Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Chops

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Marinade Time: 45 mins

Total: 60 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Pork chops are an extremely lean cut of meat, and prosciutto isn’t all that fatty either, especially when it is sliced super thin, which is usually how it’s sold. But it does hold in the moisture of the quick-brined chops, add a salty-sweet-crisp exterior which kids seem to love, and make this into a dinner that is certainly not another grilled pork chop. 

Serve these with any kind of salsa for a simple dinner that looks like you put in a whole lot more effort than you did. I served it with summer tomato-corn relish, which some of the purists might pass on, but gives others a chance to amp up their meal. This would also go nicely with the simplest tomato, corn, and basil salad.

This recipe is a quick grill recipe, but the opposite of grilling is slow cooking, so for another kinds of pork meal, try slow cooker barbecue pulled pork

And roasting in the oven, is probably somewhere in between the two — a great pork example would be mediterranean pork tenderloin with roasted vegetables

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup kosher salt, or coarse salt

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon peppercorns

• 1 1/2 pounds thick pork chops, about 4 chops

• 4 large, thin slices prosciutto

• Olive oil, for brushing the pork chops

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a medium sized container add the salt, sugar, and peppercorns.  Add 1/2 cup of boiling or very hot water, and stir until the salt and sugar are mostly dissolved.  Add another 3 cups of very cold water, maybe a few ice cubes.  Place the pork chops in the brine, and let them sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes.

3. Preheat a grill to medium high.

4. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.  Wrap each pork chop with a piece of prosciutto, pressing so that the prosciutto seals itself.

5. Brush the pork chops with olive oil and grill for about 4 minute on each side until the just pink in the center, or cooed to an internal temperature of 140°F.

6. Let the chops sit for a minute or so before serving.