Southerners, particularly the deep South variety, sometimes speak a language that other Americans don’t understand. Have you ever heard the word, “hanker”? An old Southern term, to hanker is to crave or have a deep desire for something.
Well, I’ve been “hankerin'” for some fresh peaches the last few weeks. The Georgia peach season has arrived and I’ve been obsessed with the thought of biting into a ripe, fragrant peach, feeling the golden nectar drip down my chin. There’s nothing quite like that first peach of the season.
I was elated to find some of the fuzzy, golden orbs at my local farmers market last weekend and I immediately began plotting what I could make. As I browsed through the meat department, I spotted some beautiful bone-in pork chops and visions of grilled pork chops accompanied by some form of peaches flashed through my mind. In my humble opinion, fruit and pork are perfect bed fellows. I made my way through the market, pondering peaches, and I concluded that peach salsa would make the perfect topping for pork chops.
Vidalia onions, another Georgia treasure, are in season as well, and I knew they had to be part of the salsa. I concluded that Roma tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, lime juice, and a little chili powder to add a bit of spice would round out the recipe. Y’all know I love sweet and savory together, so I ended up adding a little honey to sweeten the salsa just a bit.
Warm weather is here, so fire up your grill, take this meal outside, and enjoy some fresh summer peaches!
Ingredients
4 bone-in, 1 inch thick, pork chops
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 ripe peaches, peeled and chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 small jalapeño pepper, minced (more or less depending on how much heat you like)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
1. Place pork chops on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Combine peaches, tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, honey, and chili powder.
3. Preheat grill to high setting. Place pork chops on the grates at a diagonal. After 3 minutes, rotate a quarter turn and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Turn chops keeping them at a diagonal on the grates. Cook for 3 minutes and rotate them a quarter turn. Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes. Adjust cooking time depending on the thickness of the chops.
4. Serve with peach salsa.
https://southernboydishes.com/2014/05/30/grilled-pork-chops-with-peach-salsa/You may also like:
Bill Harris
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wow it looks so appetizing, the peach salsa make it so colorful :-). yummy dinner.
This southern gal definitely gets “hankering’” and peaches are often at the top of the list. Nothing beats a Georgia peach. This dish rocks!
Sam
My Husbands Grandma is from the south and says Hankerin. But other than that, I never hear it here in Utah! But it definitely seems to be a fitting word for this dish, that salsa is gorgeous! I wish we had fresh peaches here!
Oh, but this sounds so good. I’m with you about fruit and pork being perfect bed fellows. Id’ say you hit the mark with this one. Bart and I love pork chops, and we’re looking forward to trying your Peach Salsa. Thanks!
These look fantastic, Bill! You know that I love the idea of a fresh peach salsa on grilled pork chops! I have to say, with all of the beautiful produce we get in California, nothing beats fresh peaches in the south! Cheers
I have a hankering for pretty much that entire platter of chops Bill! So fresh and savory and sweet and full of color! Love love love.
See the corn in the picture, but not in the ingredients. Should the corn be roasted and how much? Thanks.
Thanks for dropping by SBD! Just wanted to let you know that what you’re seeing is diced peaches. There’s no corn in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Bill, I loved this writing. We southerners do have our own language. Our peaches have a few more days to fruition here in Blue Ridge and the cherries are hopefully not damaged from all the rain.
Btw, save your money for the Southern Food Writers next year. It was the experience of a lifetime. Very small, intimate conference. Two full days and dinner at Blackberry Farm, the highlight.
Wow, Bill, these are so colorful and mouthwatering. Yes, pork and fruit are a perfect pairing. Oh, how I’d love to try some Georgia peaches. I’m drooling!
I haven’t seen Georgia peaches yet, but I’m sure it’ll take awhile before they get here. But I’ll be ready when they do! This is such a great recipe — I love the combo of fruit and pork, and peaches are perfect here. Thanks.
Oh these look fantastic!!! Bill such great flavor!