Bobby Flay's Grill It! - Bobby Flay [54]
Remove from the grill and brush with the remaining glaze. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 2 minutes before slicing into ½-inch-thick slices. Garnish with the sliced chile and thyme sprigs.
Molasses-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Apple Butter
I serve these pork chops at my restaurant Bar Americain, where they consistently sell out every night. Apple butter is a more sophisticated spin on the old standby applesauce and is—while still sweet—rich and savory. Granny Smiths are the best apples to use here due to their slightly tart, not-too-sweet taste. Deep, dark molasses makes for a beautifully glazed chop. Mustard—and I use a combination of sharp Dijon for flavor and whole-grain mustard for looks and texture—has an appealing tanginess that keeps the sweet molasses from being overpowering.
Serves 4
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
¼ cup molasses
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in center-cut pork chops
2 tablespoons canola oil
Apple Butter (recipe follows)
Whisk together both mustards, the molasses, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
Heat the grill to high.
Brush the chops on both sides with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Brush the chops with the glaze, turn over, and continue grilling to medium, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush with more of the glaze during the last minute of cooking. Remove the chops from the grill, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Top each with a dollop of the apple butter.
Apple Butter
Makes approximately 1 cup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer. Add the apples and brown sugar and cook until the apples are very soft but still retain some of their shape, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the cinnamon and salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor along with the butter and process until smooth. Scrape into a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day to allow the flavors to meld. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Grilled Pork Chops with Port Wine Vinaigrette, Grilled Figs, and Walnut Oil
This is a totally luscious, borderline decadent preparation for anything-but-ordinary pork chops. Delicate and sweet fresh figs gain extra sweetness from the caramelizing heat of the grill and become a tremendous sauce. Lemony thyme keeps it all fresh-tasting, never cloying. The port wine vinaigrette is rich, complex, and nearly (and deliciously) syrupy in taste and texture due to the addition of molasses and the flavor-packed reduction of port and red wines.
Serves 4
12 fresh figs
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 (1-inch-thick) boneless pork chops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Port Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Heat your grill to high.
Brush the figs with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and grill until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, let cool slightly, and cut each fig into quarters.
Whisk together the vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and thyme in a large bowl. Add the figs and gently mix to combine. The fig mixture can be made 30 minutes in advance and kept at room temperature.
Brush the chops on both sides with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chops over, close