I've Always Been Partial to Swine

So...there I was.  Back in M-Town, in my friend's kitchen, charged with preparing her a delightful meal on what was to be her last Friday night off until August. 

Tired of fast food and all things chicken, C asked for something tasty that was fresh, summery, and perhaps of the sea.  No problem. 

And we began to prepare a delicious hoisin glazed salmon with grilled asparagus and kale.

That's when it got funky.  And not in a good way.   The beautiful piece of fish I had purchased was decidedly...err...shall we say...past its prime.  However, I did not panic!  As C slowly recovered from the vicious assault on her olfactories, we hopped into the car and found perhaps an even better vessel for my Asian inspired goodness:  pork chops!

With the stank gone and delectable pig parts in hand, we got those chops marinating and grilling within minutes and Friday night was saved.


The Pork is mightier than the Salmon.

Hoisin Glazed Pork Chops


This glaze is great on chicken and, yes, even salmon.  If you are using it with fish, skip the marinade and brush on as you grill.



1/3 cup Hoisin Sauce
2 Tbl rice vinegar
1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 Tbl cilantro, chopped
1 Tbl. fresh ginger, chopped
1 lime, zest and juice
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbl olive oil


4 boneless pork loin chops, butterflied (6oz)

Place all of the ingredients minus the olive oil in a small food processor.  Whir away until smooth.  With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

Place chops in a glass casserole dish and cover with marinade, reserving 1/3 to use as a sauce.  Let those suckers soak up the gingery, cilantro-y, hoisin-y goodness for at least 30 minutes (but no longer than an hour).

Preheat grill pan to medium high heat.  Throw on the chops and let them do their thing for about 7 minutes.  Flip and continue to cook for an additional 5 (for a nice medium).  Allow to rest.  Spoon on reserved marinade and enjoy!