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THE GRILL

Gas:

Direct heat, high (500°F)

Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting

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 bone-in pork rib chops, each 1 to 1½ inches thick (about 3 pounds total)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Oil for coating grill grate

2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Trim the fat on the chops to about ¼ inch. Pat the chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with the salt and pepper. Let the chops rest at room temperature for 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

2. If you refrigerated the chops, bring them to room temperature before grilling, about 45 minutes.

3. Heat the grill as directed.

4. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Rub the olive oil all over the chops. Put the chops on the grill, cover, and cook over high heat until nicely grill-marked, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Reduce the heat under the chops to medium-low (on a gas grill) or move the chops to the low-heat area (on a charcoal or wood grill), cover, and grill for another 5 to 6 minutes for medium (145°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part).

5. Transfer to a platter or plates, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

MASTERING TECHNIQUE BASIC BONE-IN CHICKEN PARTS

Here’s our favorite way to make barbecued chicken pieces—brined to keep the meat moist. Use this as a base recipe and vary the flavors in the brine to suit your taste. We also recommend a dry rub and finishing sauce for flavor. Use any combination of the brines, dry rubs, and sauces beginning on page 362 that mention chicken as a suitable meat. Some of the marinades in that chapter can be used instead of a brine. One final step also helps to retain moisture in the meat: grilling the chicken with the skin on. If you prefer skinless chicken, the brine will help it hold on to moisture during grilling. Or you could grill the chicken with the skin on and then remove the skin before serving. If that’s your preference, slather a finishing sauce onto the skinless chicken at the table rather than during grilling, because most of its flavor will be discarded with the skin.

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TIMING

Prep: 5 minutes (plus 5 minutes for sauce)

Brine: 2 to 3 hours

Grill: 30 to 40 minutes

GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

• Long-handled tongs

• Long-handled basting brush

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CUTTING A CHICKEN INTO PARTS

1. To save money, buy a whole chicken (3½ to 4 pounds) and cut it into parts yourself. Put the chicken breast-side up, pull one of the legs away from the body, and cut through the skin and meat where the leg attaches to the body. Bend the leg away from the body until the ball of the thighbone pops out of the socket. Cut between the ball and socket to remove the leg from the body. Repeat with the other leg.

2. For each leg, cut the drumstick from the thigh by cutting down firmly through the joint.

3. Pull a wing away from the body and cut near the joint at the base of the wing to remove it from the body. Repeat with the other wing.

4. Pry the back away from the breast with your hands and cut the back from the breast. Save the backbone for stock, if you like.

5. Cut the breast lengthwise in half down the middle through the breastbone. If you like, cut each breast crosswise in half to make smaller pieces.

THE GRILL

Gas:

Indirect heat, medium (350°F)

3- or 4-burner grill–middle burner(s) off

2-burner grill–1 side off

Clean, oiled grate

Charcoal:

Indirect heat, medium ash

Split charcoal bed (about 2 dozen coals per side)

20 replacement coals

Heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal

Clean, oiled grate on medium setting

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 6 SERVINGS)

3