I love living in apartments–you can keep your houses with their lawn care, leaky roofs, and energy guzzling! But, there are two things about house-dwelling that I covet: the mudroom, and a big old grill. (Apartment-dwellers with patios or decks pretty much have it all.) Grilling is my favorite way to cook almost everything, whether it’s salmon or peaches or asparagus (or…squirrel). While most people associate grilling with summer, every season offers foods that improve with a bit of char (think red meat, sweet onions, bok choy, winter squash). Year-round grilling is particularly easy if you do your grilling indoors, as I’ve always done, and as all fellow apartment dwellers ought to try. All you need is a heavy cast-iron grill pan and a good ventilating hood (or an open window), and you’re in action. I’ve had a brilliant, sturdy Victoria reversible grill pan for years, which has a griddle on the flip side perfect for pancakes. But there are oodles of grill pans out there, in various colors, sizes and price points. (I love this pretty Le Creuset number, and Lodge is always a reliable choice.) Yard or no, it’s time to get grilling! Here’s a recipe to try–stovetop-grilled marinated pork chops. Serve them with kimchi and rice, and grilled carrots dressed with sesame oil and a bit of soy.
Korean Style Pork Chops
Makes 4 servings
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons sriracha/chili sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 pork chops (boneless or bone-in), about 3/4-inch thick
Oil for the grill
1. In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients and stir well. Add the pork chops, turning them over to coat completely with the marinade.
2. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, and up to 1 hour, turning the chops a few times.
3. Lightly brush your grill pan with a heat-tolerant oil (I prefer grapeseed). Heat it over high heat until barely smoking, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
4. Scrape excess marinade off your pork chops and place them on your grill pan. Cook for 6 minutes (for bone-in) or 4 minutes for boneless, then flip and cook for 3-4 minutes on the second side. You should have nice, dark grill marks, and the meat should be barely pink at the center.
5. Remove the chops to a plate and let rest 5 minutes before serving.