Peach-Glazed Pork Chops

Nothing says lovin' like me standing over a grill. Got that?

Here's your list:

4 boneless center-cut pork chops

1 C peach preserves (preferably homemade...by me or someone else)

Spice Rub (see below)

Spice Rub
1/2 C brown sugar
3 tsp sea salt
3 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
3 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1. Mix rub ingredients together and massage into all sides of the chops. Let sit for about 30 minutes. You don't want to grill super-cold meat. That's a no-no.


2. Put preserves into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir with a non-stick spatula. Once the preserves are sauce-like, turn the heat on as low as possible. Ignore the sweet stuff for the moment.


3. Preheat your outdoor grill (or indoor if you're in grill hell and can't have an outdoor grill for whatever reason) on LOW.


4. If you grill these suckers on anything but low, you will end up with BLACK chops. Black chops = shit on a shingle.


5. Grill the chops until done - remember a teeny bit of pink won't kill you. Too many people kill pork and end up eating what looks, tastes, and feels like damn bark. You don't want bark. Got that?


6. During the last 5-7 minutes of grilling, baste all sides of the chops with the peach glaze. Don't walk away. Don't close the lid. The sugars will caramelize - that's good times. Walk away? They will burn. See above for Damn Bark.


7. Serve the remaining peach glaze. My kid referred to it as dippy. He lives for dippy of any kind.

I served the chops with homemade Asian slaw, steamed corn on the cob, and grilled semolina bread. Grilling it alongside the chops turned out to be a great idea.

Asian Pork Tenderloin

Asian Pork Tenderloin


Simply said, this was one of the easiest dishes ever, and the leftovers can be transformed into an Asian salad or easy fried rice.

Two 1lb pork tenderloins
½ C low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 Tbs sweet Thai chile sauce
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-2 tsp Sriracha chili sauce (You know, that Rooster stuff!)

1. Remove any silver skin from the tenderloin. Using a sharp knife, start at one of the tenderloin and gently pry your knife under the skin. Move your knife back and forth while pulling the skin back. You do not want the silver skin remaining on the tenderloin because it’s sinewy and just plain nasty. Remove it. Just trust me on this.

2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Pour the marinade into a gallon zip-lock bag. Add the tenderloins and marinate in the fridge for anywhere between 30 minutes and several hours. (Mine sat in there for 6 hours and was just fine.)

4. Heat the grill to medium.

5. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade. At this point, your own health is in your hands. Me? I threw caution to the wind and boiled the marinade for 20 minutes until it was reduced and (HOPEFULLY) lacking any bacterial and other growths from the raw pork. I’m sure doctors, the pork industry, and a myriad of other folks are cringing right now.

6. Grill the pork for a few minutes on each side. Mine were pretty slim, and I hate overdone pork so I was kind and removed it while I could still see some juice. You don’t want white or gray (*gasp*) pork. If that’s the case, you should just eat no-name dog food. Again, just my opinion.

7. I let the meat rest for 10 minutes on my cutting board and then sliced it on a bias.

This was served with brown rice made with chicken stock and grilled asparagus. I’m all about grilled asparagus. Who cares if those stalky things make your pee stink?

Variations:
Omit the Rooster sauce if your stomach can’t handle it.
Add smashed lemon grass to the marinade.
Omit the hoisin and add honey instead.

Feedback:
My husband is meat-eater. If things were my way, I’d eat some seafood once in a while and subsist on some soy products. I loathe raw meat and visibly gag when I have to handle it. Is this not some love, people? It’s freaking adoration, I tell you! I also have to eat meat or continue to suffer from some serious iron deficiency issues. Oh woe is me.

So the carnivore? He loved this stuff. His feedback usually consists of “It’s ok.” Ok can mean anything from “This sucks. Do not ever prepare it again!” to “Holy Mary, mother of God, slather this on your body so I can worship at the Altar of Food and You at the very same time!” He’s not a man of many words. I am proud to say that he said, without prompting, ”Damn. This is some good stuff!”