Grilled Ginger-Soy Pork Chops

Pork isn't a protein I cook very often. Every now and then it shows up in my random recipe selection, but if I'm being completely honest, most of the pork recipes in my collection are various versions of carnitas.

When I came across this recipe, though, it immediately caught my attention. Seattle has finally been serving up some hot, sunny weather, which makes it the perfect time to fire up the grill. Then again, let's be honest—it's always grilling season at Chez Jenn's.

For this recipe, I picked up a thick, bone-in pork chop and let it marinate for about five hours. That's my magic number when it comes to marinades. It gives the meat plenty of time to soak up flavor without requiring me to plan an entire day ahead.

The grilling process took a little longer than I expected. The chop was about an inch thick, and since pork isn't something I cook regularly, I wasn't entirely sure how long it would need on the grill. It definitely took longer than I had planned, but thankfully it turned out juicy and delicious.

The marinade was the real winner here. The combination of soy sauce and ginger gave the pork a wonderful savory flavor with just the right amount of zing. As I was eating it, I kept thinking how fantastic this marinade would be on chicken as well. This is definitely one I'll be keeping in my recipe rotation.

Grilled Ginger-Soy Pork Chops

Recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen

Serves 4

• 6 bone-in pork chops
• 1/4 c peanut oil (or other high-heat oil)
• 1/4 c soy sauce  
• 1/4 c rice vinegar 
• 1 tsp dried chili pepper flakes (see notes)
• 2 tsp ginger puree (sometimes called ground ginger in Asian markets)
• 2 tsp garlic puree (sometimes called ground garlic in Asian markets)
• 1 tsp dried mustard

Mix together the oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, dried chile flakes, ginger puree, garlic puree, and dried mustard to make the marinade.

Pour marinade over the pork chops and marinate 6-8 hours or longer.

When you’re ready to cook, take the pork chops out of the fridge, drain in a colander placed in the sink, and let them come to room temperature.

Spray grill with non-stick grilling spray and preheat grill to medium hot.

Lay pork chops at an angle to the grill grates and cook 4-5 minutes (or until you see nice grill marks when you lift up the edge.)

Turn pork chops over and cook 4-5 minutes more on the second side, or until the pork chops feel firm, but not hard to the touch. (Actual cooking time will depend on the thickness of the pork chops.