What goes good with BBQ pork chops?

With three simple ingredients in the marinade, these tender grilled pork chops are bound to become a summer (or year-round!) favorite!

Years ago, years and years ago, my sister-in-law, Angela, sent me this recipe saying she had grilled these pork chops several times (even going so far as to tip-toe out to her grill in the deep snow) and she couldn’t stop raving about how tasty they were. I figured if they were fantastic enough for Ang to risk frostbite on her little piggies, I should give them a go, too.

That was way back in 2010 (some of you are probably familiar with this recipe if you’ve been a longtime reader!) and these tender grilled pork chops are still a year-round staple for us.

Something about that simple marinade – literally three ingredients – creates some serious magic with the pork chops. I’ve eaten a lot of pork in my day but these grilled pork chops are definitely up there in terms of juicy tenderness and delicious flavor.

And I’m guessing that marinade would work wonders on a pork roast – maybe toss it in the slow cooker or pressure cooker after marinading? Yum, that sounds really good actually. Looks like I know what I’ll be making this weekend (I’ll be sure to report back).

Often I’ll marinade more pork chops than we need for a meal and freeze the remaining pork chops right in the marinade to thaw and grill later. As if the recipe isn’t easy enough, doing it this way makes for an absolutely no-fuss dinner (if you remember to take them out of the freezer, that is!).

I’ve included a note in the recipe for a copycat steak seasoning recipe, so don’t panic if steak seasoning isn’t living in your spice cabinet. Also, if you don’t own a grill, many people over the years have made these in the oven or in a skillet on the stovetop. These days, I most often grill them up on our pellet grill and the slight smokiness from the wood pellets adds a heavenly depth of flavor.

These pork chops would pair beautifully with a simple orzo pilaf, scalloped potatoes, pasta salad, or even a classic baked potato (or try this unique version!), not to mention anyone of these tasty salads.

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Here's an easy and delicious copycat recipe for the Montreal Steak Seasoning: 2 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon kosher/coarse salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon coriander, 1 tablespoon dill, 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes. Combine all the spices together and store in an airtight container.

This recipe is quite adaptable - bone-in pork chops would probably work as well; I just prefer boneless. If you pork chops are over an inch thick, I'd suggest slicing them in half to form two thinner pork cutlets.

The marinade doesn't make very much so if you like a heavier application of marinade to pork chop ratio - simply double the marinade ingredients.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork loin chops
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon steak seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning or see the note above to make your own)

Directions

1. Mix olive oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning together in a small bowl.
2. Add the pork chops to a large ziploc bag or flat dish and pour the marinade ingredients over the top. Refrigerate and marinade for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
3. Heat a charcoal or propane grill to medium and grill the chops 6-8 minutes per side (depending on how thick they are) until an instant-read thermometer registers between 145 and 155 degrees F.
4. Remove the chops from the grill, tent them with foil, and allow them to rest for 5-7 minutes. Slice the chops across the grain and serve.

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Printed from Mel\'s Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)