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    Home > Main Dishes Pork > Cocoa Chile Grilled Butterfly Pork Chops

    Cocoa Chile Grilled Butterfly Pork Chops

    Published: Jun 26, 2020 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Grilled Butterfly Pork chops

    With a rub that somewhat resembles the flavor of a rich mole sauce, Cocoa Chile Grilled Butterfly Pork Chops are easy to prepare and exciting in flavor. Spicy chile powder, cocoa powder and brown sugar make this a sultry dinner entree.

    Cocoa chile powder rubbed grilled pork chops with sauteed green beans on a rustic white plate with a wedge of lemon

    Pork chops routinely make an appearance at our table for breakfast. That’s right, those super thin bone-in loin pork chops that fry up in about five minutes and served with fried eggs and home fried potatoes. Yes please.

    But I seem to shy away from cooking thicker dinner pork chops simply because they turn out tough and chewy.

    I finally decided to take the time to prepare a brine and a whip up a super fun rub and get better acquainted with thick pork chops. Butterfly pork chops to be exact. Butterfly pork chops on the grill to be more specific. Let’s take a look at this grilled pork chop recipe. But first …

    What is a Butterfly Pork Chop?

    In Culinary School we learned the primal and sub-primal cuts used by butchers when dividing a steer or hog. And I’m really glad it was a part of the curriculum. I simply feel a little smarter when I’m standing at the meat counter.

    The primal cuts are the large sections that then get cut down into sub-primal cuts.

    Pork has four primal cuts. Pork chops come from the loin primal. A butterfly pork chop starts with a thick boneless pork chop which is sliced horizontally, leaving a hinge at one end. So it opens up like a butterfly. Now that we have that out of the way…

    Easy Brine for Grilled Pork Chops

    Brining pork chops doesn’t have to be elaborate or take a long time. But why brine pork chops?

    Even a 30-minute brine will help add moisture and season the meat. Don’t brine pork chops for more than two hours, or the meat becomes spongy.

    The brine for these grilled pork chops is super-super simple:

    • 2 quarts water
    • 1/4 cup kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

    And the process for the brine is just as simple. In a large bowl combine the ingredients and stir until the salt dissolves. Add the pork chops and let brine at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

    Cocoa chile rub for grilled pork chops

    This is where things get exciting. This “just the right spicy” pork chop rub is both positively unique and delicious.

    It’s a combination of sweet from the brown sugar, earthy spice from New Mexico Chile Powder and the strong chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder. Let’s take a look at this grilled pork chop seasoning.

    Cocoa powder, New Mexico Chile Powder and brown sugar for grilled pork chop seasoning
    • 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 Tablespoon New Mexico Red Chile Powder (or ancho)
    • 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

    Super Easy!

    Once the pork chops have been brined, simply pat them dry then press them into the rub mixture and using your hands rub the mixture over the meat to coat the chops. Shake off any excess rub and you’re ready to grill.

    How to Cook Butterfly Pork Chops On The Grill

    Pork is a lean meat and grills up quickly. That’s why we need to sear the chops quickly and then slow down the cooking process. We do this by creating two heat zones.

    For this recipe, the pork chops have been brined and the rub has coated both sides of the pork Let’s Take a look.

    How To Grill 1″ Thick Boneless Pork Chops

    • Get That Grill Nice and Hot Heat the grill to 500 degrees and then turn down the heat so the grill temperature gauge reads 350 – 400 degrees.
    • Add the Pork Chops Add the chops and cook about three minutes per side, or until you see those gorgeous grill marks. The rub for this recipe is quite dark but you’ll still be able to see grill marks underneath.
    • Create Two Cooking Zones Turn off one burner to create a cool zone.
    • Move the Pork Chops Move those chops over the burner that isn’t producing flame and let them cook. Cook them with the grill covered, turning a couple of times, until a digital read thermometer reaches 135 degrees (medium). This will take about ten minutes. You’ll have a nice crust on the outside and juicy tender meat on the inside. Watch them close, the rub has sugar, which will burn if it get too much direct heat.
    • Tent Remove the pork chops to a platter and cover with foil. Let them rest for five minutes before serving.
    • Charcoal grill instructions: Create two zones by placing the charcoal on one side of the grill. Keep the other side empty to create those two cooking zones.
    Sliced grilled butterfly porkchops on a dark wood cutting board with an antique meat fork.

    Cocoa and Chile Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops Recipe

    This easy brine and rub for grilled pork chops has really inspired me to add thick pork chops to my shopping list more often when I’m meal planning. I hope you give this recipe for butterfly pork chops on the grill a try. And if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

    And if you have a favorite grilled pork chops recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    More Recipes For Grilled Pork

    • The Best Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe, With a sweet chili glaze, this one will WOW your crowd.
    • Tacos Al Pastor, made with grilled pork steaks. A taco that will win your heart for life.
    • Grilled Country Style Pork Ribs, Easy enough to take on a camping trip and perfect for feeding a hungry backyard BBQ party crowd.
    Cocoa chile powder rubbed grilled pork chops with sauteed green beans on a rustic white plate with a wedge of lemon

    Cocoa And Chile Rubbed Pork Chops

    With a rub that somewhat resembles a mole sauce, Cocoa Chile Grilled Butterfly Pork Chops are easy to prepare and exciting with flavor. Spicy Chile Powder, cocoa powder and brown sugar make this a sultry dinner entree.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course Pork
    Cuisine: American/Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Brine time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 230kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 2 quarts water
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
    • 1/4 cup Kosher salt
    • 4 1-inch thick butterfly pork chops or boneless pork loin chops
    • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon New Mexico Chile Powder or ancho
    • Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
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    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, combine the water with the red pepper flakes, salt and stir until the salt dissolves. Add the pork chops and let brine at room temperature for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
    • Light a grill and create a cool zone. (For a charcoal grill, rake the coals to one side; for a gas grill, leave one side unlit.) In a bowl, mix the cocoa, sugar and New Mexico Chile powder with 1 tablespoon of salt.
    • Drain the pork chops and pat dry.
    • Brush the pork chops generously with olive oil.
    • Roll the pork chops in the rub and pat to help coat the chops.
    • Grill over moderately high heat for 4 minutes, turning the chops once or twice until lightly browned and you can see grill marks beneath the rub.
    • Transfer the chops to the cool zone, close the grill lid and cook for about 10 -15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chops registers 135° for medium meat. Let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    This recipe was inspired by Texas Chef, Tim Love. I’ve made some changes to the recipe and ingredients to reflect my style of cooking. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 815IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Grilled Butterfly Pork Chops with Cocoa Chile Rub … It’s Whats for Dinner

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. mjskitchen says

      July 03, 2020 at 5:08 pm

      5 stars
      What a tasty little rub. Three ingredients but the mix of flavors sound wonderful for pork. I find that pork can be rather boring without a good brine and/or rub and you’ve provided both here. Love it. Happy 4th!

      Reply
    2. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      July 01, 2020 at 8:03 am

      Neat rub — I can see using it on all sorts of things. As I’m sure you already do! Nice way to cook pork chops — thanks.

      Reply
    3. Larry says

      June 27, 2020 at 6:07 am

      Looks like some delicious chops – I’ve never used cocoa in a rub before.

      Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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