Tropical Island-Spiced Pork Chops with a Corn-Cilantro Salsa

by Chris Wessely
(Hudsonville, MI USA)

Ingredients:
• 4 - 1” thick pork chops
• ½ cup - crushed pineapples from can (small pieces) with juice
• 1 can - chicken broth
• ½ cup – well drained sweet corn (whole kernel from can)
• ½ cup – Diced Cilantro
• 1 – lime, zested then cut in half
• ½ cup – red onion
• ½ cup – peeled and diced cucumber
• 1 tsp – course black pepper
• ½ tbs – All Spice
• 1 tsp – chili powder
• 1 tsp – Kosher salt
• ½ tsp – Ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 tbs - honey

Equipment:
• Grill (charcoal – no lighter fluid used)
• Cast Iron skillet
• 1 ramekin

Prep work:
1. Make your rub: In a small bowl, mix together the black pepper, all spice, chili powder, salt, and cayenne.
2. Rub the spice mix on both sides of the pork, leave out and bring to room temp.
3. Start the charcoal in grill
4. Make your glaze – mix chicken broth, zest of entire lime, and honey in a ramekin

Grilling
Once coals are at their hottest (keep lid open at this point), put on your ramekin filled glaze and your empty cast iron skillet over the fire, leaving space for the pork chops. Once the cast iron skillet is hot, add corn and onion and slightly brown. Then, add the pineapple and cucumber, sliding the skillet to the side (cooler side of grill). Lastly, add the cilantro, pineapple and lime juice – remove from heat.

Simultaneously, while making your salsa, place pork chops on rack directly over the hottest coals and brush with glaze. You’ll wait around 5 minutes then flip (you can tell when the sides of the pork are cooked half way through). Cook another 5 more minutes on the other side, then move off too a cooler part of grill (keep glaze over high heat to reduce). Glaze and close the lid for another 5 minutes.

Check pork for doneness (use a thermometer or cut into meat). Let rest under aluminum foil for 10 minutes.

Glaze pork one final time then top with salsa.