Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Chops

Remember that song “It Never Rains in California?”  Well, of course we know it rains, but not as frequently here as it does even north of L.A.  In fact, this year we’ve had almost none — except for last Saturday evening when we’d decided to grill some pork chops.

Make that me.  I decided that we should.

In fact, it rained just enough to make the grilling interesting.  It didn’t help that I didn’t quite get dinner on the ball until it was dark, either.  But it was worth it.

We’d been out to eat the night before and were less than
thrilled with our main courses which were on the pricey side —
always annoying.  So we were both in the mood to taste something very flavorful.  No sooner had I sat down with my plate than the resident grill master let me know, “Oh.  This is good — really good.  Now this is what I’m talking about — when you take a bite, you’re completely satisfied with the flavor…” mmming between bites.

Need I say more?  And that’s coming from someone who had spent his Saturday morning at the office, the rest of the day at the Air Show and came home with his face burned to a crisp.  Nothing like a good plate of food to soothe the savage beast, right?

My husband cordially extends his thanks to Peter of Kalofagas whose recipe for “Grilled Pork Chops with Mustard, Honey & Sage” caught my attention as soon as I saw it.

Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Chops

2 T fresh sage, sliced thin
2 tsp. dry oregano
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. coarsely ground fresh mixed peppercorns
1 tsp. sea salt
4 tsp. dijon, stone ground
2 T honey
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1/2 lemon plus juice
2 very thick pork chops

In a gallon-sized freezer bag, place pork chops and all ingredients.  Push out the air and seal, then gently massage all the ingredients together making sure the pork is well coated on all sides.  Place in the fridge for 30-45 minutes, then remove to sit at room temp for 15.

Heat grill to medium high, and when hot, grill pork on each side until well-browned, about 4 minutes each.  The real test is to push the meat for firmness.  It should be not too firm, like the way the area of your own hand feels between your thumb and first finger when you clench a fist lightly.  Firm is well-done, soft is rare.

Notes:

• Even though we only used 2 chops for this recipe, the marinade was soaked right up and in the 60 minutes it was sitting, lots of flavor went into that meat.  For the most part, when cuts of meat are lean, I usually don’t marinade for much more than 30 minutes.
• These organic pork chops cost about $20 at Whole Foods (I bought four and put two in the freezer), so for $10, this meal was not only better, but more cost effective than what we’d had the night before.  FAR better.
• Can I just say that with a burned out BBQ light it’s a bit tough to see what’s going on with your grill?  Thank you.  Nice husband.  Very.
• We get a sear going on both sides of the meat and then turn the burners down to medium to finish.
• Parboiled and lightly sauteed red potatoes in some olive oil and garlic and dinner was served.
• Great recipe, Peter — THANKS!