License to Grill

Thanks to my constant hint-dropping (and some unevenly cooked burgers), Kristen finally conceded that it was time to retire the 15 year old, half-working, hand-me-down grill that we got from her parents, and invest in a new one. The idea was for it to be a joint Father's Day/Birthday present, but Sears had all their Kenmore grills on sale for Memorial Day, so I got my present a little early.

The new grill features LED lights in the lid handle for all my night grilling needs, porcelain cast iron cooking grids, and three stainless steel tube burners that generate 39,000 BTU's of heat. I'm not really sure what BTU's are, but I'm guessing that 39,000 is a lot. By the way, if anyone is in the market for a 15 year old, half-working, hand-me-down grill, today is your lucky day.

In honor of this joyous occasion, here is one of our favorite grilling recipes. It is from the Better Homes & Gardens Grilling Book:

Chops in Smoky Chile Marinade

From the cookbook: The indispensable ingredient in this marinade is the smoky chipotle chile peppers. Canned chipotles are packed in a piquant sauce made from chiles, herbs, and vinegar. I heartily concur. The marinade makes these chops really tender and juicy. The chipotle peppers (which can typically be found on the Mexican food aisle at the grocery store) give the chops a slighty sweet, slightly spicy flavor.

• 4 pork loin butterfly chops, 3/4 inch thick
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp finely shredded lime peel
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Place chops in a self-sealing plastic bag or shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl combine olive oil, lime peel, lime juice, chipotle peppers, oregano, and garlic. Pour over chops, seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

For a charcoal grill, place chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 7 to 9 minutes or until slighty pink in the center and the juices run clear (160° F), turning once halfway through grilling. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chops on grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.