Pork pairs well with fruit. It’s just one of those combinations that works well together. Today, the cherries turn into a salsa for thick, center cut pork chops. With just a few tweaks, the combination that worked for the bruschetta and pound cake can highlight the flavor of grilled pork chops.

An important step when grilling any meat is letting it come to room temperature. Taking meat from the refrigerator and putting on the grill immediately will not give you a tender pork chop. You’re placing a cold item on a hot grill.

Marinate the chops and allow the meat to reach room temperature. Place the chops in a combination of olive oil, orange juice and zest, dijon mustard, and kosher salt. Let the pork chops marinate for about 30 minutes.

When the grill is ready, take the chops from the marinade and place directly on grill. For added flavor, place some sprigs of fresh rosemary on top of the chops. The rosemary will perfume the grilled flavor. The concentration of sugar in the orange juice will help brown the meat.

Turn the meat and place some more rosemary on the other side of the chop. The rosemary will continue to infuse the pork. Cook on each side between 7-8 minutes.

Remove the pork chops and place in a clean platter. Allow some more fresh rosemary to sit on top of the chops as they rest. Here is the key for even more moist flavor. Splash some more orange juice in the dish. Let the pork soak up some more of the orange juice.

The combination of cherries that did us well with the pound cake and bruschetta takes another direction with the pork chops. The smokiness of the chops mixes with the orange flavor and the verdant rosemary. The cherries add another fruity layer for these moist chops.

There are two additions to the cherry mixture. Some finely chopped garlic and red onion. When adding garlic, in something like this combination, it’s important to finely mince it. There are a handful of ingredients. Finely mince garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt. Drag the flat end of the knife back and forth over the salt. This will create a paste. Serve the cherry mixture on top of the pork chops.

Tune in tomorrow for more ways to celebrate our love for this stone fruit.