Iowa chops vaguely resemble thick t-bone steaks.
Iowa chops are thick pork loin chops, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick. These hearty cuts are usually grilled. For those who do not wish to grill, broiling is the same as grilling with the heat from the top instead of from below, according to chef Alton Brown. To get the same signature char marks from grilling, Chef Brown recommends using a grill rack placed on a pan under the broiler. Whether grilling or broiling, use a food thermometer and do not serve the meat until it has cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Instructions
1. Place the grill rack on top of a broiler pan and put the set inside a cold broiler so that the chop when placed on it will be 4 inches from the heat source.
2. Preheat the broiler to high heat if you have a temperature setting for it or simply turn it on for 10 minutes.
3. Brush both sides of the Iowa chop with olive oil.
4. Remove the preheated pan set from the oven. Place the chop on one side of the hot grill rack and return the pan set to the oven, positioning it so the chop is four inches from the broiler heating source.
5. Cook the chop for 5 minutes. Remove the pan set from the oven and baste the chop again with olive oil. Return the chop to the grill grate with the undercooked side facing up. Put the pan set with the chop on it back into the oven.
6. Finish broiling the chop for another 5 to 10 minutes or until a food thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Let the chops rest for 10 minutes after removing from the broiler before serving.
Tags: grill rack, degrees Fahrenheit, food thermometer, from broiler, from oven