The Secret to Grilling Great Pork

From the kitchen of Kevin Taylor, the BBQ Guru

An economical way to buy pork is to buy the entire loin. That's right...all 8-9 pounds. I can usually find this on sale for under $2.00/pound. Don't confuse this with a tenderloin....same idea but a slightly different cut. You should keep your eye out for tenderloin sales as well...though they seem to be rare.

Our family of 4, 2 young kids, will eat approximately 2 pounds per meal. So, I cut the loin into 3-4 big pieces and freeze them. To keep freezer burn off, wrap in plastic wrap and make sure that it is touching the meat in all places. Then I freeze in zip-type freezer bags and take out these individual pieces to eat.

Now, you can cook each of these large chunks or you can cut them into 1" chops or you can cut them into strips for stir fry......AHHHHH the precious pig...so versatile yet so unappreciated!

OK, OK enough blathering!!

Following are cooking instructions for the various cuts of pork.........

No matter what cut of pork you are fixing, the internal meat temp should be between 145-155 degrees F when you take them off the grill. That temp will go up 5-10 degrees while they rest. If you let them cook any more than that, they will dry out. Not to worry, trichinae is killed off at 137 degrees F.

Before grilling, always brush with oil to prevent sticking.

OK, for chops, just grill like any steak or burger...sear each side on high heat for 2-3 minutes and then turn heat to medium and finish cooking.

For regular loin, sear at 450 degrees F on each side for 5 minutes, turn heat to 400 degrees F and cook for an additional 40-50 minutes.

For tenderloin, sear each side at 450 degrees F, turn down to 400 degrees F and cook an additional 15-20 minutes.

When finished grilling...ALWAYS let the meat rest.....5 minutes for chops and tenderloin and 10 minutes for loin.