Apple & Brown Sugar Pork Chops

I opened my package of pork chops today to find something extra. There, poking out from under the tender, pink meat, was a small package containing a sort of thermometer. The package claimed that its contents would let me know when my pork was "done".

 

"Cook'd Right™ Instructions:

1. Insert tip into meat while cooking, wait 10 seconds, remove & check if done. 

2. Continue cooking and checking until done. Done when dot matches red arrow. 

Discard sensor when finished."

Let's see how this little piece of plastic technology works while making this recipe. 

Apple & Brown Sugar Pork Chops

Time: 15 minutes prep time

30 minutes cook time

Level: Easy

Ingredients

Pork chops (bone in for more flavor)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp ginger

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch

Directions

Preheat grill to medium.

Bring all above ingredients (except pork chops) to a boil in a small saucepan. 

Allow to cook until reduced by half.

Brush one side of pork chops with glaze and place, glazed side down on the grill. Allow to cook until good grill marks appear on bottom side.

When grill marks appear, turn chops 90° to make cross marks. 

Brush top of chops with more glaze and turn over. When grill marks appear on second side, turn 90° again to make cross marks.

Continue to baste chops with remaining sauce until done. Chops are done when the internal temperature reaches 145°.

So how did our plastic thermometer do? I checked the temperature with both the plastic thermometer and my digital thermometer. When my chops were actually done, the digital thermometer reading was at 146.7. 

At that same time, the dot on the end of the plastic apparatus had not changed. 

I did not continue to cook my chops to see at what temperature the plastic thermometer read as "done", as I didn't want to dry out my chops. 

This chop was cooked to juicy perfection, completely white throughout and not a bit dry.

Verdict:

Don't trust the "ready when" technology included in meat packaging.

 

Have a great 4th of July weekend, y'all. I'll be back next week!

God bless America... and God bless you too!