I can honestly say that over the last two years, I have tried more different types of foods and recipes than I probably had in my whole life! And I am so happy to be a genuine foodie. According to Wikipedia, although the terms foodie and gourmet are sometimes used interchangeably, foodies differ from gourmets in that gourmets are epicures of refined taste, whereas foodies are amateurs who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news. (I definitely love food for consumption!)
With all that being said, I always thought that fruit on top of meat sounded terrible and wrong! Like when friends would order pizzas with sausage and ham and pepperoni and…pineapple. Eek! Or chicken dishes with onions and apples, yikes! <–Which I also love now by the way. But the more that Justin and I cook, the more foods we’re finding that we love and my taste buds seem like those from another person these days. I love it! So if you’ve never tried fruit on top of meat, give this dish a try for your first time. It’s from a family friend and has become an absolute favorite. The spiciness from the pork combined with the sweetness of the nectarine salsa does amazing things to your taste buds!
Grilled Pork Chops with Fresh Nectarine Salsa
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large nectarines, pitted and diced small
- 2 large roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced small
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or season to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless pork loin chops, 4 ounces each
Instructions
- Preheat your grill on medium-high heat.
- For the salsa, combine the nectarines, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and red pepper flakes in a bowl, then season it with salt.
- In a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Brush the pork chops with the oil and season both sides evenly with the cumin mixture.
- Grill the pork chops until they're lightly browned, about 4 minutes on each side (or until the inside temperature reaches 165).
- To serve, top each one with a generous spoonful of nectarine salsa.