Grilled Pork Chops

With Father’s Day coming, it dawned on me that most men I know love meat ~ especially if that meat has a bone it. Think chicken wings ~ and T-bone steaks. I don’t have proof, but I’m convinced it goes back to their caveman days. So today I have a recipe for bone-in Grilled Pork Chops with a homemade glaze the whole family will love. It’s really easy, but no one needs to know that and it’ll have you shining like a grilling rock star.

This week I waved the white flag and took the plunge into chiropractic care. I’ve had varying degrees of lower back pain for about a year now ~ I know — the doctor asked the same thing — but I kept thinking I could exercise or stretch it out or maybe even wish it away. Turns out none of that would be happening. I have a degenerated disc and so the treatment begins. X-rays. . .crack. . .crack. . .crack and I’m on my way with instructions for some home stretching exercises and instructions to return for more treatments. Fingers crossed. Actually, the treatments feel really good. Maybe too good. At one point I didn’t want to get off the table.

But back ~ ha-ha, get it? Back. . .to the Grilled Pork Chops and this homemade glaze. The glaze is a little sweet, a little tangy and really, just delicious. Usually when we barbecue chops or chicken we slather and I do mean slaaather them with our favorite bottled barbecue sauce. It runs down the side of the meat and pools on the plate. Not what I was going for with this glaze. I wanted to be able to taste the pork. The flavor in this glaze goes a long way with a few simple ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1 – 1/4 teaspoons of tarragon
• 1 – clove of garlic, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
• 1 – tablespoon of Dijon mustard

All the glaze ingredients go into a small saucepan. Blend it really well, bring to a boil and simmer about 10 minutes.

Because we’re using dried tarragon, give it a rub between your fingers or the palm of your hands to wake it up a bit before you add it to the saucepan. I learned this from countless hours of watching Rachael Ray.

When I was growing up, pork chops always had a bone. I thought that was the only way they came. I also used to think braking on the expressway was strictly prohibited so when someone slowed down in front of you, you were supposed to change lanes. True story. I survived that first year of driving with the grace of God and thankfully I learned how to drive on the expressway and about pork chops. When I became an adult and saw boneless pork chops in the grocery store, I thought woo-hoo ~ they cooked faster and ewwww, no yucky bone. So I bought them and I continued to buy them for years. A lot of years. Then one day last summer my next-door neighbor stopped over and asked if she could borrow our grill because hers wasn’t working. She brought her bone-in chops over and they shared the grill with our chicken ka-bobs and she and her chops ended up staying for dinner.

She shared her chops. We shared our ka-bobs. We had a smorgasbord. I was blown away by all the flavor of the bone-in chops. I still buy boneless pork tenderloin but when it comes to chops, I’m bone-in these days. Again, completely unscientific.

The glaze is enough for four bone-in chops, so adjust accordingly. You’ll want the chops to be at least 1/2-3/4″ thick. Grilled chops that are too thin will be dry (though you can bread and bake thin chops). Let the chops come to room temperature, then generously season both sides with fresh-cracked black pepper and sea salt.

Over medium-medium/low heat, grill them 3-4 minutes per side. If the heat is too high, they’ll be tough.

Just before taking the chops off the grill, add a thin layer of the glaze on each side of the chops. I paired these gorgeous Grilled Pork Chops with some pesto potatoes.

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. Hope you enjoy a great day and some meat with a bone you can sink you teeth into! What’s going on your grill this weekend? 

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