We have a running joke around here. I ask J what he’d like for dinner, and he pretends to think for a moment, and then says brightly, as if inspired, “How about chicken?” I guess we eat a lot of chicken.

This isn’t chicken, and it was a deliciously welcome change of pace. I found some boneless pork chops on sale, and decided to try something outside our comfort zone. I grew up eating pork chops over white rice, smothered in Cream of Mushroom soup gravy. Yum, but not exactly clean and healthy.

I followed this recipe from blogger Jessica Gavin, and oh. my. goodness.

These were wonderful. I wasn’t sure about the cinnamon in the rub to start, but it was really good. My cayenne and paprika apparently didn’t survive the move, so I subbed in some chili powder, which seemed to work well. Beans ate almost a whole chop by herself, and J and I could have eaten twice what we did. They were so good, I didn’t get a picture of the finished product.

We ate them with grilled asparagus (tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper) from the farmers market, picked and sold that morning, and a big bowl of bright red cherries.

Grilled Pork Chops with Honey Mustard Glaze – from Jessica Gavin

2 pounds (4 portions) boneless pork loin chops

Olive oil, as needed for grilling

Honey Mustard Glaze-

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

4 teaspoons honey

Pork Seasonings-

Salt, as needed

Freshly ground pepper, as needed

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder

¼ teaspoon paprika

Honey Mustard Glaze-

1. Combine mustard and honey in a small bowl, set aside.

Pork Seasonings-

1. Combine all pork seasonings in a small bowl, set aside.

Grilled Pork Chops-

1. Generously season each side of the pork loin chops with salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of pork seasoning on each side of the pork chops. Lightly drizzle olive oil on both sides of the pork chops. Set aside at room temperature while you heat the grill.
2. Heat grill to medium heat. Add a small amount of vegetable oil on a folded piece of paper towel, and then carefully grease the grill with the oil. Once the grill is nice and hot, add the seasoned pork chops. Cook pork on each side until an internal temperature of 135-140°F is reached, about 7-8 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the pork.
3. When the pork is just done cooking, use a pastry brush to generously glaze each pork chop with the honey mustard mixture. Save the extra glaze for serving on the side of the pork loin.
4. Remove the pork from the grill and transfer to a clean plate. Serve warm with honey mustard glaze.