Easy Marinated Pork Loin Chops

Now that summer is finally making an appearance (it's a balmy 26C here in Ontario!!!) it's time to break out more BBQ recipes. The BBQ is a glorious invention that can cook anything from corn-on-the cob, steaks and salmon fillets to baked potatoes, grilled asparagus and chicken with beer cans stuck up their butts. The glory that is the BBQ (or Grill for my American friends) has many benefits. Here are some of my favourites:

1. The BBQ makes supper clean-up easier because the main mess stays outside.

2. The BBQ doesn't heat up your house unnecessarily in the summer, unlike your oven.

3. We use our BBQ year round. Yes, through rain, sleet, snow and hail husband Brad at the BBQ will prevail!

4. I don't BBQ so that leaves the responsibility of grilling all the various beasties and side dishes to my beloved Brad which makes mealtime easier for yours truly.

Win, win, win, WIN!

Who wants to heat up their oven and house unnecessarily by baking supper when you can throw some grub on the BBQ and make clean up really easy too?!?! Our BBQ is big enough that I can get an entire meal on there!!

In our house, Brad is king of the grill. 'All hail the Grill Master!'. I can totally attest to the fact that he's amazing at BBQing. He should be -- he apprenticed with one of the best. When my sisters and I started dating our husbands waaay back when the earth was still cooling my Dad instructed his future sons-in-law (who, of course, were still in the 'gotta impress the future father-in-law' phase) that they were going to be his BBQ Apprentices. This apprenticeship would last for over a decade -- meaning that my dad could sit back, instruct his sons-in-laws in the wonder that is the BBQ and relax. See, I come by my 'pawn off the grilling work' genetically. I do have to hand it to my Dad though. All three guys are excellent BBQers!! I'm sure they'll pass on their knowledge once our kids get old enough to learn about BBQing. And so continues the great circle of life.

Now, you may be wondering if I can BBQ food well? That's a tricky question. If I say 'yes' then I'll be expected to BBQ from here on out. CAN I grill food? Technically, yes. Will I be as good at it as Brad? Nope. The more important question would be ... do I want to BBQ? Not particularly, no.

So I'll plead ignorance like I do with using the lawnmower and snow blower and let Brad rule the grill. For example: Brad tried to show me how to run the snow blower last year but I kept 'getting confused'. "Do I pull this lever next, hon? What was that first thing I had to do again?". Brad totally clued in after he had to explain the same thing to me three times (he knows I'm not a total idiot, I only resemble one at times) but he also got my point that I like to visit the land of Ignorance at times when I just don't want to do something. Did I set back the women's movement a bit? Nah. Guys have been using the Ignorance Excuse for decades, nay centuries. "Can I put a navy shirt in with the whites, hon?". I'm just trying it out for my own fine self and evening up the playing field for women kind.

Now for the recipe du jour. This is a dish that I've made twice over the past month and it jazzes up plain old pork loin chops into something a lot more guest worthy. I think next time I go to freeze some pork chops for later use I'll whip up this marinade and add it to the chops just before I freeze them in one of my trusty and indispensable Ziploc freezer bags. That way the meat will be marinating while it thaws. Which makes dinner even EASIER for little old me. If only I could use my powers of cunning BBQ intelligence for the greater good. Bwa ha ha!

1/2 cup vegetable OR grapeseed oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-6 pork loin chops (1-inch thick)

Combine marinade ingredients. Place pork chops in a resealable bag. Pour marinade over chops and marinate for 4-8 hours in the fridge.
Preheat BBQ to medium heat. Grill pork chops, turning occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear. Discard marinade.

Recipe Inspired by: AllRecipes.com