Comments on: Summer Meal Series #4: Grilled Apple Pork Chops, Garlic Baby Potatoes, and Steamed Broccoli

By: kristin

kristin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:12:27 +0000

I like to marinate my meat in ziplock bags. It takes less to cover the surface of the meat, and you don’t have to clean the bowl after. If I get the chance to plan ahead I’ll even tack care of this step in the morning before work. when I know my meal is planned and mostly prepped I’m way less likely to abort it for something else when I feel lazy after work.

By: JK

JK — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:11:08 +0000

Don’t know where you live Brittany, but I’m looking at my store flyer and making my list for this weekend and the cheapest cut of pork chops are on sale for $1.99/lb.

The only thing I’d add to this meal is some apple sauce. We always seem to have an old wrinkly or bruised apple kicking around. If I have lots of time I’ll buy a marked down bag of apples and make a big pot of sauce which I freeze in small portions to pull out to go with meals like this. If I only have an apple of two that needs to be dealt with I’ll peel and chop them into a pot with sugar and a few drops of water. When it’s done mashed a bit an add a little cinnamon if you like. By the time the meat is cooked and the brocolli is done you’ll also have warm apple sauce on the side. If you have a burner on the side of your grill do it there so you can watch everything at once.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:09:53 +0000

$1/chop? That’s fairly expensive for pork, isn’t it? I only buy it when it goes to $1/pound (2-4 chops depending on thickness). And $1.50 per serving is not cheap for at home cooking.

By: Marguerite

Marguerite — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:15:33 +0000

When I marinate pork chops, or just about anything, I find it uses less liquid if instead of a bowl I use a zip-top bag. The goal with a marinade is surface contact with the liquid, and the bag lets you suck the air out and make a tight seal. Just my two cents for next time, though I really like the glaze idea too!

By: matt

matt — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:30:35 +0000

i would have added a squirt or two of honey to the apple juice as well as a little salt. Also, take the porky juice (and honey in my case) mix that is left over and simmer it in a saucepot down to a glaze while you are grilling, then brush the chops with the apple glaze on both sides before removing from grill.

By: LeslieH

LeslieH — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:16:04 +0000

#10 & #11: Check out the link on Snopes about microwaving in plastic. It is safe so long as the container says it is microwave safe.

From Snopes:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cookplastic.asp

From John Hopkins University:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060515234721/http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/articles/halden_dioxins.html

I hope this is helpful. Every day, something new shows up in the news that causes cancer yet the day before it was a miracle cure so we can’t win.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:12:00 +0000

Don’t forget to factor in the cost of the propane to run your gas grill — it costs me $20 to refill a propane tank, and I get 10-20 grills out of one tank, so that’s an extra buck or two to add in.

Also, don’t waste those broccoli stalks! If you peel them with a vegetable peeler and slice them on the bias, you’ll get a lot extra, tender, very flavorful broccoli :)

By: anne

anne — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:09:05 +0000

i am doing your potatoes tomorrow night! i am so excited. i have gotten into a bit of a rut w/ the veggies on the grill- we have one of those skillets w/ tons of holes in it so you can do veggies w/out them falling through on the grill. i just toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and put them on.

potatoes in a packet of foil w/ ice cubes sounds like a great idea. i kept finding myself putting a tray of fries in the oven anyway, and heating up the kitchen just for those- this is the answer i didn’t even know i was looking for.

i’ll probably still put in olive oil and salt and pepper w/ the garlic. and a little rosemary.

By: sylrayj

sylrayj — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:24:54 +0000

You can use those broccoli stems too. Just peel off the tough skin and cut off the thick dry bottom, and chop the stems into smaller pieces. They are sweet and tender, and once my son was willing to try one, I no longer got to keep them all to myself…

By: Candi

Candi — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:20:38 +0000

Wow finally a meal that I would eat enough of the ingredients to make it worth trying! I am looking forward to giving this one a try and I love the ice tip for the grill packet.

By: Jay

Jay — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 19:22:54 +0000

Thanks for the ice cube tip! My potatoes were a little dry without them. Great meal-I was inspired to try it!

By: Samantha

Samantha — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:19:25 +0000

I have never seen the ice cube trick–very interesting, i’ll have to try it sometime. I cook alot of chops, but never have I used apple juice-another tip I’ll try-thanks! Rosemary would also be good on the potatoes.

By: littlepitcher

littlepitcher — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:28:06 +0000

Try some fresh thyme in garlic butter on those baby potatoes, and stir-fry a little orange peel in the broccoli, or put it in the steam water.

By: socalgal

socalgal — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:47:50 +0000

I’m with Claudia. That baby is beyond cute!

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:10:07 +0000

The baby potatoes are called fingerlings in the Pacific Northwest and yes they are delicious instead of ice cubes, we use olive oil.

By: Claudia

Claudia — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:39:11 +0000

Food Shmood! I liked the glimpse of the new baby in one of the prep pictures. Adorable!

By: David Galloway

David Galloway — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:14:11 +0000

Trent, I like the quick almost zen-like ‘thrown together’ aspect of this meal. The only change I would have made would have been to add some cloves and cardamom to the marinade.

This is a great series. Can’t wait for the next one.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 11:46:55 +0000

Trent, thanks for the ice cube tip! When we go on vacation, we cook all our meals in foil over the fire. We each make our own packet, with meat, garlic and potatoes and whatever veggies we’d like and season to our own tastes. We add a little butter, but things can get crispy sometimes. The ice is a great idea, and healthier than butter, and should solve our occassional blacked potato problem…

By: Saryn

Saryn — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:51:04 +0000

This looks great! I am adding the pork (4 2 in thick chops picked up on sale and with multiple store and manu coupons for .36 total!) and red potato (from our CSA) to next weeks menu and will add in whatever fresh veggies we get in the CSA this weekend. I can’t wait to try the applejuice method and was thinking of adding a few halved apples to grill at the end…

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:16:40 +0000

Trent, I wish my husband cooked. How often do you cook?