The grill was once my husband’s domain. I blame the fact that the button for the starter on our gas grill broke a couple of years ago and I really didn’t want to risk sticking the lighter into the slot to start it. Maybe it *was* dangerous, but it was also a convenient excuse to not be on grill duty. A couple of weeks ago, I got over it. Nothing really changed, but I’ve taken over the grill and I’ve been on a tear with hatch chile burgers, ginger miso chicken burgers, and now this red chile-mango marinated pork with peach salsa.
The folks at Melissa’s Produce sent over some dried Hatch chile samples to play with and that’s what’s giving the pork it’s gorgeous red-orange hue. Mango juice and cinnamon bring a little sweetness and then we top it all off with a peach salsa. But what to serve it with? More chiles, of course — in the form of cheesy green chile polenta.
It’s not a particularly time consuming meal, but it has the feel of a Sunday supper. When you’ve had the time on Saturday night or Sunday morning to soak the chiles, put together the marinade and let it sit all day in the fridge. When you don’t mind spending 20-25 minutes on the polenta. When you can pour a glass of wine and lounge in the waning light of summer as the grill heats up. I won’t blame you if that sounds good even on a Tuesday night.
Red Chile Mango Marinated Pork Chops with Peach Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 dried red Hatch chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 small onion, chopped (~ 1 c.)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 c. mango juice
- 1 t. ground cumin
- 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
- 1 t. kosher salt
- 1 T. olive oil
- 6 boneless pork loin chops, about 1 inch thick
- 1 large peach, finely diced
- 1 T. red onion, finely diced
- 1 T. jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1 T. chopped cilantro
- 1/2 t. honey (optional)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
To prepare the red chile marinade, toast the chiles in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, for about 30 seconds per side. Turn off the heat and pour over enough hot water to cover the chiles. Let soak for about 30 minutes until the chiles have softened.
In a blender, combine the softened chiles, onion, garlic, mango juice, cumin, cinnamon and salt. Blitz until smooth. Add the olive oil and pulse just to combine. Put the pork chops into a large ziptop bag and add the chile mixture. Marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
To prepare the salsa, combine the peach, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and honey (if using) in a small bowl.
Grill the pork chops over high heat for 4-5 minutes per side. When putting them on the grill, make sure they aren't too wet with marinade. When done, internal temperature should be 145F.
Let sit for 4-5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Serve over green chile polenta and top with peach salsa.
