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Charcoal:

Direct heat, red hot

12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals) with high- and low-heat areas

Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting

Wood:

Direct heat, red hot

12-by-12-inch bed with a 4-inch-deep area for high heat and a 2-inch-deep area for low heat

Clean, oiled grate set 2 inches above the fire

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 6 SERVINGS)

4 boneless strip steaks, each 10 to 12 ounces and 1 to 1½ inches thick

1 tablespoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Oil for coating grill grate

2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Trim the fat on the steaks to about ¼ inch. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with the salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours if you have the time (this intensifies the flavors).

2. If you refrigerated the steaks, bring them to room temperature before grilling, about 1 hour.

3. Heat the grill as directed.

4. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Rub the olive oil all over the steaks. Put the steaks on the grill over high heat and cook until darkly crusted, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium-low (on a gas grill) or move the steaks to the low-heat area (on a charcoal or wood grill), cover, and grill for another 8 to 12 minutes for medium-rare to medium-done (135° to 140°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part). Transfer to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

MASTERING TECHNIQUE BASIC PORK CHOPS

Grilling pork chops is similar to grilling steaks. We prefer thick chops (at least 1 inch thick, preferably 1½ inches). The best technique for grilling thick chops is searing them over high heat and then moving them over low to medium-low heat to finish cooking. Thinner chops can be grilled entirely over medium-high heat for a slightly shorter cooking time. As with steaks and other meat, the keys to a good grilled pork chop include letting the meat come to room temperature, patting the meat dry, using fairly high heat, and letting the meat rest off the heat before slicing. Today’s pork is bred very lean, so it also pays to watch cooking times carefully. Cook the pork until it is still slightly pink in the center, and it will finish cooking off the heat as it rests. The basic technique below gives reliable results, but for the ultimate in juicy grilled chops, your best bet is to brine the chops first, as in Molasses-Brined Pork Chops with Roasted Corn Salsa (page 149). Brining goes a long way toward preventing pork chops from drying out on the grill.

* * *

TIMING

Prep: 5 minutes

Rest before grilling: 1 to 6 hours

Grill: About 10 minutes

GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

• Long-handled tongs

GETTING CREATIVE

• If you prefer boneless meat, replace the rib chops with boneless rib chops or center-cut loin chops and reduce the cooking time slightly.

• Try one of the dry rubs beginning on page 372, such as Cajun Blackening Rub, Jerk Rub, or Fragrant Chile Rub.

• For smoky-tasting chops, soak 1 cup of hickory or oak wood chips in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Add the soaked chips to the high-heat area of the grill until they begin to smolder. Grill the chops as directed, covering the grill to trap the smoke.

CHOP SHOP

Pork loin chops vary from market to market, but you’ll probably find two basic choices: center-cut chops and rib chops. Center-cut loin chops are similar to T-bone beef steaks, with loin meat on one side, a smaller bit of very tender tenderloin meat on the other side, and a T-shaped bone in the middle. Rib chops are cut from the rib section of the loin and have a rib bone running along one edge of the chop and one large portion of loin meat on the other side. We generally like to grill rib chops because they have a bit more intramuscular fat, which helps keep them from drying out on the grill. You might also find two other pork chops at your market: sirloin chops and blade chops. These chops also make good choices for grilling. For more information and