Grilling is a celebrated summer ritual in my family. We start out early in the afternoon, make a pitcher of margaritas and graze on tortilla chips and salsa while we fire up the grill. Grill Skills: Professional Tips for the Perfect Barbecue made for an excellent start to the season with approachable, internationally influenced recipes.
I chose a Swedish and American mashup: pork chops with rhubarb salsa. I’ve only cooked pork chops indoors before, and I’ve never worked with rhubarb, but it was worth it to explore the unfamiliar territory. I marinated the pork chops in a sweet, spicy paste for an hour before grilling as instructed, but I was disappointed that those flavors didn’t make it to the plate. More time to soak up all that goodness was definitely needed.
The rhubarb salsa, on the other hand, was a hit. Aggressive red onion was mellowed by the pickled ginger and honey. When we topped the pork chops with the salsa, it made up for the lack of flavor on the meat. I couldn’t find acacia honey, so I used an orange blossom variety. Like acacia, it’s lighter and milder than your standard clover honey bear bottle, and it helped to balance stronger flavors. I topped my salsa with a mix of toasted and black sesame seeds instead plain ones because I like the nutty flavor they bring to the party (and they were the ones I had in my pantry).
Skill level: Easy. Even with the global twists on recipes, it’s still the same process.
This book is for: People who want to grill outside the box and explore new flavors.
Other recipes to try: Grilled salmon with an apple and lemon glaze, Thai kebabs with the crispy noodle salad, and the triple smoky burger.
The verdict: While the rhubarb salsa wowed, the pork chops flopped. This round goes to Bon Appétit’s The Grilling Book.
Pork Chops with Rhubarb Salsa
4 servings
4 large pork chops on the bone
2 Tbsp. mild paprika, preferably smoked
1 ½ Tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. cumin
1 ½ tsp. chili powder, preferably ancho
1 lime, grated zest
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Rhubarb salsa
5.25 oz. rhubarb
2 tsp. sesame oil
¼ cup olive oil
½ red chili, sliced
2 Tbsp. mint, chopped
1-2 Tbsp. acacia honey
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1/5 cup pickled ginger, chopped
½ red onion, thinly sliced
• Make a cut in the fat at the edge of each chop and pat them dry.
• Mix all the spices, lime zest, garlic, sugar, sal, and pepper. Add olive oil and stir into a thick paste. Massage the paste thoroughly into the meat. Allow to stand for at least 20 minutes. The marinated chops can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours but remember that they should be at room temperature when you put them on the grill.
• Use this time to make the salsa: Slice the rhubarb (peel it if it’s tough). Mix the sesame oil, olive oil, chili, mint, honey and sesame seeds and add. Mix in the ginger and red onion. Add salt to taste. You can even cook the salsa for 10 minutes, but in that case add the mint after cooking.
• Place the chops on the grill over direct heat and allow them to color on both sides. Move to the edge of the coals and put the lid on. Grill until an inner temperature of 145 degrees is reached. Place on a serving plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Serve with the salsa.
Reprinted with permission by Schiffer Publishing
This article appears in April 2016.