Grilled Pork Chop Over Grilled Pineapple and Collard Greens

This is officially my first blog about a recipe. But, I have to tell you, this meal was SO good! A little sweet, a little savory, and a little spicy to wake up your mouth.

I haven’t seen this recipe implemented in this way anywhere else, but it was fun to plan. I approached this meal thinking about various flavor combinations and textures while also trying to keep it simple-ish.

I would describe this meal as a grilled pork chop served over grilled pineapple and a bed of collard greens topped with a cherry balsamic reduction. So, where does the heat come from? A grilled red hot chili pepper, of course!

Materials

Ingredients

Sauce:

This is the cherry balsamic reduction before cooking.

1/2 Cup Black Cherry Balsamic Vinegar (Manassas Olive Oil Company)
12 fresh cherries pitted and sliced
Shallot, minced

Collard Greens:

Collard greens, chopped
1 TB Apple cider vinegar
1/4 C Onions
Shallot, minced
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Pork Chops:

2 boneless pork chops (Heartland Home Foods)
Kosher salt
Pepper
Thyme

Potatoes:

Small red potatoes, sliced
Duck Fat Cooking Oil Spray (Dizzy Pig BBQ)
Rosemary
Thyme
Kosher salt
Pepper

Additional

2 slices of pineapple about 1/4″ thick
1 red hot chili pepper

Directions

  • Set your grill to about 400ºF using indirect heat (I used an XL Big Green Egg. I also use cast iron, so I put the cast iron on the grill and slowly raise it to temperature).
  • While waiting for the grill to get to temperature, wash and slice the potatoes (season with kosher salt and pepper), prepare the cherries, wash and chopp the greens (go ahead and add a splash of apple cider vinegar with some salt and pepper), prepare the herbs, and slice the pineapple (see the picture above).
  • Season the pork chops with kosher salt and pepper and let them sit.
  • As the grill nears the goal temperature, add the almond wood and burn until the smoke is sweet.
  • Spray one of the skillets with Duck Fat and add the potatoes.
  • Combine the Black Cherry Balsamic, cherries and shallots in the cast iron melting pot and simmer to reduce.
  • Let the potatoes and balsamic mixture cook for a bit.
  • Add the pineapple and flip after a few minutes.
  • Add the red hot chili pepper to the grill and flip every so often.
  • Spray another empty skillet with Duck Fat and add onions.
  • Wait a minute or two, then add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant (not long at all … maybe 30 – 60 seconds).
  • Add the collard greens and stir.
  • Take care to stir the veggies and reduction periodically.
  • Put the pork on, flipping after a few minutes.
  • When the red hot chili pepper is done, remove it and let it cool for a couple of minutes. When it’s cool to the touch, cut off the stem end and the seeds should pull out easily. Then cut the pepper into ringlets.
    Remove the reduction from the grill to let it cool for a few minutes.
  • Add some fresh chopped rosemary to the potatoes.
  • With just a minute or two before plating, scoot the potatoes to the side and add green onions to the skillet.
  • To plate: place some collard greens in a semi-circle on a plate, let the grilled pineapple over the greens so that they remain showing. Lay the pork chop on top of the pineapple. Drizzle with the cherry balsamic reduction and top with green onions and ringlets of the red hot chili pepper.

prjeffwilson