My favorite time of the year is finally here! Grilling season! And I decided to kick off the season with a bang! It was hard to decide what I wanted to toss onto the grill, but those thick-cut chops in the freezer kept talking to me….”Pick me! Pick me!”

So who was I to say no?

Pork chops it is! 😀

But I didn’t want regular ol’ barbecued, or the easy “marinated in Italian Dressing” fake-out, nor wanted to cut them up into shish kabobs because they were just too pretty. I wanted something different. Something FUN. It’s the start of the season and I wanted it to be a party on the grill!

So after snooping through all of my stashes around the kitchen, I realized that things were very much leaning towards a Korean-style barbecue! And THAT sounded like a plan and a half. 😉

So I gathered up everything that I wanted in there. The kitchen sink wouldn’t fit, so I’m thinking that I may need a bigger grill. Next time. 😉

But the things that did make the cut made for quite a wonderful combination of a sweet, spicy, tangy, hot, garlicky umami party of flavors that will become a summertime fave at our house for sure!

Some of the amounts might seem like a lot, but after adding and adjusting, it was just right for us! I’d highly suggest that you give this a try just as I have it written the first time, then, you can adjust the seasonings to suit your own taste. But, I gotta tell ya, it was pretty darned good just as it was. My hubby said to not change a thing, and for once, I’d have to agree. 😉

I have a gas grill that works beautifully for me, but if you’re a charcoal pro, go for it. Just don’t put the chops on until you have a nice, steady, medium heat or you might burn them. A little charing is wonderful, the best actually, but burning them to a crisp of course is a gritty disaster. So just be careful. 😉

So dust off your grill, fill up the propane tank or pick up some charcoal tonight, and get grilling! These Korean-style chops are the perfect way to kick off the season! Amazingly delicious and super easy! My hubby mentioned several times that we need to have these again soon! I hope you make them soon, too. Take care all, and let’s have a fantastic summer!! 😀

Yield: 2 servings

Sweet & Tangy Korean-Style BBQ Pork Chops

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Total Time: 21 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbl. dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbl. honey
• 3 Tbl. soy sauce
• 3 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. ketchup
• 1 tsp. sriracha sauce
• 1/4 tsp. regular sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 2 thick-cut boneless pork loin chops

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients (except chops) together in a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of the marinade into a large plastic ziploc baggie, and place the pork chops into the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag, and seal the bag shut well. Refrigerate 4 to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Refrigerate remaining marinade in a small grill-proof pan.

Preheat grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate with a vegetable oil-soaked wad of paper towel using tongs.

Remove the pork chops from the plastic bag, and shake excess marinade from them. Discard marinade from the plastic bag.

Grill chops on the preheated grill, basting with the reserved marinade until meat is browned, no longer pink inside, and shows good grill marks, 8 to 10 minutes per side. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chop should read at least 145º F.

While grilling and basting chops, bring the marinade to a simmer, and let the marinade thicken nicely, stirring often.

During last 2-5 minutes of grill time, turn grill down a little and constantly baste both sides of chops with thickened sauce. Watch very closely, sauce will start to burn little. A little charring is fantastic, but just don't completely burn them! Serve slathered with any extra thickened sauce.