“Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops”

Run as fast as you can to your local market and grab the ingredients for this recipe. When I’m creating my recipes, one person that comes to mind is my Mom. She was such a good cook and very seldom did she make something we wouldn’t eat or say, “Mom don’t make that again”. Everything was a winner and of course there were our favorites. In the Summertime, grilling was top of mind. First sign of warm weather or a holiday weekend, the grill was fired up. I thought of Mom and how much she would have loved my Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops.

Mom could make the best homemade barbecue sauces and glazes. Always tangy and just the right amount of sweetness. Even my Dad would eat her barbecued chicken as long as she was using her sauce. The pomegranate glaze on these pork chops reminds me of her glazes, not too thick but the perfect coating on each chop. Mom would have loved the tangy sweetness I’ve created. So I’m dying to share this recipe with you.

Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops

If you have never used pomegranate molasses, start today. Most often used in Middle Eastern cooking, this thick, syrup like condiment has been boiled down to the perfect consistency. It reminds me of Balsamic Vinegar which also has a tangy sweet flavor. The concoction is mainly pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice. You get some of same health benefits from this molasses as in eating pomegranate seeds and drinking the juice. A little bit of pomegranate molasses goes a long way as in using vinegar. Trust me on this one since I know you’re going to love these pork chops. Try your hand at making homemade pomegranate molasses from Food52 and check out some of their tasty recipes. The process takes time but is so worth the effort.

Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops

To make this recipe for Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops, start off by brining your chops for maximum tenderness. Brining makes a world of difference when cooking thick chops which are my favorite on the grill. Too thin and they dry out, becoming easy to overcook. Do not allow your chops to brine more than six hours. They will be too salty so rinse them well under cold water after removing them from the brine. Chops can be refrigerated until ready to cook. I usually do the brining on my day off and cook them the next day. Perfect way to have meat ready for another meal ahead of time.

Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops

Now your chops are ready for the grill. Remove chops from the refrigerator and sprinkle with black pepper.Let sit them sit while heating your grill. I don’t use any salt at this point because the brine contained salt. Add a little after cooking if needed. Since the chops are so thick, cooking time on each side will take about 8 to 10 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook. After the initial cooking, start brushing chops with glaze turning every several minutes to get a good coating. Remove chops from grill and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops

Dinner is served with Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops as the star performer. Serve chops with your favorite grilling side dishes. Grilled vegetables and salads work extremely well with this recipe. I have made this recipe in the oven and love to serve with butternut squash or sweet potatoes and sautéed spinach. These are definitely a change of pace sure to ignite your taste buds of everyone served.

Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops

2 – 10 oz. – 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick pork loin chops, bone-in or boneless

1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

2 t. fresh lemon juice

2 t. granulated sugar

Black pepper to taste

Brine for Pork Chops

3 cups water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 cups ice cubes

To brine pork chops, add water, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir until sugar and salt completely dissolve. Remove pan from heat and stir in ice cubes to reduce temperature of brine.

Once brine is cooled, pour into a large bowl and add in pork chops. Let chops brine in refrigerator for at least 2 hours but no longer than 6 hours.

Remove chops from refrigerator, rinse well with cold water and pat dry. If you skip this step the chops will be salty, so don’t skip.

Bring chops to room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Season chops with pepper and heat grill according to manufacturer’s instructions. Adjust heat to 400 degrees.

Mix molasses, lemon juice and sugar together in a small bowl; set aside. Place chops on grill, searing one side, about 10 minutes. Flip and sear other side, about 10 minutes. Using a basting brush, glaze each side of chops using all glaze and internal temp of chops reaches 145 degrees. Total cooking time will be about 20 to 25 minutes depending on thickness of chops. Allow chops to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!