Sometimes the best dinners are the ones which are kind of impromptu. That was the case Sunday night when Carolyn told me that she was hungry for pork chops and for the squash that we had picked up at the store. So that’s what we had.
I was going to grill and I wanted a slightly different flavor for the chops. I usually just use salt/pepper/garlic as a seasoning but I was shooting for something that would make a glaze. And here’s what I came up with: Loin Chops with a mustard/horseradish glaze, grilled squash planks and left over sweet potatoes. Now, that might not be “gourmet” or true “foodie” but it was sure good.
Recipe: Loin Chops With Summer Squash Planks
Summary: A simple and tasty meal you can throw together in less than a half hour
Ingredients
- 2-3 boneless loin chops about 1”-1 1/4″ thick
- 2 summer squash (whatever is available)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise or “salad dressing”
- 1 tbsp hot mustard (I use Beaver Brand Sweet Hot Mustard—it’s got kick!)
Instructions
- Get your grill going (or if you’re going to use the stovetop, get a couple of good sized pans out).
- Prep the chops with salt and pepper.
- Mix the mayo and hot mustard together
- Prep the squash. Cut each side of the round squash about 1/8 inch so that you take off a thin length of the skin.
- Cut the squash into planks not quite ½ inch thick.
- If the squash is 6” or longer cut the “planks” in half. I came up with a dozen planks. Drizzle a bit of oil on each side of the plank and rub it in. Then season it with salt, pepper and garlic. I also added a bit of cumin and chipotle.
- Lay out on a platter in one layer.
- Put the chops on the grill and flip after 3 minutes.
- At the flip put the summer squash down. Once the squash is down, paint the glaze on top of the chops. After another 3 minutes flip the chops back to the first side. Now paint the side you just flipped up with the glaze.
- Flip the planks as soon as they start to get a bit of color. You want just a hint of grill marks and char on the squash, it makes them taste better.
- You’ll be cooking your chops for a total of about 8-10 minutes on a hot grill and the squash for about 6-8 minutes. They’ll be done.
- Keep any left-over glaze to put on the side in case you want a little extra burst of flavor as you’re eating.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 3
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
My rating 5 stars: ★★★★★ 1 review(s)
This was as tasty as it was simple. And it was healthy. By the way if you want to do the sweet potato—just bake it on the grill or in the oven and then scoop the flesh out into a bowl, add some butter, cinnamon and chipotle and enjoy.
The Cheap Bastid Test: This is an easy one. I used about $3 worth of pork chops (they’re part of a whole loin I bought at Costco for $2.25/lb and then cut into chops and a roast). The squash were $1 and the sweet potatoes were left overs. So se ate for about $2 each. That’s one hell of a cheap and good dinner
That’s the Cheap Bastid Way: Eat Good. Eat Cheap. Be Grateful!
