This marinade for pork chops will make your pork extra juicy as well as infusing them with a terrific savoury flavour and gorgeous caramelised crust without overpowering the natural flavour of pork. Even 1 hour of marinading will make a remarkable difference!
You know when something hits the pan and it smells so great than even if it’s the first time you’ve made that recipe, you know it’s going to be a winner?Ā This is one of those. š
Plus, the added bonus is that there is a very good chanceĀ that all the ingredients are already in your pantry. Checklist: soy sauce, brown sugar, mustard, garlic, pepper, Worcestershire Sauce (IĀ never spell that right first go! Thank you auto correct).
“Soy sauce?”, I hear some of you think, dubiously.
YES. Soy sauce. NO it doesn’t make this theĀ least bit Asiany (no matter how I spell it, auto correct does not like that word). It’s a brine that injects the pork with juiciness and it’s better than the basic salt + water brine because it’s got more flavour to it.
If you’ve never tried a soy sauce based brine for a protein before, I think you’re going to be very pleasantly surprised.Ā Watch the video belowĀ the recipe – the end when I press down on the pork chop to show how juicy it is. That’s courtesy of the soy sauce!
I planned to share this recipe because I got all excited thatĀ IĀ finally got a new BBQ. Living by the ocean means that anything that resides outdoors has a limited life andĀ my current BBQ looks like an abandoned burnt out car. I have bricks propping up one side of it to keep it level because the legs are completely rusted through,Ā what used to be a black lid is now mostly rust and when I went to push it over the other day to make room for the new one, the side burner snapped right off!!!!
After being completely indecisive about what BBQ to get next, I finally took the plunge and got an entry level mid range BBQ and just accepted that it will probably have a 4 to 5 year life. It was either that, or splurging onĀ a premium stainless steel one that was so expensive I almost choked when the sales assistant told me how much it was. And apparently, even that would probably only last 7 years because of all the salty air.
I will make the most of it. I plan to be the BBQ Queen this coming summer.Ā Move over Bobby Flay! š Ā – Nagi xx
PS Oh – I forgot to add, I made this because I was all excited about the new BBQ and had visions of making the recipe video with flames licking the chops but then delivery got delayed so I ended up having to cook it on the stoveĀ instead. Boo to that. But still tasty!
PPS By reader request – I’ve added an abbreviated form of the recipe for theĀ crispy potato rosti you see in the photos. I’ll do a full recipe and video sometime soon, it’s been on my list for ages!
This marinade will make any pork chops or steak extra juicy as well as infusing it with great savoury flavour and a touch of sweet. The soy sauce is the brine for this marinade which will give you some legroom, keeping your chops nice and juicy even if you go a couple of minutes over. It does not taste the least bit "Asiany" or soy saucey. Recipe VIDEO below - don't miss the end when I press down on the chops so you can see how juicy it is! MINIMUM MARINADE TIME: 1 hr+ for thin chops, 3 hrs+ for thick.
- 4 bone in pork chops, 2 cm / 4/5" thick about 280g/9 oz each (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/3 cup / 85 ml soy sauce (light or all purpose, not dark)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- Ā¼ tsp black pepper
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Place Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag. Massage to combine.
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Add chops. Massage to coat in the Marinade. Marinate for 1 ā 24 hours. (Note 2)
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Take the chops out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
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Brush BBQ grill or drizzle oil in pan, heat on medium high. Add pork and cook for 4 minutes or until the underside is caramelised and the pork releases from the grill, then turn the chops and cook for 3 minutes (Note 2 for thin chops).
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Baste both sides with residual marinade in ziplock bag, then cook the basted side for 30 seconds before serving. The chops should have a great crust
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Transfer chops to a plate, cover loosely with foil. Rest for 3 minutes before serving.
1. I used thick, bone in pork chops that were just under 2.5cm / 1" thick. On the bone, slightly trimmed but not much, I like keeping some fat on the edges to keep the pork really juicy! This recipe will work with any quick cook cut of pork - chops, steaks, even tenderloin.
2. Minimum marinade time:
* Thin chops: 1.25 cm/ 1/2" thick - 1 hr+
* Thick chops 2 cm / 4/5" thick - 3 hrs+
COOK TIME for just white (juicy, no pink, reduce by 1 min for hint of blush):
* Thin chops - 3 minutes first side, 2 minutes second side, then 30 seconds on each side for basting.
* Thick chops - 4 minutes first side, 3 minutes second side, then 45 seconds on each side.
If your chops are thicker than the Thick Chops, then I'd recommend starting on the stove and finishing in the oven at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 145F / 63C.
3. Troubleshooting / tips: Once you put the chops on the BBQ, DON'T TOUCH IT! Once it is cooked, it will release naturally from the grills. If it sticks, it's not ready to turn. If your chops are cooking too quickly and start to burn because of the sugar in the marinade, turn the heat down. Remember, these chops are meant to have a gorgeous chargrilled crust!
4. CRISPY POTATO ROSTI recipe (pictured on the side of the chops) - by reader request, here's an abbreviated form of the recipe: 2 large brushed (Sebago) potatoes (US: use russet), peeled and grated using a box grater. Grab handfuls and squeeze out excess liquid or do this using a dish towel (clean!). Place in bowl, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. MeltĀ 1Ā tbsp butter + 1 1/2 tbspĀ oil (I use olive) in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add dollops of potato, spread into pancake shape about 12 cm / 4.5" wide, 0.75 cm / 1/4" thick. Press down to compact into rosti, cook for 3 minutes or until deep golden brown. Flip and repeat. Drain on paper towels, repeat with remaining potato, should make 8.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
A Great Marinade for Pork Chops recipe video!
IN CASE YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR BEEF
My Beef Steak Marinade…. especially great forĀ giving good value steaks the wow factor!
LIFE OF DOZER
This is what a doggie smile looks like. ā¤ļø
(forgot the stars!)
Wow! Thank you so much for these instructions and recipe. My pork chops used to be like shoe leather. Then I found this and now my husband likes pork chops better than Anything Else. We made them on the campfire at the family campout this year and people wanted seconds. Now I make them, usually under the broiler, about once a week. Thank you thank you!
Awesome! Love hearing that Carly. I can just imagine that gorgeous char grilled flavour!!! N xx
I cooked this and used regular mustard instead of dijon (because i forgot to buy it). It was delicious and I cooked it in a cast iron pan so it still cooked quickly and still had the grill marks! I also used boneless pork chops and it was delicious! Will make this again and again!
I LOVE hearing that Kaleigh! Thanks so much for letting me know! N xx