To Marinate or Not to Marinate?

Right off the bat, we have a choice that should be made, much of which depends on your own personal preference. Many people prefer to have their pork tenderloins just as they are bought in the store or market, perhaps with the exception of some seasoning for a little added flavor. However, others prefer to marinate their pork tenderloins ahead of time, often with Italian dressing.

If you choose to marinate with Italian dressing, do so for about an hour. You can usually just choose to do so right before you grill up your tasty pork tenderloins to be enjoyed. The only real guideline with marinades is to avoid salty marinades, as they tend to soak up moisture (and juices). You obviously do not want to dry out your pork tenderloins, so those kinds of marinades will not be conducive to your goals when preparing them for the grill.

The Grilling Begins

Follow these guidelines to grill your pork tenderloins to maximum quality:

• Preheat your grill to a high heat. If you are using a charcoal grill, put more of the charcoals on one side, to heat one side up more than the other.
• Place your tenderloins on the grill (on the hotter side, if using a charcoal grill). Flip when needed, making sure to sear each side until grill marks are visible, but no longer.
• Then, lower your grill’s temperature to a low-medium setting, and move the tenderloins there to slowly cook on the inside. For a charcoal grill, simply move the tenderloins to the cooler side of the grill.
• Every few minutes, check the temperature of the meat to see if it is ready. You probably should go for a temperature of 160 to 170 degrees. Of course, once you are experienced and have knowledge of how long it takes your grill to cook your pork tenderloins, you can probably go off of experience and appearance of the tenderloins.

Then, you’re done and it’s time to eat! You may find that you need to let the grilled pork tenderloins sit for a few minutes before enjoying them, depending on how hot they are. Pork tenderloins are great with any types of sides, but if you are interested, you can always grill some fresh vegetables to complete the meal, or use other sides that are great for cookouts, such as potato salad, potato chips or fruit for a refreshing and sweet complement to the grilled pork tenderloins.

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Getting Your Pork Chops Ready

First of all, you should probably select pork chops that are about an inch thick. This just makes grilling them that much easier, so you aren’t burning the outside of the pork chops while the inside is not cooked thoroughly enough.

To prepare your pork chops for the grill, you have a number of options. A lot of people like to brine their pork chops by adding a solution made of one cup of salt per each gallon of water to submerge the meat in. This is usually done for about half a day. You have to be careful though, or they will end up too salty!

You can also marinate your pork chops, or use any type of seasoning that you prefer. A lot of this comes down to personal taste and preference, though. You may want to ask your guests, as you can usually season them individually without much of a hassle.

Putting Them on the Grill

Your grill should be at a high heat for preparing pork chops. That is because pork chops are grilled a lot like steak, with a higher heat. Allow some time for your grill to pre-heat, so you can be more precise about your cooking time and have better all-around results.

When your grill is ready, put the pork chops on and close your grill’s lid. You only need to let them stay that way for about a minute. Then, it’s a good idea to rotate them a quarter-turn, before closing the lid for another sixty seconds or so. The next time, you will flip them, and then repeat the process. Depending on the heat of your grill, you may be close to done by then. You can grill them a bit longer if you have not hit the desired temperature (usually about 160 degrees for pork).

If you have thicker pork chops, you might have to grill them a little longer, in which case you can turn the heat down a bit after doing the rotate/flip process. Also, if you prefer to add sauce to your pork chops, do so just a couple of minutes before they are done, to prevent burning from occurring.

Then, you’re done! As you can see, pork chops are among the easiest foods to prepare on the grill, yet they are just as tasty as many foods that take a lot more preparation and experience to grill properly. This is exactly why pork chops continue to be so popular for grilling enthusiasts. Enjoy!

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