Grilling or Searing Chops

Bring the meat to room temperature. Heat the grill to high heat. Pat the meat dry, brush lightly with neutral oil, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place the meat on the grill and allow to sear and develop a nice crust. Flip and sear the other side. The cooking time for each side depends on how thick your meat is and how cooked you want it to be. When in doubt, I generally allow the first cooking side to sear thoroughly to achieve a good crust, and then look for uncooked meat at the center. If it looks like it is getting close to being cooked to medium rare, I flip the meat and sear the other side for only 3 to 5 minutes just to mark the meat but not overcook. Allow the cooked meat to rest in a warm but not hot place for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, to allow the juices to redistribute within the meat. If you don’t have (or don’t want to use) a grill, a broiler is effectively an upside-down grill, or a screaming-hot pan will give a similar level of char (though it will smoke up the house).