THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY Superfresh Growers and Two Bite Cherries.
Dry-rubbed with a sweet-and-spicy blend, these grilled pork chops turn out tender and juicy, finished with a bright cherry, pepper, and honey salsa.
I’m grateful to my friends at Superfresh Growers and Two Bite Cherries for sponsoring this post.
Two Bite dark cherries are exceptionally sweet and versatile — delicious straight from the bowl, roasted to concentrate their flavor, tossed into salads, or used in desserts and appetizers like cherry crisp or cherry ricotta bruschetta. They add a lively sweetness and great texture to savory dishes, too.
I recently visited the Superfresh Growers team in Yakima, Washington. Touring the orchards and packing facility with Mount Adams in the background gave me a real appreciation for the care and work that bring these plump cherries to market. The scale of the operation surprised me — tens of millions of pounds of cherries processed each month during peak season.
After spending time with the crew, I was challenged to create a savory recipe featuring Two Bite Cherries. With grilling season here, pork chops seemed like a natural match. I used a sweet pork dry rub on thick-cut chops and made a fresh cherry salsa with peppers, mint, lemon, and honey. The result is balanced, colorful, and simple to prepare.
I used 1-inch-thick chops rubbed with the sweet pork seasoning, then grilled them to caramelized perfection. Meanwhile the cherries were pitted and quartered, then mixed with diced yellow bell pepper, jalapeño, chopped mint, honey, and lemon juice to form a fresh salsa. Chill the salsa while you grill for the best contrast of hot and cold on the plate.
The salsa comes together quickly and is bright, slightly sweet, and just spicy enough from the jalapeño. Spoon it over each chop when serving for a fresh finish that complements the smoky, seasoned pork.
Thanks again to Superfresh Growers and Two Bite Cherries for sponsoring this recipe and for their hospitality during my visit. Below are a few photos from the trip and the full recipe so you can try this at home.
Grilled Pork Chops and Cherry Salsa
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Pork Chops
- 2 lbs pork chops
- 2 tbsp Sweet Pork Dry Rub seasoning (see below)
- 1 tbsp oil
Cherry Salsa
- 4 cups whole cherries
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 jalapeño
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 lemon (or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Sweet Pork Dry Rub
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp chili seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder (or garlic flakes)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
Instructions
Sweet Pork Dry Rub
- Mix the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl and store in an airtight container.
Pork Chops
- Rub pork chops on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the dry rub. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove from the fridge and let sit about 15 minutes to come closer to room temperature before grilling.
Cherry Salsa
- Whisk together honey, juice from half a lemon (or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar), salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add chopped mint.
- Slice the jalapeño lengthwise, remove seeds, and dice finely. Dice half of the yellow bell pepper into small uniform pieces; reserve the rest for another use.
- Wash, pit, and quarter the cherries, then add them to the bowl. Mix all salsa ingredients together and refrigerate while you grill the pork chops.
Grilling
- Heat the grill to medium (about 325°F–350°F). Brush the grill or lightly oil a grill pan.
- Place the dry-rubbed pork chops on the grill. Cook 2 minutes, then rotate each chop a quarter turn to create crosshatch marks and cook another 2 minutes (4 minutes total) or until the underside releases and is caramelized.
- Flip the chops and repeat: cook 2 minutes, rotate a quarter turn, then cook another 2 minutes (4 minutes more) or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Transfer the chops to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.
- Serve each pork chop topped with a generous spoonful of the chilled cherry salsa.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 53 g |
Protein: 51 g |
Fat: 20 g
Cholesterol: 151 mg |
Sodium: 1283 mg
Fiber: 5 g |
Sugar: 40 g
The nutrition information is an estimate from an online calculator and is not a substitute for professional advice.
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