Ginger Ale Marinated Pork Chops 

Tomatoes & Red Onions 

Blackened New Potatoes 

I’m always on the lookout for new marinades for pork and chicken. Recently, I set out to develop a marinade using ingredients I had on hand. I started with a can of ginger ale, and ended up with a winner! Using ginger ale in a marinade has many benefits. First, you get bold ginger flavor without grating fresh ginger. The carbonation also makes the ginger ale a great meat tenderizer. In this weekís recipe, a cup of ginger ale is combined with soy sauce, garlic powder, dry mustard, black pepper, brown sugar, and a bit of hot sauce for a delicious marinade for pork chops, pork tenderloins, or chicken breasts. The mixture is squeezed together in a zip-lock bag and the meat is added for a long soak. The longer the meat marinates, the more tender and flavorful it will be. Consider combining the marinade and pork loin chops before heading off to work in the morning. Dinner will be as simple as firing up the grill when you get home. Serve the marinated pork chops with fresh Tomatoes and Red Onions and Blackened New potatoes for a great meal!

Ginger Ale Marinated Pork Chops

1 cup ginger ale
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 to 5 dashes hot sauce
6 (3/4-inch thick) pork loin chops

Place first 7 ingredients in a zip-lock plastic bag. Squeeze gently to combine. Add pork chops and marinate for several hours or overnight. Prepare grill. Place chops on grill and cook for 5 minutes per side or until internal temperature of 145 degrees is reached when instant-read thermometer is inserted in center of meat. Serves 6.

Tomatoes and Red Onions

4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Crumbled Gorgonzola or Feta cheese

Layer tomato and onion slices on a serving platter. Sprinkle evenly with chopped fresh basil. Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Drizzle evenly over the tomato and onion slices. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Top with crumbled cheese. Serves 6.

Blackened New Potatoes

18 small, new potatoes
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt
Black pepper

Boil potatoes just until tender, approximately 8 minutes. Do not overcook. Melt butter and add olive oil. Saute garlic until tender and lightly brown. Place potatoes in skillet with butter mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the chives and dill. Cook on medium heat until browning begins, about 5 minutes. Turn potatoes, scraping pan. Sprinkle with another third of the chives and dill; cook for another 5 minutes. Just before removing potatoes from pan to serve, sprinkle with remaining dill and chives. Serves 6.

The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of the cookbook, Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbiís website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 525-0350 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .