Marinades are my friend. This time of the year, it's not unusual for me to whip one up in the morning, split it between meat (in this case, pork chops) and veggies (in this case, squash, sweet potatoes, and onions) and ignore both of them in the refrigerator until evening when I can have them on and off the grill in about 20 minutes. When things are getting so very busy, this is an absolutely perfect way to make sure dinner is covered without having to put a lot of effort into the process.
And did I mention the dog approves? I mean, it's not like he manages to get a pork chop, but he has been known to get a little piece or two of this grilled meal! And what's not to love? If you have other veggies on hand (like peppers, eggplant, zucchini, etc.), feel free to use those instead. The idea is to front load the flavor and grill them until you're happy. That's the joy of summer cooking.
You can just add the cold beverage of your choice and call this dinner. If you really want, toss together a quick salad of the way too many tomatoes your gardens are handing to you this time of the year. Either way, enjoy it outside if you can. Before you know it, we'll be grabbing sweaters and raking leaves!
Grilled Pork Chops with Veggies
- ⅓ c. canola oil
- ¼ c. soy sauce
- 3 T. Dijon mustard
- 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 T. apple cider vinegar
- 3 T. brown sugar
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- Veggies for grilling with pork - I used sliced pattypan squash, sliced sweet potatoes, and sliced onions
- 3 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick
Combine the first 8 ingredients (canola oil through black pepper) in a large, resealable jar. Shake vigorously to combine and add ¼ cup of the mixture to the vegetables you've chosen for grilling. Add the remaining marinade to the pork chops. Place both in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
When you are ready to grill, prepare the grill for medium heat (350° F) grilling. A cast iron grill plate is excellent for this kind of cooking. Remove the pork and vegetables from the marinade (discard the marinade) and grill on the prepared grill, turning after 6 minutes on each side until everything reaches your desired level of doneness. Serve warm.
- Yields: 3 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes, plus marinating time