Most People Cook Pork Chops Wrong! Try These 7 Old MEMPHIS Pit Tricks

Most pork chops come out gray and dry because we're still cooking a lean modern hog by an old, scared rule. Roscoe walks you through seven old pitmaster habits, from the butcher counter to the thermometer, that give you a juicy chop in your kitchen or on the grill. What you'll need - 2 bone-in pork rib chops, 1½ inches thick (about 12 oz each) - About 1 teaspoon kosher salt per chop (half that if using table salt) - Or a quick brine: ¼ cup table salt dissolved in 1 quart cold water - Black pepper - 1 tablespoon neutral oil - A cast iron skillet, a wire rack and sheet pan, and an instant-read thermometer The method 1. Cut 2 slits through the fat and silver skin on each chop, about 2 inches apart. 2. Salt both sides and refrigerate uncovered on a rack, at least 45 minutes and up to a day. Or brine about 30 minutes in the refrigerator, then discard the brine. 3. Oven at 275°F. Pat dry, pepper, and bake on the rack until the center reads 120 to 125°F, about 30 to 45 minutes. 4. Sear in smoking-hot cast iron, 1½ to 3 minutes per side, then stand each chop on its fat edge about 1½ minutes. 5. Pull at about 140°F, measured from the side. Rest on a clean plate until it reaches 145°F, then 3 more minutes. No oven? Use a two-zone charcoal grill outdoors: cool side first with the lid down, then sear over the coals. In this video - Why so many chops get cooked to shoe leather - The chop to buy, and the one to walk past - Wet brine or dry salt, and when salt actually gets inside - Why chops curl and the two-cut fix - Low heat first, sear last - Two zones on the grill and reading the smoke - The sear, the fat edge and the tongs - The 140 pull, the 145 finish and the ice-water thermometer test Food safety: Whole pork cuts are safe at 145°F with a 3-minute rest (USDA). Ground pork goes to 160°F. Throw out used brine. Charcoal stays outdoors, always. Roscoe is a fictional character; this channel is made with the help of AI tools. The recipes and temperatures are real. What does a good thick pork chop cost where you live, and were the chops in your house growing up gray? #roscoespit #porkchops #castironcooking