As we barrel toward what is arguably summer's biggest holiday, Seasoned Cooking is here to help. This week, instead of spreading out the site's posts, we're posting one a day until the holiday that, together, make a pretty solid holiday menu foundation. Today, we continue our menu planning with a grilled pork chop recipe that moves all the prep time to the day prior to grilling. A day of marinating in a spicy, smoky marinade leaves you with minutes of work at the grill with flavor that cannot be beat.
If you opt to skip the hot sauce, your BBQ pork chops will lose the "spicy" part of the name, but will be delicious anyway. If you want, you could increase the mustard to 3 tablespoons to keep the marinade at the same consistency. An instant read thermometer is an important kitchen and grill tool. Having one on hand will help you reach safe cooking temperatures without overcooking your meat. If you do not have one, please use the longer cooking times even though they may result in drier meat.
These spicy grilled barbecue pork chops play well with all manner of sides, but corn and cucumber salad and peach cobbler mini cakes are what we've got on the menu this week. Because, after all, Independence Day does tend to get a bit festive and the feast at the picnic table is definitely part of that tradition! Come back tomorrow for dessert!
Spicy BBQ Grilled Pork Chops
- ⅓ c. canola oil
- ¼ c. soy sauce or gluten free tamari
- 2 T. Dijon mustard
- 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 T. hot sauce, optional
- 2 T. apple cider vinegar
- 3 T. brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 4 boneless pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Combine the first 9 ingredients (canola oil through black pepper) in a large resealable plastic bag and mix them well. Add the pork chops and make sure to spread them evenly.
Get all the air out and seal the bag. Place the bag with the pork on the plate and into the refrigerator. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Remove the pork from the refrigerator about 30-45 minutes before grilling. This will give you time to set up the grill, clean it, and get it preheated to medium-high heat (375°-400° F). Place a cast iron griddle plate on the grill.
Place the pork chops on the cast iron plate on the grill. Discard the marinade. Close the lid and let the pork chops cook for about 3-4 minutes, until they release from the grill easily. Flip them over and grill them for another 3-4 minutes with the lid closed.
Cook the pork chops until their internal temperature reads 145°F with an instant read thermometer. Take them off the grill and let them rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour plus marinating time