Grilled Ginger-Sesame Pork Chops with Pineapple & Scallions

Earlier this week I realized to my horror that I had eaten nothing but vegetarian meals for close to a week. I retired immediately to the couch in a swoon and lay there for two hours prior to developing enough energy to rouse my weakened bulk up and on my way.

Porca Miseria!

At the risk of being flamed by others I have strong feelings about eating meat. If we were not meant to eat meat we wouldn't have incisor teeth would we? They are there for a reason people and it ain't to gnaw on a freaking carrot!

Now I shall upset the cattle farmers of America.

Yes, I believe we are to eat meat but no where near the amount that some special interest groups have convinced us we need to eat. Anyone who feels the need to gnaw on a 16 oz hunk of red meat every day is either a lion or an idiot. Personally, I suspect the latter.

Now this is a huge digression here to set up the fact that I decided I needed some protein in my diet that didn't come from a fish or a nut. I had some wonderful pork chops in the freezer and set about looking for a way to cook them.

I found a recipe from the fine folks at Fine Cooking that seemed to fit the bill. The ginger sesame marinade used on the pork chops and the pineapple made my stomach rumble - it sounded that good! Of course the taste proved to be even better. This was a sophisticated piece of pork to serve up on a plate.

I served some jasmine rice on the side that I cooked with low-fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup of the marinade used for the pineapple and onions (do NOT use the pork marinade because you may poison your loved ones . . .), some fresh ginger, thai basil from the garden, and some crushed red pepper. MMMMM

If you're in the mood for some wonderful grilled pork with a decided asian flavour you will NOT go wrong here!

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Pork Chops with Pineapple & Scallions

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
1/4 cup less-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbs. grated fresh ginger (from a 5-inch knob)
2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Six 3/4-inch-thick boneless center-cut pork loin chops (about 6 oz. each), trimmed of excess fat
1 ripe golden pineapple, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings, and cored
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cleaned
Vegetable oil for the grill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and orange zest. Arrange the pork in a 9x13-inch dish and pour 1/2 cup of the marinade over the meat. Add the pineapple rings and scallions to the remaining marinade and toss. Marinate everything in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes, turning the ingredients occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare a medium charcoal or gas grill fire. Brush the grill grate clean.

Remove the pork, pineapple, and scallions from their marinades. Season the pork lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill, covered, until the pork is just barely cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side, and the pineapple and scallions are warmed through and grill-marked, 2 to 3 minutes per side for the pineapple and 1 to 2 minutes per side for the scallions. As each item finishes cooking, transfer it to a serving platter. If your grill isn't big enough to fit everything at once, grill the scallions last.

Comments

[Kayte]

Looks wonderfully balanced. I have been overdosing on the grilled scallions this summer, almost every night I keep thinking I should throw some scallions on the grill to roast...I see that you are thinking along those lines as well, but probably not every night. I have limited myself to three times a week, I hope this passes soon.

[George]

Hi,

This is a wonderful blog! It was a very good read.

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George Christodoulou
Travel Blogger | OneTravel
gchristodoulou(-at-)OneTravel(-dot-)com

[Amy]

That looks fantastic. I have an enormous bunch of scallions from my farm share this week, and Whole Foods has pork chops on sale. Karma, baby.

[JDeQ]

Kayte - do you know that we have never grilled scallions before? I shall have to do more now!

Thanks george - I don't know what I could write about on your great travel blog!

I hope that you enjoy the recipe as much as we did Amy.