Grilled Pork Chops Agrodolce

It started with the cover of Saveur magazine. Grilled Pork Chops Agrodolce, Roman style (aka Maiala in Agrodolce, Italian for sweet and sour pork). The cover photo stopped me in my tracks. Two pork chops, covered with a dark red glaze and a casually placed sprig of rosemary.  It looked so simple, and so delicious.

The recipe is as simple as the photo, and perfectly suited for grilling a weeknight dinner. I've adjusted it a bit for my own use. In the original, you reduce balsamic vinegar and honey to make a syrupy glaze, then stir in some butter and a sprig of rosemary. I can't reduce vinegar in my house; my loving wife, Diane, has been very sensitive to the smell of boiling vinegar since she was pregnant with Tim, our youngest. I trust the heat of the grill to thicken the glaze for me, and I upped the amount of honey to make up for the lack of reduction.
*My first thought when I saw the recipe was "Rosemary herb brush!"
**And I added crushed garlic, because I just can't help myself sometimes.

Don't let the simple set of ingredients fool you.  The result in a complex set of flavors.  The sweet/sour taste of balsamic vinegar is balanced by a big hit of sweet from the honey. Then you get the pine scent of rosemary, and an undertone of heat from cracked black pepper*.
*Black pepper is big in Rome, and has been since the spice route ran to Europe through the Roman Empire.

I also enjoy how different the flavors are from the Italian-American tradition I'm used to. There is not a tomato in sight, but you can't eat these pork chops and think the taste is anything but Italian. Give this recipe a try; you'll be impressed with the results.

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Grilled Pork Chops Agrodolce

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• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Roman-style sweet and sour pork chops: grilled bone-in chops basted with a balsamic vinegar, honey, butter, garlic and rosemary glaze.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x

Pork Chops

• 6 bone-in pork loin chops, ¾ to 1 inch thick
• 3 teaspoons salt (½ teaspoon per chop)
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper (¼ teaspoon per chop)

Agrodolce Glaze

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, for a basting brush

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Instructions

1. Season the chops: Sprinkle the pork chops evenly with the salt and pepper, and let them rest at room temperature while the grill heats.
2. Make the glaze and brush: Put the glaze ingredients in a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 1 minute, until the butter melts and you can smell the garlic. Tie the rosemary sprigs together at the stems to make a basting brush.
3. Prepare the grill: Set up the grill for direct medium-high heat. On my gas grill, I preheat with all burners on high for 15 minutes, then turn them down to medium-high. Brush the grate clean, and wipe it with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil.
4. Grill the first side: Grill the chops for 3 minutes, until they have grill marks and release easily from the grate. Rotate 90 degrees, and grill 3 more minutes, until well browned. (Keep the lid closed on a gas grill; leave it open on charcoal.)
5. Grill and glaze the second side: Flip the chops, grill for 3 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees. Baste with the glaze and cook 1 minute, then flip, baste again, and cook 1 more minute, until the chops reach 145°F in the thickest part.
6. Rest and serve: Move the chops to a platter, baste them one last time, and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Equipment

Weber Summit

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Weber Kettle

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Notes

Equipment: A grill (I use a Weber Summit 650) and an instant-read thermometer.

No rosemary brush? Use a regular basting brush, and add a little more minced rosemary to the glaze.

The original recipe reduces the vinegar and honey into a syrup. I let the heat of the grill thicken the glaze instead, and use a little more honey.

Add some heat: Add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the glaze.

For a quick weeknight dinner, serve with grilled peppers and onions, a salad, and orzo pilaf topped with grated pecorino romano.

Adapted from Anya von Bremzen's Sweet and Sour Glazed Pork Chops in Saveur.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes

What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

Related Posts:
Grilled boneless pork chops, brined and honey glazed
Grilled thin pork chops, soy brinerated

Adapted from:
Adapted From: Sweet and Sour Glazed Pork Chops, Saveur magazine [saveur.com]

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