Pineapple Pork Chops

Pineapple Pork Chops are super succulent, topped with a pineapple-caramelized onion sauce, and served on grilled pineapple slices. Packed with sweet tropical and smoky spicy flavors, this can be beautifully presented for a dinner party, or whipped up quickly for a weeknight.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Main Course, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: good for summer dinner parties, great for a dinner party, recipes with pork

Servings:

Calories: 97kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

Ingredients

olive oil for the pan, pork and pineapple
1⅓ cups thinly sliced red onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1½ tablespoons chili paste
2 cups pineapple juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce or Tamari
4 (approximately 8-ounce) pork chops, bone-in, about 1¼-inch thick
8 round slices fresh pineapple (click here for How to Peel and Cut a Pineapple.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of cilantro for garnish

Instructions

For the sauce

Coat the bottom of a medium-sized skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and caramelized, stirring every so often, about 10 minutes.
Add the pineapple juice, chili paste and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then, immediately reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, 10 to 15 minutes.

For the pineapple slices and pork

Heat grill or skillet. Preheat a stove top grill, outdoor BBQ, or large skillet (preferable cast iron) over high-medium heat.
I really like using a grill for the added char flavor (and I love the way the grill marks look.
- Season both sides of the pineapple slices and pork chops with salt and pepper. Then drizzle both with olive oil. Be sure everything is very well coated -- use a pastry brush or your hands if necessary.
Once the grill (or pan) is very hot, add pineapple slices. (If your grill is large enough, you can grill the pork chops at the same time.) You should hear a sizzling sound when the food hits the pan - if you don't, wait! The grill needs to be very hot for everything to caramelize and char properly.
The pineapple slices should grill for about 2 minutes per side. Remove them from the grill when they're marked nicely.
With the heat still high-medium, add the pork chops, if you haven't already. Turn them over when the bottoms are well marked from the grill, about 2 minutes. Then turn the heat to low, cover loosely with foil, and let them finish cooking just until the pork is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Either on a large serving platter, or on individual serving plates, arrange the grilled pineapple slices. Then place the pork chops over them and drizzle generously with the sauce.
(For a more elegant presentation, you can slice the pork off the bone and fan it out over the pineapple.)
Garnish with cilantro and serve!

Notes

The chili paste measurement is a suggested amount -- use as much as you'd like, depending on how much heat you want. My favorite is Sambal Oelek, and I always have a jar at the ready.

Calorie count is only an estimate.

Nutrition