This beautiful summer has really had me rockin’ the grill! I don’t know that I’ve ever cooked this much on the grill in my whole entire life. I grilled a lot last summer, but this year, I’m going for a personal-best record!! 😉 😀   

This will be my last one for just a bit, though, as I used up the whole entire propane tank! I don’t think it was near full to start, but I used a LOT of it! 😉 I know that there’s a mob of die hard grillers that would argue with me and scoff at the fact that I use a gas grill, and they themselves would only grill over charcoal, wood chips, campfires, etc. But this is where I say, hey, I’m the one that’s cooking on it and cleaning it, and those bags of charcoal are not only extremely messy, but they weigh almost as much as I do! 😀 And so long as I’m the one doing all of the cooking and taking care of it, I want gas, baby! 😉 😀 It works for me, and I love my grill! 🙂  

I always make sure I get all of my ducks lined up beforehand, and carry everything out on one large baking sheet.  Make sure you have everything you need such as tongs, basting brushes, a dish of vegetable oil with a wadded up paper towel for oiling the grill, a timer, a good safe grill or oven mitt, extra paper towels for hands, a clean plate to put your cooked food onto, and of course, your marinades and food you’re cooking! 😀

Everything will go smooth as silk if you totally prepare. Yes, I was a Girl Scout. 😉 😀  

Next up on the grill were two GORGEOUS super thick-cut pork loin chops! The two of them together weighed a whopping 1 1/2 lbs. and I couldn’t wait to make them pretty! 😀  

I’m not a really big fan of apricots, but my hubby is. And I knew I could take the last of some jam and combine it with other ingredients to make us both smile, and that I did. 😉

Combining the sweetness of the apricot jam with a little heat and smokiness from some more of my chipotles in adobo sauce was just the solution. I love combining sweet with hot, but it still needed to be more complex without overdoing it. 

So, I added some fresh thyme from my herb garden, a little apple cider vinegar to balance out the sweetness, along with some fresh minced garlic and spicy brown mustard to add a little depth. Absolutely delicious!

I marinated these overnight to really let the flavors set in, and highly recommend that you do the same. But if you can’t, they’ll still be good, as this recipe makes plenty of sauce for basting liberally. And I used every last drop of it. 😉  

These turned out amazingly good. I mean, “why did I only make two” kind of good! If you know what I mean!! It’s tough cooking for just two people. Though I don’t mind leftovers, sometimes things straight from the grill, stove, or oven taste so much better fresh and hot!  

So when you go to make these, keep in mind that you just might want to grill a few extra. 😉 They’d be wonderful thinly sliced and served over a nice rice pilaf the next day! <– Mental note to self for next time! 😉 So enjoy all, and take full advantage of summer. Don’t let a single day slip away not doing at least one thing that you love! Take care and talk soon! 🙂  

Yield: 2

Grilled Chipotle Apricot-Glazed Pork Loin Chops

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup apricot jam
• 1/8 cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 Tbl. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. white wine
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped thyme, (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 tsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 Tbl. EVOO
• fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 thick-cut pork loin chops (1 1/2 lbs.)

Instructions

In small bowl or 2-cup glass measuring pitcher, whisk first ingredients up to EVOO well, chopping up peppers with whisk by pounding and briskly stirring. While whisking, stream in EVOO stirring in well.

Crack black pepper from pepper mill over each side of chops to taste and place into small ziplock plastic bag. Add 1 1/2 Tbl. marinade to each side of bag drizzling over chops, zip closed well, and squish around to coat. About half of the marinade. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight. (Cover and save aside other half of marinade for basting later, chilling as well.)

When ready to grill, remove chops and reserved marinade from fridge. Heat gas grill to High to get going. When hot, reduce to Medium/Medium-Low. Oil grates well with vegetable oil-soaked paper towels with tongs and place chops onto hot grates. Close lid and keep grill at about 350 degrees as best you can. Grill for 8-10 minutes, rotating (not turning) a half-turn once for cross-hatch grill marks and checking to make sure they aren't burning. (*Move to a cooler spot if they are. All grills cook differently and have hot spots.)

After 8-10 minutes, turn over and repeat. When about 1-2 minutes left start basting. Turn and baste each side several times using up as much marinade as possible. (If your grill is getting them too done, turn off one of the burners and cook over a more indirect heat.)

When done, remove to a platter to rest for a few minutes before cutting into so that the juices have time to settle down and don't run out when you slice into them.

Serve them whole, or slice and fan onto plates.

Notes

*You also might want to make more sauce to serve over thinly sliced chops, or on the side for dunking. My hubby's suggestion as he LOVED this sauce!