Thin-cut pork chops are widely available and perfect for a quick, tasty dinner but we wanted to make a grilled summer meal out of them with a crunchy, tart slaw. To make our work easier, we used the grill for both parts of this dish. Grilling the cabbage added a nice char to a vegetable that can be bland. Using mayonnaise in the dressing and to brush on our chops before grilling was another tangy way to tie the two elements together and get nice browning on the meat. We also ensured that our thin-cut pork chops would brown quickly by partially freezing them first; this eliminated excess moisture from their exteriors. Salting the chops before freezing prevented them from drying out, so we could skip the step of brining them. The result was a delicious dinner of moist pork and crunchy, zesty cabbage.
Jump to RecipeInstructions :
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silver skin on each chop. Sprinkle chops with ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange on prepared rack and freeze until chops are firm, at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Whisk mayonnaise, horseradish, mustard, and cayenne together in large bowl. Measure out and reserve 6 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture. Whisk vinegar, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt into remaining mayonnaise mixture, cover, and refrigerate until needed. For a charcoal grill Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. For a gas grill Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Brush chops and cabbage with reserved mayonnaise mixture. Grill chops until well browned and meat registers 140 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes, flipping chops halfway through grilling. Grill cabbage until slightly wilted and charred, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer chops and cabbage to large plate as they finish cooking and tent with aluminum foil. Let chops rest while finishing slaw.
- Cut cabbage crosswise into thin strips, discarding core. Transfer cabbage and scallions to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Serve with chops.
Pork Chops With Spicy Barbecue Coleslaw
Thin-cut pork chops are widely available and perfect for a quick, tasty dinner but we wanted to make a grilled summer meal out of them with a crunchy, tart slaw. To make our work easier, we used the grill for both parts of this dish. Grilling the cabbage added a nice char to a vegetable that can be bland. Using mayonnaise in the dressing and to brush on our chops before grilling was another tangy way to tie the two elements together and get nice browning on the meat.
Ingredients
- 8 6-ounce bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops, about ½ inch thick, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon table salt divided
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ head green cabbage 1 pound, quartered lengthwise through core
- 2 scallions sliced thin
Instructions
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silver skin on each chop. Sprinkle chops with ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange on prepared rack and freeze until chops are firm, at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Whisk mayonnaise, horseradish, mustard, and cayenne together in large bowl. Measure out and reserve 6 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture. Whisk vinegar, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt into remaining mayonnaise mixture, cover, and refrigerate until needed. For a charcoal grill Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. For a gas grill Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Brush chops and cabbage with reserved mayonnaise mixture. Grill chops until well browned and meat registers 140 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes, flipping chops halfway through grilling. Grill cabbage until slightly wilted and charred, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer chops and cabbage to large plate as they finish cooking and tent with aluminum foil. Let chops rest while finishing slaw.
- Cut cabbage crosswise into thin strips, discarding core. Transfer cabbage and scallions to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Serve with chops.