Pull bone-in pork chops at 135°F.

A bone-in pork chop cooks unevenly thanks to that bone acting like a heat sink, so pull it at 135°F and let carryover cooking take it to 145°F. That’s the safe temp, and your chop stays juicy instead of turning into shoe leather.

Here’s the method: salt the chop at least an hour before (overnight is better). Pat dry. Grill over direct high heat for about 4 minutes per side to get a good sear. Then move it to indirect heat (around 350°F grill temp) and cook until the thickest part reads 135°F, near the bone but not touching it. That usually takes another 6–10 minutes depending on thickness (1 inch vs. 1.5 inch). Rest it loosely covered for 5 minutes. The carryover will bring it to a safe 145°F.

Don’t trust the color. Pork can look pink at 145°F and be perfectly fine. Use a decent instant-read thermometer. If you wait until it’s white and stringy, you went too far.

This is not where you save money on a cheap thermometer. Get a Thermapen or similar.