloin chop and blade chops, but you need to be aware that these cuts have less fat and dry out faster, therefore they need more care and preparation.
Tip: *1 inch or below is the perfect thickness for pork, thick enough for a decent pork chop, thin enough that it does not take too long to cook*
The Secrets to Juicy and Tender Grilled Pork
Unlike beef, pork has to be cooked all the way through, that means that pork tends to be dryer then beef after grilling, to compensate for the loss of moisture try using a wet marinade.
If you have a fairly well marbled, fatty pork cut such as the rib chop or pork shoulder chops, than a dry marinade is fine.
Soak Tough Pork Cuts in Brine
Brine’s are a great way to tenderize a tough piece of pork such as the Boston butt; tough pork cuts should be soaked in a brine for at least an hour to tenderize it.
Tip: *Do remember to pat off the brine before grilling, or you might end up with very salty pork*
Grilling Pork with Charcoal
Pork should be grilled over a medium heat, too high a heat and the pork burns without cooking all the way through, if the heat is too low, then it takes too long to cook the pork, making it tough and dry.
Tip: *To test whether you have the perfect temperature to cook pork, carefully place your hand about 6 inches above the grill, if your hand gets hot after 5 seconds then you have the perfect temperature*
Wet or Dry Marinades for Barbecued Pork
If you have a prime cut of pork, then you will probably just need to rub on a simple dry rub about 30 to 45 minutes before grilling. For tougher cuts of pork that have a little less marbling, than a wet marinade is recommended.
How to Grill a Tough, Lean, cut of Pork
Grilling a tough cut of pork is a threefold process;
- 1. Soak the pork in Brine for an hour.
- 2.Pat off the brine and use a wet marinade for an hour. Ensure that your marinade has no salt added; the pork will be salty enough from the brine.
- 3. Remove from wet marinade and use a meat mallet on the pork
Tip: *This threefold process will guarantee tender grilled pork. But it is not recommended, it would be easier to just braise the pork or cube it and add it to a stew.*
Follow these pork grilling tips and tricks to cook the perfect dish!