Marinating pork chops in pineapple juice gives them a sharp, sweet tropical flavor. Caribbean and Hawaiian cuisines both feature dishes that use pineapple as a pork marinade. According to "Grilling for Dummies" by Marie Rama and John Mariani, the enzyme papain found in pineapple juice also helps tenderize pork chops. Additional ingredients in the marinade range from soy sauce and rum to cider and honey. The exact marinade recipe depends on whether you like your pork extra sweet or with a sour, tangy element.
Crush two peeled cloves of garlic. Dice one small yellow onion into fine pieces. Put both into a large mixing bowl. Pour 1 cup of fresh pineapple juice into the bowl.
Add either 1/4 cup of honey and 1/4 cup or cider vinegar, or 1/2 cup of soy sauce and 1 tbsp. of brown sugar, depending on your tastes. Season with fresh black pepper and ground sea salt. Add 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper. Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl together well.
Put the pork chops in a ziplock plastic bag. Pour in the pineapple, spice and vegetable mixture and shake the bag to coat the chops all over. Leave in the refrigerator the night before cooking.
Take the pork chops from the bag. Shake off excess syrupy marinade. Add a pinch more pepper and salt. Grill or fry as normal -- for about six minutes per side. Grill four pineapple slices for five minutes and put on the top of each chop before serving.
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References
Tips
- If you don't have any fresh pineapple juice, drain the juice from a tin of pineapple rings and use that.
Warnings
- Don't use excess marinade for salad dressing or anything else because it has touched raw meat.
Writer Bio
Based near London, U.K., Peter Mitchell has been a journalist and copywriter for over eight years. Credits include stories for "The Guardian" and the BBC. Mitchell is an experienced player and coach for basketball and soccer teams, and has written articles on nutrition, health and fitness. He has a First Class Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) from Bristol University.
Photo Credits
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