The Secrets to Grilling Pork Chops
By Mike Cobb
Now we have all probably had moms who got those real thin ones (less than ¾ of an inch thick) when we were younger and we can all also remember just how tough they were too. Thin chops have to be cooked so much faster because they are so much thinner that they tend to dry out faster.
But the thicker ones, oh, yes, we want them to cook all the way through so it will require a little bit of more time. But first, let’s talk about keeping what moisture there is in the pork chop itself while it cooks. We do not want them to dry out and this could be a problem to begin with since pork chops normally have less fat than other cuts of meat. So we need to work with this.
We want to keep the moisture in, thereby, keeping in the tenderness and the flavor. We can do this by many methods. My favorite is by brining. We won’t go into that here since I have covered it in other posts.
Marinades work well but they do not penetrate as good as a brine does. A real good basic, easy one is just to pick up a bottle of good Italian dressing at the store. It already has all of the oil, vinegar, herbs and spices that you need - and there you go. It does not get any easier than that when you are grilling pork chops.
Look, if you are in a hurry, then this would be the way to go. Throw them in a plastic bag and in the fridge for up to an hour. By marinating them, it will tenderize the meat and protect them from the high heat. Just remember that if you want to get those good grill marks, dry them off after you take them out of the plastic bag.
Directions:
Thin chops - Grill them quickly over a high heat. You want a real good high heat, place them on there and then place the lid down on the grill. Wait about a minute and then rotate them to that you can get those good grill marks. Wait about another minute and then lift the lid up and flip them over and repeat the process. The whole thing should not take more than five minutes.
For the thicker chops when you are grilling pork chops, you are going to need a lower heat. You want to cook them, but you do not want to dry them out. If you are using the indirect heat method, then you would place the thicker chops over the very hottest part of the grill to sear the meat and get those good grill marks, but after that then move them over to a cooler part of the grill to finish them off.
Now if you adding a barbecue sauce, always make sure that you do it at the end so that the sugar in it does not burn and then you would wind up serving ‘blackened pork chops’, which would not be bad if you had all of your cajun friends over and was having a xydeco party. So just remember to finish up the thick chops over a cooler part of the grill.
And then finally when you are grilling pork chops to remember that the ‘resting’ period is the most important part of the process. After they are finished, place them on a plate, pie tin, whatever and cover them with aluminum foil and just let them rest for awhile.
For more great information and tips for barbeque check out my blog at: Grilling Pork Chops
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Cobb
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Secrets-to-Grilling-Pork-Chops&id=3923744
Soup and Salad of Wine and Onion Bisque & Spring Mix Salad with Worcestershire-Parsley Dressing
By Shauna Hanus
Wine and Onion Bisque
5 Cups Vegetable Stock
2 Cups Dry White Wine
1 Tbs Dill weed
1 tsp Dried Savory
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
4 Cups Onions, pealed and chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
In a large stock pot bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
Strain the vegetables and place them in a food processor or blender. Blend the vegetables until pureed. Return the broth to the stock pot. Add the pureed vegetables back into the broth and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste.
Salad
Spring Mix Salad with Worcestershire-Parsley Dressing
Dressing
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
3 Tbs White Vinegar
1 Green Onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 tsp Sugar
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
½ tsp Hot Sauce
½ Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
Blend all the ingredients in a blender or whisk vigorously for two minutes. When well blended chill for 1 hour.
Greens
Choose a spring salad mix, or tender fresh greens of your liking. I enjoy a simple spring mix.
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She now has available the Recipe of the Month Club. This is a way for you to give the gift of gourmet to all those people who love to cook. With the Recipe of the Month Club you can give 3, 6 or 12 months of new and exciting gourmet recipes as a gift for Christmas, Hanukah or birthdays to all the cook-aholics in your life. Find out more at http://www.cookbookaddict.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shauna_Hanus
http://EzineArticles.com/?Soup-and-Salad-of-Wine-and-Onion-Bisque-and-Spring-Mix-Salad-with-Worcestershire-Parsley-Dressing&id=100533
Cream of Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
This hearty, creamy soup is just the ideal fall treat with fresh, crusty bread or fried pita on the side. It makes a wholesome, fresh, delicious and satisfying lunch or dinner meal. You will probably like it enough to serve it as an appetizer when you have guests over for dinner. It is fast, easy and healthy! You could also make it as a vegetarian recipe.
Enjoy! ~ 
Type: Soup
Serve With: Fresh, crusty bread or fried pita.
Prep Time: 10 min
Yield: Should serve 4 people as appetizer, or 2 people for dinner
Ingredients:
1 medium Butternut squash
2 small Sweet potatoes
1 large Onion
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Freshly ground cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp Olive oil
1 cup Heavy cream
1 1/2 cups Chicken stock
1 tbsp Brown sugar
1/8 tsp Nutmeg - Freshly grated is preferred.
1/8 tsp Ginger - You may use 1/2 tsp if it is freshly minced/grated.
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 Cinnamon stick
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Peel butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and onion, and scoop out of the squash seeds with a large spoon. Chop into 1′ chunks. Sprinkle with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, ground ginger, and cayenne pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Combine these ingredients in a small roasting pan or oven proof dish, and roast at 375 F for 15 min, then reduce temperature to 335 F, and continue to roast until fork tender (~ 55 min).
4. 10 min before finishing roasting, sprinkle brown sugar over vegetables.
5. Combine roasted vegetables, chicken stock, and butter in a large soup pot, and use a hand blender to blend it to the consistency you desire. Add heavy cream and stir.
* Tip: If you like chunks in your soup, blend it less. If you like it completely smooth, blend it completely.
* Tip: Use a standing blender if you don’t have a hand blender.
6. Heat soup until it is the temperature you desire (~ 5-8 min) and drop a cinnamon stick in soup pot during this time.
7. Take out cinnamon stick, and season with sea salt & pepper to taste.
8. Garnish with dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche, a nasturtium flower and a cinnamon stick. Beautiful!!!
9. Serve with crusty bread or fried pitas, and Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this recipe…
Eat Deliciously!
Kimberly Edwards is the founder of Cooking With Kimberly - Decadent Cooking from Home - Find a Delicious Cooking Recipe, Great Products and Helpful Tips & Information that will help you Explore the Joy of Cooking!
Discover more Amazing Soup Recipes and Check out Kimberly’s Cooking Secrets at: http://www.CookingWithKimberly.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Edwards
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cream-of-Butternut-Squash-and-Sweet-Potato-Soup&id=925009
