(Photo courtesy of the National Pork Board.)
Celebrate grilling season with this summery, full-flavored recipe I created for the National Pork Board.
Bell peppers or zucchini, cooked on the grill with the chops, would be an easy and flavorful side dish. Grill-warmed tortillas would be nice, too. You can also make the recipe using bone-in center rib chops or boneless chops, or make the salsa using grilled peaches, nectarines, or mangoes.
Serves 4
- 4 pork bone-in pork center loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick, fat trimmed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salsa
- 3 crosswise slices pineapple, about 1/2-inch thick, trimmed
- 1 jalapeno, halved lengthwise, seeds and veins removed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
In a shallow bowl, combine chili powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Sprinkle both sides of pork with spice mixture.
Prepare a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Grill pork until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Grill pineapple and jalapeno until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chops from grill and let rest 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice pineapple and finely dice jalapeno. In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, jalapeno, and lime juice. Season with salt.
Serve chops with salsa on top.
