Name: Grilled Pork Cutlets
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar; 1/3 cup olive oil; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves; 3/4 teaspoon sugar; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 12 thin-cut boneless pork chops (about 2 pounds), prepared according to photo

Why This Recipe Works

Although they are the same size as chicken cutlets, pork cutlets are not as tender. Our first attempts at a grilled pork cutlets recipe produced leathery meat that cooked so quickly, it didn’t have time to char or develop much grill flavor. To season the cutlets to the core, we came up with a unique grilling procedure and a quick marinade. We prefer tender cutlets made from pounding pork chops to a uniform thickness, since prepackaged cutlets often have shredded edges and irregular sizes that lead to uneven cooking. We used medium-high heat to grill the cutlets, leaving them on one side for most of the cooking time, and then finishing them for 30 seconds on the other side. This technique for our grilled pork cutlets recipe gave the meat a chance to brown and develop a nice char.

Before You Begin

Boneless pork chops are typically lean; trim any excess fat as necessary. Marinting for more than 2 hours will make the chops rubbery.

Instructions

Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, thyme, sugar, salt, and pepper in large zipper-lock plastic bag. Transfer chops to bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Remove cutlets from bag and discard marinade. Grill cutlets over hot fire until bottom begins to turn opaque around edges, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and grill until just cooked through, about 30 seconds. Transfer to platter, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve.