I absolutely LOVE to cook, however, sometimes I like to let loose and let someone else do the cooking for me, thus the grill. I DO NOT grill. To be perfectly honest, grills kind of scare me. Either I am afraid they are going to blow up when I light the propane ones, or that I will singe all of the hair off of my head when I start the charcoal kind, so I leave grilling up to my husband and son. They don’t mind being hairless.

As side from my fear of grills and overall laziness, we really enjoy outdoor cooking because of the amazing flavors. You can really virtually cook anything outside on a grill, smoker or fire pit. Many moons ago on a campout I actually made a pretty amazing cake with a Dutch oven and fire pit. Unfortunately, I can’t remember how I did it so I cannot share that with you. If you happened to have made a cake this way I would love to hear how you did it.

My husband has grilling down to a science, and he prefers to use a charcoal grill which is truly a science. When he goes out to grill he must have charcoal, lighter fluid, matches, an extra type of wood and a chimney, which is used to start charcoal briquettes. I think the one thing I like best about his grilling is the additional smoky flavor he imparts to the meats, veggies, etc… from the use of a hard wood along with the charcoal.

During the spring and fall we really enjoy grilling because the weather is supposed to be cooler, unless you are in Texas and then you never know. A few of our favorite items to grill are Cilantro Pesto Chicken, Pepsi Barbecue Chicken, Grilled Squash, Chipotle Grilled Corn, Asparagus and Twangy Texas Pork Chops. Today I am going to tell you about the Twangy Texas Pork Chops because they are truly my husband’s favorite pork chop and they are so easy to prepare. Just plan ahead a bit because they taste best after marinating for at least 24 hours.

Twangy Texas Pork Chops

¼ c. ketchup
2 Tbl. Apple juice
2 TBl. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbl. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbl. Worcestershire Sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
6 bone-in pork chops, about ½ inch thick.
(We use boneless pork chops, as well. It really is all about what is on sale.)

1. In a gallon Ziploc bag, mix the first 9 ingredients thoroughly.
(You could use a bowl as shown, but a Ziploc bag lends to a very easy clean up.)

2. Add in the pork chops and marinade in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, but ideally 24 hours.

3. Pull the pork chops from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before grilling to bring the temp up a bit.

4. Preheat your grill.

5. Grill your pork chops over direct medium heat until the pork chops are slightly pink or have an internal temperature of 145 degrees, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

**Note: In 2011 the USDA decreased the necessary internal temperature of pork from 160 degrees to 145 degrees.**

We love to have grilled corn with chipotle butter and dill potato salad with our pork chops. I hope you enjoy this wonderful and easy dinner as much as we do. Have a blessed day!

About The Author

Amy Whiteley

Amy has been married to her husband, Chad, for almost 15 years, where a testimony to God’s greatness developed. They have two fabulous children, an 11 year old boy and a two year old little girl. Outside of helping Chad with his business and homeschooling the kids, she keeps busy in her kitchen, which she says is the heart of their home. Amy started cooking at the ripe old age of 11, and aspired to start a catering business in high school, but she chose a more traditional career instead. Amy spent several years as a technical writer, and then was called into teaching, until God opened doors for her to stay home with her kids and pursue her passion in cooking. Amy provides a cooking service for friends and family, where she prepares entrees, side dishes and desserts every week for her customers. She also decided to use her dusty journalism degree in a blog that features recipes, craft ideas and anecdotes. You can access her site at www.kitchenandkids.com, where you can also check out her dinner prep services under Dinner Hour.