The Perfect Pork Marinade

The Bookworm family BBQ's year-round. And by 'BBQ' I mean my husband grills up some sensational food all year long. That's no small feat here in Canada but come rain, come blistering heat, come sleet and snow, Brad is out there in the elements to cook us some good grub! What a guy!! 

Pork chops and especially pork tenderloin, are common meats that the carnivores in our family enjoy and I like to add some pizazz by trying new marinades. They add great flavour, can make your meats more tender and create some sensational neighbour supper envy when they smell that meat on your 'Q. And OH-MY-GRAVY did this marinade smell amazing while the meat was cooking!! Tasty and super easy to make, and when you add in some impressive grill marks, this marinade takes plain ol' pork to a whole new level.


Yield: 2 large pork chops

1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp President's Choice brand 'Sweet with Heat' prepared mustard (or dark mustard of your choice)
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Place pork chops into a large Ziploc bag. Pour in marinade and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, better yet, overnight (see tip below).

Heat grill to medium heat. Remove meat and discard marinade. Cook until internal temperature of pork is 145F. See if you can get some nice grill marks on that meat. Let pork sit for 3 minutes before serving.

Tip: If you tend to freeze your meats, add this marinade to the freezer bag before you seal it up. That way, your meat will marinate as it thaws in the fridge. I think this marinade would be great with chicken as well.