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Grilled Pork Cutlets with Rosemary and Red Wine Vinegar

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on November 9, 2011

Time

25 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Grilled Pork Cutlets with Rosemary and Red Wine Vinegar

Ingredients

⅓ cup red wine vinegar ⅓ cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary ¾ teaspoon honey ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 12 thin-cut boneless pork chops (about 2 pounds), prepared according to photo

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

  1. Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, rosemary, honey, salt, and pepper in large zipper-lock plastic bag. Transfer chops to bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
  2. 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.
Grilled Pork Cutlets with Rosemary and Red Wine Vinegar

Grilled Pork Cutlets with Rosemary and Red Wine Vinegar

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

25 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

⅓ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon honey
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
12 thin-cut boneless pork chops (about 2 pounds), prepared according to photo

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

⅓ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon honey
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
12 thin-cut boneless pork chops (about 2 pounds), prepared according to photo

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

⅓ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon honey
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
12 thin-cut boneless pork chops (about 2 pounds), prepared according to photo

Test Kitchen Techniques

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 signature technique of our grilled pork cutlets recipe gave the meat a chance to brown and allowed them to develop a nice char. Red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and rosemary formed the base of the marinade, and a last-minute addition of honey softened the acidity of the vinegar and helped produce caramelization on the cutlets.

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

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

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