Peach-Glazed Pork Chops with Fresh Peach Salsa
Ingredients:
For the sauce/marinade:
·
3/4 cup peach jam or preserves
·
6 Tbs. Maker’s Mark bourbon whiskey or peach nectar
·
4 Tbs. white wine vinegar
·
1/4 tsp. salt
·
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. hot-pepper sauce
For the peach salsa:
·
3 cup chopped peaches
·
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
·
1/2 cup chopped red onion
·
1 to 2 jalapeño chilies, seeded and finely chopped
·
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro or mint
·
1 tsp. grated lime zest
·
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
·
Dash olive oil
·
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
·
6 boneless pork chops, each about 6 oz. and 3/4 inch thick
·
3 Tbs. olive oil
·
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Sauce/Marinade - In a small saucepan
over medium heat, combine the jam, bourbon, vinegar and salt. Bring to a simmer
and cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the
hot-pepper sauce and remove from the heat. Use the sauce immediately, or let
cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. If refrigerated, remove from
the refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Measure out 3 Tbs. of the sauce to
use as a glaze for the pork and reserve. Marinade pork chops in remainder of
sauce.
Peach Salsa - In a bowl, combine the peaches, bell pepper, onion, chilies, cilantro, lime zest and lime juice and toss gently to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Let stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Grilling - Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Oil the grill rack. Brush the chops on both sides with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the chops on both sides with some of the sauce.
Grill the chops over the hottest part of a charcoal fire or directly over the heat elements of a gas grill, turning once and brushing with additional sauce, until cooked to your liking, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium (slightly pink at the center and juicy).
Transfer the chops to a warmed platter and brush them with the reserved 3 Tbs. peach sauce. Let rest for 3 minutes. Serve with the salsa spooned on top or alongside. Serves 4 to 6.
Peach Salsa - In a bowl, combine the peaches, bell pepper, onion, chilies, cilantro, lime zest and lime juice and toss gently to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Let stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Grilling - Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Oil the grill rack. Brush the chops on both sides with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the chops on both sides with some of the sauce.
Grill the chops over the hottest part of a charcoal fire or directly over the heat elements of a gas grill, turning once and brushing with additional sauce, until cooked to your liking, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium (slightly pink at the center and juicy).
Transfer the chops to a warmed platter and brush them with the reserved 3 Tbs. peach sauce. Let rest for 3 minutes. Serve with the salsa spooned on top or alongside. Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from here, which was adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Grilling, by Denis Kelly, Melanie Barnard, Barbara Grunes, Michael McLaughlin & Bob & Coleen Simmons (Oxmoor House, 2006).
