Summer is synonymous with grilling, and it also happens to be peach season—so in the latest episode of Ludo à la Maison, Ludo Lefebvre marries the two in a simple recipe. He shows viewers how to cook a perfectly juicy pork chop, creating a caramelized crust on the outside, which is then swathed in a syrupy, sticky-sweet glaze made with honey, soy sauce, finely chopped garlic, and freshly ground black pepper. The meal comes together in 35 minutes, ideal for either quick weeknight dinners or a cookout on the weekend. Plus, with a topping of sliced fresh peaches, it's an excellent way to make use of summer produce. Check out some of his key tips below:
Take your pick of honey
Lefebvre’s pork chop glaze calls for honey, soy sauce, garlic, and freshly ground black pepper. He says you can use any honey that you want—in this instance, he opts for eucalyptus honey.
Hand-chop the garlic
When Lefebvre is prepping the garlic, he says to chop it “à la minute,” or essentially, in that moment. While it may be tempting to use a food processor to quickly dice it up, he says you’ll end up losing a lot of the flavor. The garlic also won’t be as crunchy.
Don’t add salt to the glaze
There’s already soy sauce in the recipe, which adds plenty of salty flavor—you’ll also be seasoning the meat with a little bit of salt before you grill it, alongside a spray of olive oil to make sure it doesn’t stick to the grates while it cooks.
Use 14-ounce pork chops
This recipe calls for 14-ounce pork chops, which are nice and thick. In an aside, Lefebvre notes that you want a nice char and crust when you’re cooking meat on the grill, which is difficult to accomplish if the meat is too thin—there’s no time to build a crust, since you run the risk of overcooking it.
Speaking of overcooked meat …
Lefebvre says people often overcook pork chops and they end up dry. The key to avoiding this is to first sear the chop at a high temperature, which creates the caramelization and crust. Then, cook them low and slow, just like how you would cook a steak. Lefebvre also recommends flipping the pork frequently, for even cooking and grill marks.
Let it sit
When you’re done cooking the pork chops, make sure the internal temperature is at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, let the meat rest for five minutes. This allows the blood to release and will make it more tender.
Finish it up
To serve the pork chops, Lefebvre slices up the peaches and adds them on top.
Get the recipe here.
This article was written by Bridget Hallinan from Food & Wine and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
