Grilled Pork Chops, Moroccan Spices; French words

I actually bought bone-in pork chops!

I rarely do because they are usually very thin with lots of fat. I prefer thick and lean so I cut my own.

Tastes are slowly changing here, however. Ten years ago I couldn’t buy sweet corn or butternut squash and the only ribs available were beef short ribs for stock.

Now, in addition to ‘corn-on-the-cob’, I can actually buy a rack of pre-marinated pork ribs ready for the grill – or so the package tells me.

I don’t… but I could. I prefer to make my own.

I even saw ‘hot dogs’ the other day.

All that means is I can sometimes buy thick (sort of) pork chops pour le grill. 

Grilled Pork Chops, Moroccan Spices

Total time: 30 minutes

 Ingredients:

  • 2 pork chops, 12oz total (360gr)
  • 3 tbs red wine
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 3 tbs ketchup
  • 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp za’atar
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Grilled Pork Chops, Spicy

 Instructions:

  • Whisk together all ingredients except, except pork chops. 
  • Spoon over chops and let marinate for 10 – 20 minutes. 
  • Cook on barbecue for 5 – 8 minutes per side or until done. 
  • Baste both sides of chops with marinade once when turning. Slightly pink in the center is perfect.  
  • Or fry in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat the same amount of time.

Print Recipe

The French actually use the word ‘grill’.

They also use ’email’ although, officially, an email is a courriel electronique.

A website is a site internet.

They really are trying valiantly to maintain the purity of the French language, but, let’s face it…. It’s an impossible task.

My favorite, strange French word is relooking

The first time I saw the word I thought it was a, supposedly, cute advertising gimmick…

You know, like naming a restaurant the Koffee Kup Kafe ( I hate that!).

My main reason being there is no ing ending on words in French.

Except, apparently. relooking

It means a makeover.

There is a verb: relooker

All of the conjugations are there… je relooke, tu relookes, vous relookez, nous relookerons

I apologize to all of France, but I am silently giggling whenever I see this word…..

I have never heard it spoken but I do see it in ads.

I think I’ll ask my friends to use it in a sentence for me….

And I’ll try not to giggle.

Last update on June 3, 2018

8 thoughts on “Grilled Pork Chops, Moroccan Spices; French words”

  1. I try to always buy nice, thick, bone-in chops. On the grill, it’s fast and hot. In the cast iron pan, it’s hot sear and into the oven. I have never had good luck with thin chops. They cook too fast for me and end up like shoe leather. 🙁

  2. My favorite pork chop vendor (he is always at my favorite farmers’ markets) tends to always have bone-in, thick, fatty pork chops. I like my chops thick. I don’t mind bones. Fat can be cut off. My husband is the opposite. Often when I buy chops, I will cut them off the bone and pound them flat because he would be turned off by thick meat, with visible fat, that he has to bother cutting off a bone. Sometimes I render a bit of that excess fat and to cook the chops in it, so the pork flavor is amplified.

    I have a huge jar of Zaa’tar right now and I hardly ever use it. Now you have given me some inspiration for the next time I get some of those chops from the market. Maybe I won’t pound them and tell the man to suck it up!

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