Grilled Pork Chops

Posted byNoriePosted inPork, RecipeTags:

Inihaw na baboy

This is an authentic Filipino dish that I grew up eating and was one of my favorites. My dad and I would grill them together when I was growing up.

I found these pork chops that are ½” thick and uniformly sliced with a little fat attached at Sam’s Club.  The pork chops at the grocery stores are only ¼” thick at the bone that tapered to almost paper thin at the ends. They had very little fat that I don’t like to cook them this way.  I think they are for breakfast and fried breaded like country fried and if they are thick sliced they are 1” thick which, to me are very thick to be grilled.  I cook those in the oven otherwise they will be very dry and tough.

I found that these pork chops are good grilled on charcoal, like the authentic Filipino way.  And I was right; they were perfect but I still wish they had more fat.  I suppose I have to order them from the butcher next time. 

Serves 2

  • 2 pork chops 1/2″ thick with bones (the more fat the better)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed and minced
  • 2 TBS. white vinegar

Mix the salt, pepper and crushed garlic in a small bowl with the vinegar until the salt dissolves. Pour the mixture on the chops on a plate and flip the chops to make sure both sides are covered with the mixture. Marinate covered for an hour or two. The longer, the better.

Light the charcoal on the grill and wait until all the briquets are white.  You want it to be really hot.  Grill the chops about 4 to 5 minutes on each side for this thickness.  Less if they are thinner. Move the chops on the grill away from the fire if it flares up to avoid burning them but some black soot on them are welcome. 

Don’t over cook them but make sure they are well done.

Good dip for them is a mixture of vinegar, salt and crushed garlic. Eat with white rice and some vegetables as sides. One good vegetable to eat it with is grilled Japanese eggplant since you are already using the grill. It is also dipped in the same vinegar dip with bagoong as condiment.

Grilled Japanese Eggplants

The combination is an authentic Filipino meal that complement each other. With plenty of hot, steaming white rice and plenty of bagoong, vinegar and garlic, eat them with the hands and it feels like you are vacationing in the country by the sea or under the shade of a mango tree.