Friday, September 3, 2010

Farewell to Summer with Jerked Pork Chops

Well, this will be the last weekend to cook out for awhile, so I decided to post grilled pork chops.  The overnight marinade method of preparation is not as easy as buying the seasoning but not as hard as the real Jamaican standard which involves wrapping meat in allspice leaves.  I think it tastes better than the purchased seasoning and a close second to the standard.  this marinade you will find gives your meat a light distinctive flavor as opposed to the heavier marinades that sometimes can be too strong. 

Jerked Pork Chops
adapted from taste.com.au

Ingredients:
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp chili powder
juice from 3 oranges
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground cumin
4 pork loin chops ( I used butterflied and cut each in two)

Night before:
Combine first five ingredients in zip lock bag.  Then place each chop in bag so it lays flat and then eliminate as much air as possible and seal bag.  Fold excess of bag over and lay in fridge overnight.  The next day you can flip the bag over for the other side of the meat to marinade, just to make sure all the pork is well seasoned.

Next evening:
Once your meat has been marinated, you can start to prepare your grill by using olive oil spray on the rack.  Then heat up the grill to medium high. Let the grilling begin!  Take out the chops and pat with a paper towel to remove the excess marinade.  Place chops on grill and cook each side until done, mine took about
8 minutes each side.  Time will vary, depending on the thickness of your chops.

These are good served with potato salad and steamed broccoli.

In thinking about my honeymoon in Jamaica, I remember the wonderful landscape, delicious food and very friendly people.  Our taxi driver was delightfully outspoken. He advised that he was a very good driver, always slowing down for "sleeping" policemen.  I later found out that a "sleeping policeman" is a speed bump! 

Until next time-enjoy the long weekend!