People Pleasin' Pork -- Chops that is!

I had originally purchased these choppers with grand plans of a BBQ feast. As I placed them in my grocery cart, I envisioned roasting them on the grill with a healthy slathering of yummy sauce. However, the next day when it came time to make them, my taste for BBQ had waned, and I wanted just a good ol' plain grilled chop. It was hot and I was tired and those piglets of mine wanted to do stuff, so I changed menus. They were so easy to make. Here's what you need:

6 bone in chops (these are just regular cut supermarket chops)
A couple shakes of Spike seasoning or your favorite season salt
A couple grinds of pepper
A couple minced garlic cloves
About a tablespoon of chopped chives
A couple fresh sage leaves
A couple splashes of canola oil.

1. Prep your chops by slicing the fat that rims the edge opposite the bone. I usually make just one perpendicular cut all the way through the fat right to the meat. This will keep your chop from curling when it hits the heat. See how flat my chops are? (Hmm, seems like there should be a boring joke inserted here.)

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in your favorite marinade container. I started off using a Ziploc bag, but the bone on one of the chops speared a hole in it, so I transferred everything to a foil covered baking dish. Put back in the fridge for at least an hour; a couple of hours would be better.

Note: I use canola oil for chops because it seems to take the heat of the grill better than olive oil. Also, I used very little of it ... just enough to produce a sheen on the chops and then there's no need to drain the marinade. Using this method, I've yet to have a chop stick to the grill, and it turns out perfect every time.

Also, my family doesn't like stuff on their food (see my eye roll here). So, I leave my chives and sage leaves whole so I can pick them off before grilling. Man, the things I do for love ...

3. About 20 minutes before grilling, take the meat out of the fridge to let it lose some of it's chill. Fire up the gas grill on high, and when it reaches about 500 degrees, place the chops on, close the lid, and immediately turn the grill down to med-low. Let them cook for 5 minutes, then turn them over and let them go for another 6 minutes. Then, remove them from the grill to a platter and cover with foil. Let them sit for another five minutes before serving. They are perfect. I wanted to take a photo of them sliced so you could see how juicy they are, but the wild boars at my table were hungry. I don't mess with hungry wild boars.



Accompanying these lovely chops was a simple fruit salad that my children and husband made. Insert applause here. Like I mentioned earlier, I was tired and enlisted their services. I set out a bunch of fruit, a huge bowl, and told them to have at it. They did outstanding work, don't you think? Gorgeous kiwi, ripe strawberries (that actually made it into the serving bowl), juicy nectarines, sweet green grapes, fresh pineapple, and these darling miniscule grapes called Zante Currant Munchkin Grapes. See how little they are (strawberry lover #2's modeling hand). Compare them to the green grapes shown in the bowl.



I've found that sometimes when it comes to serving kids, simple straightforward meals are best. Plain grilled chops, fruit salad, and rice made up our meal. Oh, and homemade real sweet iced tea. That's it. And absolutely nothing was left. They ate every bite. People pleasin' pork! Bust those chops, baby!