Sweet and Sassy Pork Chops

Manly Kitchen Sweet and Sassy Pork ChopsPersonally, I think pork gets a bad rap. Sure, you probably shouldn’t eat a pound of bacon a day. And yes, ribs can be pretty fatty. But there are other cuts that are quite lean, meaning not so bad for you. And that’s where this recipe comes in.

Now when you think of pork chops, you probably see in your mind the ones with the bone… and the fat. But there are also boneless pork chops that have very, very little fat on them. And those are the ones I use for this recipe. (More on that later.)

This qualifies as a Manly Recipe because we’re going to use the grill. Yes, you can do them in the kitchen, too, and I’ll get to that in a minute. But if you want the best taste, go heat up your grill. I’ll wait.

(hums Happy Boy to self)

OK. Good. Now your grill will be ready when you are. So let’s get started!

Manly Kitchen Sweet and Sassy Pork ChopsIngredients:

1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-4 garlic cloves
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1 to 1-1/2 lbs boneless pork chops (4 to 6 ounces each)

Instructions:

Get your pork chops out of the fridge and pat them dry with a paper towel. Set aside on a plate. The idea is to get them up to room temperature before you cook. This will help you avoid burning the outside because it will take the center of the chops longer to cook if they’re cold.

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Peel garlic cloves and mince them very finely.

In a small bowl, combine ketchup, honey, soy sauce and garlic. Add red pepper flakes, if desired. I normally add about a tablespoon of them, but I like this spicy!

Coat chops with light coating of sauce.

Manly Kitchen Sweet and Sassy Pork ChopsWhen ready to cook, place chops on grill. Do NOT close the grill. Leave it open so you can watch things happen.

Cook for about 4 minutes on first side, then turn. Coat the tops with more sauce. In another four minutes, turn again and coat the chops with sauce. Let them go another two minutes, turn and coat again. Turn one final time and coat.

Now, unless you got the really thick ones, they should be done by now. (If they’re thicker, increase your cooking time.) To make certain, check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. It should read 145°.

When chops are up to temperature, remove from grill and set aside to rest for five minutes while you prepare your plates.

Serve with leftover sauce. YUM!!

Notes:

I use chops that are about an inch thick. Any bigger and they take too long to cook through. At least, that’s my experience. If you want to use bigger chops, sear them over the flame, then set to the side and close the grill. Continue to cook them until done, saucing often.

Manly Kitchen Sweet and Sassy Pork ChopsVERY IMPORTANT: Do not – and I mean DO NOT – use the same plate you put the chops on in the beginning again at the end. Get another plate! This is important, because uncooked pork is not good for you, and you don’t want any uncooked juices to get on your chops. Just get another plate!

Likewise, the sauce should be boiled for several minutes to ensure there are no uncooked pork juices in there. And yes, even dipping the brush again after saucing can cause problems. I get around this by setting the sauce over the fire and letting it cook while I grill the chops.

If you don’t have a grill, don’t sweat it. And if there’s too much snow on the ground for you to want to go outside, that’s OK, too, although it will cost you Fifty Guy Points for being a baby. But whatever your reason, you can still get this done with an oven. You can broil them, or bake them, or fry them up in a pan. Any of these methods will get the job done. But I do want to tell you that, just like barbecued chicken, it’s better on the grill.

Have fun with this one, and make sure to come back and tell me how it went. And how much red pepper flakes you used! Until next time, remember, this is supposed to be fun. So…

Play with your food!

Lane


Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

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Lane

About Lane

Lane Baldwin is a an internationally-acclaimed singer, songwriter, author and food lover. He wasn't trained in France, and he doesn't have his own TV show. He just loves to cook, and loves sharing what he's learned over the years. In his "real life," Lane has toured the world, bringing his special brand of Blues-infused Americana to millions of fans. At home he leads a quiet life filled with good books, good food and good friends.