Do you grill? If not, it’s time to become mistress of the flame, and make dinnertime more delicious by taking the cooking outside. Personally, I prefer gas over charcoal because I don’t have the time or patience to build a fire and deal with getting the coals just right. I like the convenince of opening the lid, turning on the gas, and pressing a button. It’s that easy. Just let your grill heat for 5-10 minutes on high, then reduce it to whatever works best for your recipe. For this one, you’ll cook on medium-high and use juicy pork porterhouse chops to improve your grilling prowess (bone-in helps them stay moist). Feel free to dial back the heat by cutting the amount of chipotle chili powder to as little as 1/2 teaspoon, or to even use regular chili powder if that’s all you have on hand. They’ll still taste awesome!
Sweet Fire Porterhouse Pork Chops
Servings: 4
- 4 Porterhouse (bone-in loin) pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile powder (can reduce to as little as 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- Grated zest of 1 large orange
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup honey
In a small bowl, stir oil, ground chipotle chile powder, salt, orange zest and garlic together into a paste. Using a rubber spatula, spread chipotle mixture over both sides of pork. Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in grill. Place chops on grill and close lid. Grill over direct heat, turning once, about 4-5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature of the pork on a meat thermometer measures between 145∞F (medium rare) and 160∞F (medium). During the last 2 minutes, brush chops on both sides with honey. Remove from grill and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Source: National Pork Board
