Category
Pork is good for you!
An amazing pork chop is almost worth its weight in gold, and this delicious recipe for Coffee-Molasses Marinated Pork Chops combines the sweet goodness of molasses with a coffee kick. One bite, and your people will be coming back for more. The recipe is for only four pork chops, but you may need to double it so that there is no fighting over who gets two!
Ingredients
3/4 cup strongly brewed coffee, cooled
1/3 cup molasses
6-7 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic (fresh or jarred)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
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4 fresh Circle B Ranch pork chops (1 inch thick, bone-in)
Directions
Start by brewing coffee. You want it strong, but not too bitter as the bitterness will cause the chops to be bitter. Set aside 3/4 cup to be cooling while you whip up the marinade.
Why should you marinate? Four good reasons include enhancing the meat's flavor, keeping the meat moist and juicy, creating a beautiful, crisp crust on the meat, and improving overall health by reducing unhealthy HCAs (possible carcinogens created when meats are cooked at high temperatures). The next eight ingredients make up part of the marinade, so mix them together before adding the cooled coffee.
Next, and this is very important, do not use all of the marinade for the meat! You will be using a portion to make a glaze to put on right before serving, so don't use it all or you will have to make more. Simply remove 1/2 cup of the marinade and place it into a ziptop bag. Then insert the pork chops, seal the bag and give it a good squish. Place in the fridge (I like to put it in a bowl or pan so that it doesn't move around too much) for at least two hours. If you can let it go overnight, the flavors get even richer. Place the remaining marinade-that-will-become-a-glaze in a covered container in the fridge until needed.
About twenty minutes before you put your pork chops on the grill, pull out your leftover marinade and place it in a saucepan. You want to cook this on medium heat until it reduces by half, roughly 10-15 minutes. Remove the thyme stems before using. Turn off or keep on low until ready to use.
When it's grilling time, preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Then use some oil-soaked paper towel to oil your grill a little. I find it helpful to grip the paper towel with tongs to avoid getting burned, setting things on fire and the like. You just don't want those pork chops getting stuck. Grill 3-4 minutes per side until they reach doneness and an internal temperature that you prefer. Typically this is 145 degrees for medium rare and 160 degrees for medium. Then place the meat on a plate to rest for approximately five minutes before spooning the glaze over the chops.
If you would prefer to broil instead of grill these delicious chops, broil 4-5 inches from the heat source for 4-5 minutes per side.
Recipe Note
Recommendations for Side Dishes:
Although these chops are wonderful alone, some mouthwatering sides really make this a meal. Some of Marina's amazing side dishes could do the trick. Think of those delicious pork chops alongside Japanese-style sesame green beans, zucchini hash browns or roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and apples. Potatoes are also an ideal accompaniment to pork chops, so some of Marina's smashed potato bites, crispy cheese and bacon potatoes or roasted sweet potato risotto would be amazing.
Finish off with some of Marina's famous dessert specialties like lemon bars, Italian fresh peach crumb cake or blueberry crumble pie.
All in all, these pork chops are sure to be a hit at your next family dinner, cookout or regular weeknight meal. The sweet, tender chops have just the right tang and sweetness to make you want more. Once the marinade is done, all you have to do is quickly pop these on the grill for an easy, quick and delicious entree.
Author Bio
Kathy Gallo is the founder ofhttps://www.dailycupo.com/. She is a health buff, she always believes that perfect health comes from drinking right, and aspires to provide an invaluable guide to the health drinks.