Recipe Friday: Pork Chops with White Wine and Honey

"The pig is an encyclopedic animal, a meal on legs." Grimod de la Reyniere

Warm weather is just around the corner, so it's almost time to fire up the grill! One of my grilling favorites is pork. Not only is it tasty and affordable, but if moderately consumed, it's good for you!


According to Organic Facts, pork has a high mineral content of Phosphorus, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Potassium and Copper. The two minerals which are present in good quantities are Iron and Magnesium.

Pork is also highly enriched with Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin and Pantothenic Acid.

Calorific value of pork is 458.0 per 100 gm. This is high when compared to other animal products like chicken, but keep in mind moderate consumption.

Consumption of pork in moderate quantities is helpful in gaining energy. It's good for the skin, eyes, nervous system, bones and mental performance. Intake of pork also ensures better immunity to body due to presence of essential antioxidants.

I usually fix pork chops once a week, and this is one one of my favorite recipes from The Complete Barbecue Cookbook. The book, a British publication, refers to this dish as Pork Loin Chops With Apple Chutney. I've never made the chutney, so I'm excluding it. However, it's wonderful served with hot cinnamon apple sauce. Enjoy!

Pork Chops with White Wine and Honey

6 loin chops
2/3 cup white wine
2 T oil
2 T honey
1 1/2 t cumin
2 cloves garlic crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Trim chops of excess fat. Combine wine, oil, honey,  cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Put chops in a shallow non-metallic dish. Pour marinade over chops. Store covered with plastic in the fridge from 3-24 hours, turning occasionally.

Cook chops on hot, lightly oiled BBQ grill or flatplate for eight minutes on each side or until tender.

Are you ready for spring? And BTW, what's your favorite thing to grill? Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie. Have a wonderful weekend!

Burgers From Down Under

"Sacred cows make the best hamburger." Mark Twain

Grilling season is in full swing and at your next cookout, these burgers will be sure to raise a few eyebrows, as well as, "change lives," says Gourmet Magazine!

I found this recipe in the Cincinnati Enquirer after the food editor read about it in Gourmet. It sounded so weird--and delicious--I had to try it! Although challenging to eat, the combination of meaty, sweet and spicy, tied together with egg, drives your taste buds crazy!

According to the article, this is how burgers are served in Australia. Hope you enjoy these as much as my family does. Happy grilling!

Australian Hamburgers

4 kaiser rolls (largest you can find)
4 1/4 lb burgers
*1 large pineapple, peeled and sliced in rounds
1 15 oz can pickled beets
4 fried eggs
1 cup thousand Island dressing, mixed with 1/2 to 1 t hot chili sauce, such as Sriacha

Grill hamburgers and pineapple slices. When done, serve on kaiser rolls, top with beets, fried egg and dressing. Also great with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and pickle. Serves 4.

*Canned pineapple slices (do not grill) can be substituted.

What's your favorite burger?

Tweet me @:maria_mckenzie. Thanks for visiting!