Apple-Grilled Double-Cut Pork Chops
Adapted from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook (Clarkson Potter, 2008)
Ask your butcher for 2-inch-thick center-cut pork loin chops. A slice of seasoned tart apple tucked in the center infuses them with sweetness, as does a brush of apple butter when they're hot off the grill.
Ingredients
- 4 double-cut pork loin chops
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 sweet onion (like Vidalia or Walla Walla), thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
- 4, 1/4-inch-thick slices tart, sweet apple (like Granny Smith or Winesap)
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple butter
Method
With a sharp boning knife, cut a slit in the side of each chop, forming a pocket midway through the chop. Season each chop inside and out with salt and pepper.
Set a grill rack 6 to 8 inches above the coals or heat source and heat the grill to medium.
In a skillet set on the grates of the grill, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the onion is very tender and caramelized; season with salt and pepper. Remove to a dish to cool slightly.
Rub the surface of the apple slices with brown sugar. Insert one slice of apple into the pocket of each chop. Add one quarter of the cooked onion mixture to the pocket, too.
When ready to grill, you should be able to hold your palm over the grill for 3 seconds and there should be a light ash coating on the coals. Grill the chops for 6 minutes. Rotate the chops a quarter-turn and grill for 4 to 6 minutes more. Flip the chops and repeat. Cook until an internal temperature of 150ºF is reached. Remove the chops from the grill and brush with apple butter before serving.
Yield
4 servings
