Honey Mustard Porkie Chops, oh de doo dah dayyyyyy!*
Headnote
This is a very simple recipe for cooking thick-cut pork chops adapted from one in the Weight Watchers Complete Cookbook, published in 2016. The basic process is to marinate the chops for 8 hours to overnight and then cook them; our main change is the cooking method. Original called for cooking under the broiler; we had uneven success that way, chops would turn out too dry way too often. Tried just baking in the oven, and those are good, but using two-zone grilling (especially with charcoal and a bit of wood smoke) is just vastly superior in all ways - flavor, tenderness, juiciness.
Makes or Serves
Makes two pork chops.
Takes (how long)
Marinating step 8 hours to overnight; cooking time approximately one hour (not counting cooker prep time).
Serve with
Any starch and veggies you like work with this.
Special tools
Ability to do two-zone cooking on a grill. Charcoal chimney if using a charcoal cooker.
Ingredients
Two thick-cut bone-in pork chops, preferably center-cut loin
Marinade:
1/4c/60ml Dijon mustard
1.5tbsp/22ml Honey (slightly more than original recipe called for)
1tsp/5ml Red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Method
Prep: Mix up the marinade ingredients (sometimes need to zap the honey in the microwave for a few seconds to get it liquidy if it's the colder time of year) and pour into a ziploc freezer bag. Add the pork chops, squeeze out as much air as you can as you seal the bag, and rub the marinade into the meat through the bag. Be careful not to puncture the bag with a sharp bit of the bone, which is not hard to do. Marinate the chops all day, or overnight if you wish. Turn them over every so often to ensure even marinating.
Fire up: I use my SnS kettle and get about half the insert's worth of coals going to hold 225-250/110-120 grate temperature (doesn't need more than an hour at most, so no need for a full load). Then get your charcoal chimney loaded a little more than half full, ready to start it up to add for the searing step. I also add a chunk of wood for the indirect step to get some smoke in there.
Cook: Put the chops on the indirect side and cook until IT reaches about 130/55, flipping when ITs reach 85-90/30-32. Light the chimney of coals at an appropriate time so that they're ready to dump in for the sear when the chops reach target IT.
Remove the chops, and add the lit coals and sear 30 seconds at a time then flip, three or four times until the surface is to your liking. Keep an eye on the IT so as not to overshoot.
Serve: As above, any sides will do, knock yerself out. This time I steamed some zucchini and baked us a honkin' tater to split, topped with butter and cheese.
These chops turn out tender, juicy, with a wonderful savory flavor accentuated by the charcoal and kiss of wood smoke. Very easy process with consistent results. And it's a WW recipe, so it's easy on the waistline
Buen provecho!
*You are required to sing the song every time you make this recipe...
Headnote
This is a very simple recipe for cooking thick-cut pork chops adapted from one in the Weight Watchers Complete Cookbook, published in 2016. The basic process is to marinate the chops for 8 hours to overnight and then cook them; our main change is the cooking method. Original called for cooking under the broiler; we had uneven success that way, chops would turn out too dry way too often. Tried just baking in the oven, and those are good, but using two-zone grilling (especially with charcoal and a bit of wood smoke) is just vastly superior in all ways - flavor, tenderness, juiciness.
Makes or Serves
Makes two pork chops.
Takes (how long)
Marinating step 8 hours to overnight; cooking time approximately one hour (not counting cooker prep time).
Serve with
Any starch and veggies you like work with this.
Special tools
Ability to do two-zone cooking on a grill. Charcoal chimney if using a charcoal cooker.
Ingredients
Two thick-cut bone-in pork chops, preferably center-cut loin
Marinade:
1/4c/60ml Dijon mustard
1.5tbsp/22ml Honey (slightly more than original recipe called for)
1tsp/5ml Red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Method
Prep: Mix up the marinade ingredients (sometimes need to zap the honey in the microwave for a few seconds to get it liquidy if it's the colder time of year) and pour into a ziploc freezer bag. Add the pork chops, squeeze out as much air as you can as you seal the bag, and rub the marinade into the meat through the bag. Be careful not to puncture the bag with a sharp bit of the bone, which is not hard to do. Marinate the chops all day, or overnight if you wish. Turn them over every so often to ensure even marinating.
Fire up: I use my SnS kettle and get about half the insert's worth of coals going to hold 225-250/110-120 grate temperature (doesn't need more than an hour at most, so no need for a full load). Then get your charcoal chimney loaded a little more than half full, ready to start it up to add for the searing step. I also add a chunk of wood for the indirect step to get some smoke in there.
Cook: Put the chops on the indirect side and cook until IT reaches about 130/55, flipping when ITs reach 85-90/30-32. Light the chimney of coals at an appropriate time so that they're ready to dump in for the sear when the chops reach target IT.
Remove the chops, and add the lit coals and sear 30 seconds at a time then flip, three or four times until the surface is to your liking. Keep an eye on the IT so as not to overshoot.
Serve: As above, any sides will do, knock yerself out. This time I steamed some zucchini and baked us a honkin' tater to split, topped with butter and cheese.
These chops turn out tender, juicy, with a wonderful savory flavor accentuated by the charcoal and kiss of wood smoke. Very easy process with consistent results. And it's a WW recipe, so it's easy on the waistline
Buen provecho!*You are required to sing the song every time you make this recipe...
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