Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Grilled Honey-Glazed Pork Chops

I'm not entirely sure what my deal is lately, but my meal planning has been non-existent.  Food shopping has been hit or miss, and I've found myself quite a few times standing in front of the freezer at 5 PM, wondering what I can pull out and make.  Pizza has been a common meal (that pizza place they built near us has been a blessing and a curse) but when someone says, "Pizza again!" you know you have a problem.

The weather was still fairly decent last week, so I decided I would find a quick recipe for the grill.  These were quick - I made the glaze inside the house while the pork chops cooked on the grill.  Cutting a slit in them will prevent them from curling up as they cook.  I did skip the cayenne as I didn't want them to be too hot for the kids.  Tasty!


Grilled Honey-Glazed Pork Chops
Cook's Country Magazine

4 (10-ounce) bone-in pork rib or center-cut chops, about 1 inch thick, trimmed
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through fat and connective tissue around outside of each chop. Combine sugar, salt, and pepper in bowl. Pat chops dry with paper towels and rub with sugar mixture.

Whisk vinegar and cornstarch in small saucepan until no lumps remain. Stir in honey, mustard, thyme, and cayenne and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until glaze is reduced to 1/4 cup, 5 to 7 minutes.

Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to medium-low.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chops on cool part of grill and cook (covered if using gas) until meat registers 140 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Brush chops with glaze and grill, glazed side down, over hot part of grill until caramelized, about 1 minute. Repeat with second side of chops. Transfer chops to platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze. Serve.

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