Grilled Pork Chops With An Orange Ginger Sauce
A big stainless steel grill and a handsome man holding a beer is often what you picture when the weather gets warm and you think of outdoor cooking. An outside deck that has a table and chairs under an umbrella, and a couple of lounge chairs often completes the picture of a perfect summer day. I totally agree and I don’t want to invade on the guys territory. But…give me my choice of cooking indoors in a hot kitchen or cooking outside on a grill and I like to consider myself a queen of fire.
Pork is one of the meats that is perfect for grilling, be it ribs, chops, tenderloin or a pork shoulder. Today’s recipe is delicious, succulent pork chops that have been brined, brushed lightly with an orange ginger sauce, then grilled to perfection. I served the pork chops with a pistachio chive rice that complemented the flavors nicely. If you have some fresh vegetables or tomatoes from you garden, they would be a wonderful accompaniment to this meal. If not, think coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Grilled Pork Chops With An Orange Ginger Sauce
Preheat your grill (I use gas) to medium high heat on only one half of the grill with the lid closed. *If the weather is inappropriate to outdoor grilling, this recipe can be cooked on a hot grill pan and then finished in a 350 degree oven.
Mix up a brine of 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, 1 Tbsp. of sugar in two cups of water. When the salt and sugar are dissolved, add 2 center cut boneless pork chops and let brine for an hour or longer. Adjust the recipe accordingly for each two chops.
- 1 c. orange juice
- 2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. white pepper
Combine the above ingredients in a small pot and simmer until reduced to one half. Remove from the heat and let cool. When cool stir in 1 tsp. sesame oil. Set aside one half of the mixture to baste the pork chops. Reserve the rest to serve alongside the cooked chops.
When ready to grill, remove the chops from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Put a little of the sauce on each side of the chops and place on the hot grill over the direct heat. Cook for 1 minute and then turn one-quarter turn to make a diamond mark on the chops. Cook an additional 1 minute. Turn the chops over and cook for 1 minute, turn one-quarter turn and cook an additional 1 minute (for a total cooking time of 4 minutes).
Move the chops off the direct heat to the other side of the grill, close the lid and cook until chops reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. By finishing the cooking on the cooler side of the grill, you avoid the sauce blackening. When done remove to a plate and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes for juices to redistribute. Serve with the reserved sauce on the side.
This is a fast and tasty dish to prepare. By reducing the orange juice, you end up with a fruity but not too sweet sauce that complements the grilled pork. For those who don’t have a grill, this recipe can be prepared all year round with a grill pan. I hope you will enjoy the pork chops.
I love BBQ season. Unfortunately we don’t have a BBQ at the moment and I miss it so much because it really is the most wonderful way to cook. I love the look of this pork with all the criss-crossing marks from the grill. It looks very inviting. And what a delicious looking sauce. Enjoy BBQ season while it lasts! xx
Hi Charlie, Summer in Maine is a very short season and I like to BBQ as much as possible. The nice thing about the pork chops is that they can be cooked inside on a grill pan. The sauce went so well with the pork.
This one is for me ….. orange goes with meat, chicken .. and fish – quick to make – something for my return *smile – so we go on file here again.
Hi Viveka, You are right about orange…it does go well with so many different types of meat. I probably use it more than any other fruit in sauces. You will be off on your adventure soon. Enjoy yourself.
Sunday .. 12.25pm … I will take off. Start to feel the excitement now.
You will be up in the air before you know it. I’m excited for you.
I know … at least all the packing is done and have some kilos to play with and space to – had to exchange one bag to something bigger. So no worries there – my biggest worry is that I now have 3 wheeled bags to handle – and only 2 arms. *smile – but I will figure that out by the end of today. We don’t have any luggage trolley at our station – don’t ask me why. It’s from the taxi to the platform that is my problem – and I have to take a lift twice and walk in a short tunnel before I’m the platform. Kitchen sink didn’t make it.
I stack the smallest bag on top of another and hold it in place with a strap. The only problem is it gets heavy. Perhaps you could hire a porter to help with your luggage. Good luck.
We don’t have porters in Scandinavia – only the hotels.
I’m sure I will sort it out .. very practical woman really. *smile – thanks a million.
Beautiful summer dish, even if it is made indoors 😉
Cheers
CCU
Thank you Uru, for your very nice compliment. You are right…the nice thing is that this dish can be cooked inside as well as outside.
Love combination of flavours.
Thank you Kay, for your nice compliment.
Definately grilling time here. With high temps and no AC, we grill constantly. This looks like yet another winner! Thanks, Karen. Hope you have a lovely weekend.
Welcome home Sue! Happy to hear your garden did well while you were away. The best way to beat the heat is to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible. Thanks for your compliment.
Love this whole meal, the brine and sauce are perfect. Was looking for your rice recipe. Wouldn’t it be cool to pick you own vine ripened tomatoes (I imagine your plants are not far from the grill) slice and served on the spot!!!!!
Hi Norma, Thank you for your nice compliment. I’m glad you like the meal. Hopefully I’ll be picking and slicing tomatoes later this summer.
It looks delicious! And it’s really summer, so this is a perfect idea for a meal – thanks Karen!
Thank you Meg, for your nice compliment. This is a nice meal to enjoy this summer.
Those grill marks are a thing of beautify – the work of an artist. You are definitely “grilling royalty!”
Thank you T.W., for your nice compliment. I really do love grilling and pride myself on getting nice grill marks.
Orange and ginger – scrumptious! This is the second pork chop recipe I have read today that I HAVE TO try.
🙂 Mandy
Hi Mandy, I’m glad you like the recipe. The sauce goes so well with the pork.
I was just thinking to myself yesterday “Julie, you’ve got to find another way to cook a pork chop.” Bam! You deliver! I just need some hoisin sauce.
Hi Julie, I’m glad that I could deliver with a recipe for you. I like adding a little hoisin sauce…it gives a nice depth of flavor to the finished sauce. Thank for your comment.
The orange ginger sauce sounds divine. I am thinking it would taste good with fish?? Have you tried?
Hi Bliss, I haven’t had a chance to try it with fish but I think it would be nice. I think it would be delicious with coconut shrimp. Thanks for your compliment.
Pork often gets left out in the cold around this time of year, what with all the beef grilling! Thanks for giving it some love 🙂 It looks delicious!
Hi Amber, Thank you for stopping by for a visit and your nice compliment. I love grilling pork and I’m glad you like the recipe.
This looks delicious, and we love pork! Brining is not something I usually do, but I think I’ll give it a try to keep the chops moist! I love the idea of the orange sauce . . . hmm I’m wondering how it would be with a strawberry sauce, since strawberries are in season . . . see, you’ve raised the bar!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hi Mary, Thank you for your nice compliment. Brining makes the pork chops incredibly juicy…it know you will be pleasantly surprised. Let me know it you prepare grilled chops with strawberries…that is interesting.
“If the weather is inappropriate to outdoor grilling” I’ve never heard of such a thing, speaking as one whose grill is going year-round. I like the sound of your sauce, Karen, and its color against the chop’s grill marks. Add your rice to the plate and it all sure makes a nice presentation.
Hi John, I guess the answer to your question is that I’m a girly, girl that doesn’t get any pleasure out of grilling in thigh high snow and below freezing temps during the winter. I don’t grill in the rain either if I can help it. You macho men are like the post office I guess, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow. LOL. I’m glad you like the looks of the dish…thank you.
Isn’t it amazing what brining can do for cuts of meat that often get dried out on the grill?
Hi John, Brining really does work so good on meats that might normally dry out on a grill. Having a hot side and a cool side on the grill also helps as well.
Karen,
Sounds delicious! Was wondering what thickness chop you used? Would love to try it.
Hi Valerie, So nice to hear from you…it appears that you stopped blogging. I try to use chops about an inch thick. Thinner and they can dry out. If you do thicker, you would have to leave them on the cooler side of the grill with the lid closed for about 10 minutes to finish cooking. I always use a timer and meat thermometer to check for doneness.
I just love playing with fire! Great recipe 😉
Me too, Mad Dog. Fire gives such great flavor to food. I’m glad you like the recipe.
We, like Chgo John, outdoor grill all year round too! Actually, we had a small lamb shoulder done on the bbq for lunch but nearly melted cooking it and had to come indoors where it´s cooler to eat! I love this recipe, especially as I have all the ingredients to hand!
Hi Tanya, I used to be like you and John when I lived in Florida…grill anytime of the year you felt like it. The nice thing is that I have a built in grill on my gas stove so I can grill anytime when I’m in New Hampshire but there is just something special about grilling outside. I’m glad you like the recipe…hope you get to try it.
Looks great…and I wouldn’t mind having one of those beer-holding handsome men at my disposal. lol
Hi Rach, Thank you for stopping by for a visit and your nice comment. A beer holding handsome man is always nice to have around.
Can I say I am impressed by your grill marks? It’s shallow I know but I try but mine don’t always end up so nice and even in both directions. My most recent bbq (steak, burgers and Romanian sausages) was tasty though I didn’t have such a flavourful sauce to go with the meat. And, I just remembered that I must track down my white pepper.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/98816.html
Hi Boleyn, Thank you for your nice compliment about the grill marks. I think preheating your grill with the top closed so that the grates get real hot helps achieve the nice marks.
Trust me, Karen, I do that. My grill gets to 400 deg F, I scrub it down, oil in up and get ready for the grilling but by the time I go to rotate the meat for the crosswise, it’s never on as long before I have to turn it. Guess I have to work on my timing. 🙂
Hi Karen!
That’s a great recipe for the summer. I will try to emulate it after our trip to the beach 🙂
Hi Giovanna, Thank you for your nice compliment. I hope you enjoy the pork chops.
This sounds wonderful! Brining is definitely the secret to tender pork chops! Love your sauce, mmmmm!
Hi Chris, Brining makes all the difference in the world. The chops are so moist and tender. Glad you like the sauce recipe…thank you for your compliment.
Love your post.. very appealing :)!
Thank you Delizie, for your nice compliment. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
As always, beautiful photo. The grill marks are perfect and I love the lightness of the recipe. Can’t go wrong with hoisin and ginger!
Hi Kim, Thank you for your compliment. This is a nice sauce that doesn’t mask the flavor of the mild pork chops…just enhances it.
These look great! I have really been getting into grilling pork chops lately. I want to try this glaze for sure, it has all my favorite flavors in there! I love your photos, you do excellent work!
Thank you for visiting and your nice compliment, Lyndsey. I think you will like the sauce. It creates a nice glaze without our powering the flavor of the pork chops. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Perfectly cooked by the looks of things. the combination of orange and ginger is one that I love.
Best,
Conor
Thank you kindly, Conor. I have to agree about orange and ginger going so well together.
The sauce sounds really delicious. Good to have something new to try!
Thank you Helen, I hope you will enjoy the recipe.
Look at those perfectly done grill marks! I love the combination of orange and ginger, definetely on my to do list Karen. Have a wonderful weekend my friend..
Thank you so much Eri, for your lovely compliment. The flavors in the recipe work well together. Have a nice weekend also.
Karen, I absolutely adore using the grill! 🙂 My hubby often vies for it, but once in awhile I sneak in there and get the food on before he knows what’s happening. I love this recipe because it uses a brine. I find pork tenderloin to be a snap to grill but the chops always come out dry for me so now this is the answer! Thanks! The sauce looks brilliant!
Hi Geni, I think that if you brine your pork chops before grilling, you will be amazed at the difference in how juicy and tender they are. The sauce is very flavorful and would be good with the pork tenderloin too. Glad to know that you enjoy grilling as well.
My, what perfect grill marks you have there, Karen! The chops do look perfectly cooked and the recipe sounds amazing, especially with that terrific pistachio chive rice…very creative!
Hi Betsy, Thanks for the compliment. I’m really careful when I cook pork and use both a timer and thermometer to make sure it doesn’t get overcooked. The pistachio chive rice went well with the chops.
Yum I love a good grilled pork-chop! I took over the grill a while back after watching my husband squash one too many a patty on the grill. Secretly I think he is relieved.
Hi Carol, Oh I have seen so many people squash the burgers. That and they keep moving and flipping. I know you have mentioned grilling before…that is a good thing.
Sounds perfect… Love the way the glaze shimmers in your photo! I want to eat that.
Thank you Jodi, for your nice compliment. The sauce has a lovely sheen from the sesame oil.
Wow, that looks mouth-wateringly good! I love the orange ginger sauce you made with it. Having fresh ginger in the meal really livens up the taste buds!
Hi Ducky, Thank you for your enthusiastic comment. You are right, fresh ginger adds a zing and goes so well in the the orange sauce.
Wow, I love the look of that sauce! I’m thinking it would also be great with grilled chicken.
Hi Cucina, The sauce would be great with grilled chicken. Thanks for your nice compliment.
Great looking sauce! Sounds delicious.
Thank you Chunklet, Glad you like the sauce…it really is good.
This looks fantastic. Beautiful grill marks too. You are the Queen of Fire!
Thank you Daisy, for your nice compliment. I do enjoy grilling!
Thank you for sharing this very tempting pork chop
Thank you Machisan, for your nice comment. I’m glad you like the pork chop.
Your recipe came at the perfect time! I just bought a few pork chops and was just wondering what I should do with them. 😀 Pork just goes so well with sweet and sour flavours. 🙂
Hi Jenny, I’m glad that I had good timing and could provide you with a recipe for your pork chops. I hope you enjoy the dish.
I am SO not a queen of fire but I could definitely love that orange ginger sauce!
Hi Joanne, The orange ginger sauce is a keeper as far as I’m concerned and will go nicely with a lot of different meat dishes.
Love that sauce, Karen!
How does your garden grow?
Hi Marie, Thank you for your nice compliment. The garden survived all the wet weather. Thank you for asking…I’ll have photos up on the next post.
I am the queen of my grill and I think I look pretty good holding my tongs… no beer but a tasty summer sparkling water and limeade will do 🙂
Love orange and ginger always… and really like the pistachios in the rice.
Happy to hear that you are queen of your grill Wendy. Tongs and summer sparkling water and limeade sounds good. I like mixing nuts and different herbs in rice…the pistachios went very well with this meal.
It looks like it was cooked by the “Queen Of Fire” – great looking chop.
Hi Larry, I take it as a real compliment coming from someone as good as you with your grilling.
I definitely agree to loving that picture of summertime – the husband, his beer and a grill! He is the grillmaster and I won’t take that away from him because it allows me to join him with a cocktail, so I’m passing this recipe on to him because I know we would both love it! I always brine my pork as well, so with that sauce- yummy! A great looking plate of pork chops!
Thank you MJ, for your nice compliment. Sharing a cocktail with your grillmaster is nice. I hope you and your husband enjoy the pork chops.
Karen, I love the ingredients and flavors that you have combined here. These chops sound wonderful. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Blessings…Mary
Hi Mary, Thank you for your compliment. The combination of flavors on the pork was delicious. Have a lovely weekend as well.
The pork chop grilled to the perfection and pairs wonderfully with orange ginger sauce!
Thank you Angie, for your nice compliment. I use a timer when I cook on the grill to make sure nothing gets over cooked. The sauce did compliment the pork nicely.
As you know I don’t really eat much meat Karen, but I will take the rice away with me – lovely combination of flavours!!
Hi Claire, I think you would like the rice with the pistachios and chives, it is very nice. You might try the sauce on some other dish.
Karen, what a lovely sauce for your pork! It’s been a while since I’ve done any grilling and we never brined anything. It’s become so popular now and with good reason as the meats are always more succulent and moist. Also like the idea of chives and pistachios in your rice…will definitely make that. I think your orange ginger sauce would be marvelous on chicken too.
I have to agree with you, Barbara, about the sauce being good on chicken. I love rice and am always fixing it with different ingredients. The pistachios gave a nice crunch and flavor. Thanks for your nice comment.
I’d love to try that sauce. It looks delicious.
Thank you Carol, for your nice compliment. It was as good as it looks.
Wow, this looks and sounds delicious!! I am so longing for summer!!
Oh Polkadot, You have just started your winter and have such a long wait for summer. You can definitely make this dish indoors on a grill pan…maybe not quite the same flavor but it will be good.
Bah, all these posts from people for barbecued meat 🙁 Makes me so jealous… I wish I had one myself. Not really suitable in an apartment 😀
Love the little criss-cross lines… so pretty 🙂
Hi Charles, I do know that living in an apartment has it’s problems especially when it comes to being able to grill. Someday you are going to have your dream home in Sweden with a big beautiful garden and an outdoor living area where you can do all the barbecued meat that you want. In the meantime, you can cook on a grill pan and still enjoy this pork dish. Of course the sauce is always possible in your kitchen.
I have never grilled on the BBQ! In South Africa, this is really considered the males domain and I am quite happy to let Dave do his thing 🙂 I will pass on your recipe to him.
Hi Tandy, I hope Dave will like the recipe…the pork chops have a lot of flavor.
Looks wonderful. And it really is great to enjoy anything on the BBQ at this time of year.
Hi Beth, Thank you for your compliment. Since we have such a short summer in Maine, I am usually making something on the grill unless its raining.
love that orange sauce. we are out of charcoal and it is miserable!! as soon as john makes some more I shall be back! c
Hi Celi, Thank you for your nice comment. It must be hard to be without charcoal during the summer grilling season. Look forward to your return.
Karen, it hasn’t been BBQ season in Ireland for 4 years. Please send sunshine. Actually, this recipe is a little bit of sunshine even if I’ll have to cook it indoors!
Hi Hester, I’m sorry that you have not had good weather. I do hope you get some sunshine soon. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy the pork chops cooked indoors.
Interesting flavour and I like it that you used hoisin. I will make the first day summer hits NZ
Thank you Raymund, for your nice compliment. The hoisin gives the sauce a nice depth of flavor. I hope you will enjoy the pork chops when summer returns to New Zealand.
I so love the hatch marks on that pork chops. So pretty. I’ve started browning chops in a hot pan, and then finishing them off in the oven — keeps them quite moist and nice. Yours are prettier though!
Thank you Misky, for your nice compliment. If I’m cooking pork chops indoors, I also sear the chops and then finish them in the oven.
Great looking pork chop!! The sauce sounds very delicious!!
Thank you Ambrosiana, The flavors of the sauce really compliment the pork.
I know others have commented on those gorgeous grill marks, but they look SO perfect!
Thank you for your compliment about the grill marks. I think it is important for food to look as good as it possible can.
Oh my gosh this looks so succulent!! And I laughed when you said Queen of the Grill!! Way to go.. you will show up all those stuffy men who think only they can grill:)
Hi Smidge, You really did give me a laugh with your comment. I know that there are some men that think a women could never grill but it is so easy. They just don’t want the word to get out. LOL.
Then they’d serve no real purpose otherwise;)
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! I haven’t eaten breakfast because me and some friends are going out to eat. But I kind of want to cancel and try this. YUM!!
Hi Cathleen, Thank you for your enthusiastic comment. Enjoy going out with your friends and then maybe you can prepare this meal for them another time. With some few sides from your guests, you will have a lovely meal and a nice time.
Yum! this looks like a recipe I will definitely try!
Hi Linda, I’m glad you like the recipe…I hope you will enjoy the pork chops. Thanks for your nice comment.
Pork chops are a real staple for us, and your sauce sounds like a wonderful accompaniment. Love your tip about finishing the chops on the cooler side of the grill. I don’t care for char!
Marlene, I think you will enjoy the flavors that the sauce adds to the pork chops. I agree…I like meat on the grill to have a nice sear but not a black char.
Very nice. Pork and orange go so well together. Add a little ginger and garlic and you really have something going on. I can just taste this and my mouth is watering. I can imagine how the pistachio rice would be a nice accompaniment. It looks and sounds divine.
Thank you Richard, for your very nice compliment. The meal is very good…I’m glad you like it.
Hi Karen, I made this pork dish tonight and it was so wonderful!!! I didn’t have hoisin sauce, so I had to make a homemade version of that, but I think it worked really well. It was nice to have something different and so tasty. Thank you 🙂
Hi Dana, I’m so happy that you prepared the pork dish. It is lovely when someone is kind enough to let me know that they enjoyed one of my recipes. You are very clever to have made your own hoisin. Thank you for your compliment.
We love pork dish, and even better with orange (for kids) and ginger (ME!!!!) sauce. Your pork chop is perfectly cross-grilled… beautiful!
Thank you so much, Nami. I appreciate your nice compliment. I hope you and your family get a chance to try my recipe.
The flavors of this grilled pork sound delicious! I hope to try this one soon and we do a lot of grilling in the summer.
Thank you Susan, I think you will enjoyed the grilled pork chops…they have a nice flavor.
I would love to be able to cook this pork on my BBQ but we have had the worst summer ever! That will not stop me from trying this out with my griddle pan though, perfectly delicious!
Hi Laura, I do know that you have had nothing but rain this summer. If you don’t get a chance to cook the pork chops outdoors, I think you will still enjoy them cooked on your griddle pan. I have my fingers crossed that your weather pattern will change soon and that you will have sunshine and warmth.
Oh Yeah! I’m happy to have found another recipe for pork chops! This sounds fabulous Karen. Have a great weekend!
Hi Cher, Thank you for your nice compliment. I’m glad you like the recipe…we really enjoy the pork chops prepared this way. Have a nice weekend as well.
Thank you! It’s going to be a hot one! 🙂
I’m with you on the fire! Nothing beats that chargrilled flavour.
Hi Carolyn, Even through the dish is good prepared in a grill pan, the chargrilled flavor does take it to the next level.