From Derrick Riches,
Your Guide to Barbecues & Grilling.
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I have never been a big fan of Pork Chops. That is until I started cooking them on the grill. I grew up with pan fried, pan dried, chops drowned in pepper or some spice and tough as shoe leather. There is another way to do chops though, cooked quickly on the grill, with a flavorful, but not too strong marinade. Cooked to perfection, chops can be tender, moist and full of flavor.

I know people who only buy Pork Tenderloin. Certainly this is a superior, more tender cut of meat, but the same old chops will do perfectly if you cook them right. Whether grilling chops or tenderloin, the best secret is learning the exact point when the meat is cooked. Pork chops need to be cooked through, but not over cooked. This is a little trick because you want to pull pork chops off the grill about a minute before they are done. The chop will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the grill if you let it sit in a protected place for about 5 minutes. As with steaks you learn with experience. Pay close attention the color, smell, texture and density of the perfect chop, or you can go buy a meat thermometer. It's really up to you. You want to remove a pork chop from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.

When cooking chops you will hear people say to sear the outside to keep the moisture inside. Don't listen to them. Chops and tenderloins tend to start out drier than steaks so this method won't really help. What will help is a good marinade (oil based) or just a light brushing of oil over the surface. Cook your chops over a medium flame and keep a close eye on them. Don't over cook. I grew up convinced that if pork wasn't cooked beyond recognition that it would make you sick. These days pork is actually one of the cleaner meats on the market. The problem is that you need to cook meat to 160 degrees F to be absolutely sure that all the bugs are killed. However, at this temperature the pork chop has started to dry out and become tough, the decision is up to you, but remember that a medium rare steak has been cooked to about 135 degrees F.

Another secret to moist chops is a finishing sauce. This just means that you don't just plop the chop on a plate and serve it. Use a sauce, like a teriyaki sauce to finish off the chops. If you marinade your chops, take the remaining marinade, boil it for 5 minutes and pour over the meat. This will add extra flavor and moisture to the meat, but remember to let it rest for 5 minutes before you serve it. This allows the juices to return to the surface of the meat and gives it a much better flavor.

One last issue, not all pork chops are created equally. While we have a lot of names for different cuts of steak, pork chops tend to get a more generic name. If you really want a great chop, buy pork loin chops. These are tenderer and have a better flavor than the regular "T-Bone" pork chops. I'm actually kind of particular about pork chops so I get them from the butcher counter. If he doesn't have exactly what I want, I get him to cut them for me. Ideally chops should about 1-inch thick.