Dear Customers,
If you’d ever told me that personal phones would be carried by virtually everyone from children to the elderly, I never would have believed it. I’m as guilty as anyone, constantly reaching into my pocket to check; the weather, sports scores, the latest news or just to idle away a few minutes with a particularly interesting puzzle game.
I like to start my day on the patio quite early with a cup of coffee while listening to my neighborhood wake up. Since school got out at the end of May, the traffic up Mechanic Street is relatively sparse, but the birds more than make-up for it with their morning symphony. My son told me about this phone app called Merlin Bird ID. You press the “Sound” button, and it deciphers the songs of birds and lists them on the screen. And it isn’t stumped by multiple birds all singing at once!
Living where we do, we’re often serenaded by the sounds of wildlife and lawn mowers rather than police sirens, ambulance warnings and the cacophony of traffic horns or heavy equipment. That’s one reason a backyard meal tastes even better than one cooked indoors. I’ve mentioned the economical savings of eating more pork and chicken rather than opting for the uber expensive beef.
Pork chops can be a little more difficult to cook than other cuts of meat because they’re so lean. I don’t believe I’ve ever ordered chops at a restaurant that couldn’t benefit from some sauce, gravy or even applesauce to counteract the over-cooking they’re often subject to.
CLASSIC BARBEQUED PORK CHOPS
| 2 cups water | 2 tbs sugar + 2 tsp. (divided) | 2 tbs kosher salt | 4 bone-in chops |
| 1 tbsp paprika | 2 tsp onion powder | ½ tsp black pepper | ½ cup bbq sauce (your favorite) |
- Mix water, 2 Tbsp. sugar and salt until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over chops in resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; turn to evenly coat chops with brine. Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, mix an additional 2 tsp. sugar with remaining seasonings.
- Heat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chops from brine; discard bag and brine. Coat chops evenly with powdered seasoning mixture.
- Grill 5 to 6 min. on each side or until done (145ºF), brushing with barbecue sauce for the last few minutes. Remove from grill. Allow to stand 3 min. so that temperatures even out inside the meat.