Grilled Pork Chops with Honey and Goat Cheese Butter

Tender grilled pork chops don’t need any fancy, fussy accompaniment to make them…well, fancy or fussy. A dollop of rich, creamy butter mixed with tangy goat cheese and sweet honey is all you need to set on top of the meat. Let it slide down the side and…hmmmmm.

Tip: For extra-juicy chops, let them rest in a simple brine bath before cooking. Combine a couple tablespoons of salt and a tablespoon of sugar with plenty of cold water in a large bowl. Submerge the chops and refrigerate at least four hours. Rinse and pat dry before preparing the recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup goat cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tsp honey
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, plus more for serving
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 center-cut pork rib chops, about 1-inch thick
• olive oil, for rubbing

Preparation

1. Combine the goat cheese, butter, honey, and thyme in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Ready to Mix

Honey and Goat Cheese Butter

1. Light a grill for medium-high heat with space for off-heat grilling. Rub the grate with oil.
2. Rub the pork chops lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper (light on the salt if the chops were brined).
3. Grill until slightly charred and just cooked through, about 12 minutes total, turning 2 to 3 times. (Move the chops off heat as needed to prevent flare-ups.) Transfer to a board or plate and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Seasoned Center-Cut Rib Chops

Start over direct heat

Finish off heat

Let the chops rest

Serve the pork chops dolloped with the honey and goat cheese butter and sprinkled with chopped thyme.

Grilled Pork Chops with Honey and Goat Cheese Butter