Bone-in chops over charcoal, asparagus alongside, and an optional pepper jelly sauce if you want something to spoon over. The whole thing rides on a two-zone fire: hot coals banked to one side for the sear, an empty cool side to finish. Build the fire first and let the grate get hot before anything goes on.
Everything good about a charcoal chop comes from heat control. You want a screaming hot side to build a crust and a cool side to bring the inside up gently without burning the outside.
Salt the chops while the fire settles. If you have 40 minutes, salt them ahead and leave them out. The salt works into the meat and they sear drier and brown better.
Oil the chops, not the grate, and lay them right over the hot coals. This is where the color and flavor come from, so don't move them around.
Don't cook them through here. You're only building the crust. The inside finishes on the cool side next.
Once both sides are seared, slide the chops to the cool side away from the coals and put the lid on. The trapped heat finishes them evenly.
Asparagus goes on while the chops rest, so it comes off hot. It cooks fast and wants direct heat for a little char.
This is optional. The chops stand on their own, but a quick sweet-hot sauce on the side is a good move if you have pepper jelly around. Make it on the stovetop in a small pan while the chops rest.
Too thick, add a splash of liquid. Too sweet, more vinegar or a little more Dijon. It should be loose enough to coat a spoon, not a glaze.
A fire takes its time, and so should you. Beer in hand, nothing to rush, the smell of charcoal doing its thing. This is a stand-by-the-grill kind of cook.
Per plate, one bone-in chop with grilled asparagus, no sauce. Lean and high protein on its own. The pepper jelly sauce adds about 90 cal and 18g carbs per serving if you spoon it on.