Corona Grilled Pork Chops and The Summer BBQ Calculator

The weekend before last, I had taken out a pork loin roast from the freezer, but we were so busy hanging curtain valances, cleaning and organizing the house that time got away from us. I was no longer in the mood for a roast as the day turned out to be gorgeous. I didn't feel like turning the oven on, so we decided to invite over last minute guests and grill instead. I cut down the roast into chops so we had individual servings and if you've never done it before, it's really quite simple (and economical most of the time too!).  

How to trim down a pork loin:
1. Trim excess fat from the loin on all sides. 
2. Next, mark the the top of the roast with a sharp knife where you will be cutting the meat through to ensure you get even cuts. (I like to start in the middle using that as my guide for the halfway point; then use each half as another guide.) I got 8 chops out of a 2 lb. roast. 
3. Once you have your guide, cut all the way through, trimming any residual fat. 

I don't drink beer myself; however, the alcohol does burn off during the cooking process. These were deliciously moist and so light and flavorful! 

Corona Grilled Pork Chops
8 Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops

Marinade
1 c. Corona® Beer

2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar

2 tbsp. Kosher Salt

1 Lime, zest and juice
1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. Honey

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix beer, sugar, and salt until it dissolves.
2. Add lime zest and juice, cilantro and honey and whisk together until well blended.
3. Trim any visible fat from your pork chop; then tenderize the chop using a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass.
4. Add the pork chops and the marinade to a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for no more than 2 hours.
5. Remove the meat 15 minutes prior to grilling, discard the marinade then grill the pork chops until the proper internal temperature is reached. Serves 8.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 166, Carbs 1g, Fat 6g, Protein 26g, Fiber .1g, Sugar .7g 

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

The Summer Barbecue Calculator

I was reading the July 2012 issue of Real Simple Magazine while on vacation and came across this article on how much food to make for a summer barbecue and thought it was spot on.  And since this coming weekend is one of the biggest BBQ weekends celebrated in the US, I thought I'd share the tips with you. 

For the Food:
For each guest, you will need:

• 1 1/2 servings of any burger, hot dog or sandwich
• 1 1/2 cups total for side dishes or salads combined (for example: pasta salad, coleslaw or potato salad)
• 2 platters of cut up fruit or vegetable crudites for every 25 people

For the Drinks:

For each guest, you will need:

• 1 1/2 alcoholic drinks per hour
• 2 gallons of lemonade or iced tea for every 25 people if you're also serving alcohol
• If you're going barless, bump up the number to 4 gallons of alcohol-free drinks for every 25 people

Enjoy! 

Shared at Recipes for My Boys Thursday's Treasures 8/30/12