Margarita Pork Chops – Tequila!
Easy Margarita Pork Chops Pluck Tuesday From Obscurity
I adore Tequila. I don’t know if it’s an extension of my love of Mexican food or not, but I love it in Margaritas, Palomas, or sipped over the rocks with a squeeze of lime juice. I’m not even picky, although the older I get the more I realize the advantages to the more expensive stuff. No Hangovers.
Okay. I think shots are fun too.
More and more research is showing that Tequila is actually good for you. (I wish I’d gotten the call for THAT study.)
7 Ways That Tequila is Good for You:
Everyone has their spirit of choice, but not everyone can say that their favorite comes with bonus health benefits. Blanco tequila – the colorless variety – is one of the purest liquors in the world, therefore, supposedly, hangover-free. Here are 7 other reasons why tequila is the best and should be celebrated everyday – not only on Cinco de Mayo.
1. It’s the go-to choice of celiac sufferers and the gluten-obsessed. When tequila is made from the blue agave plant, which most classy brands are (think 1800, Patron and Don Julio), it avoids the wheat problem that keeps people with an aversion to gluten from indulging in other liquors.
2. It will elevate your mood. Unlike other alcohol options, tequila is said to be an upper, not a downer. This one may be a myth (since it contains ethanol, a depressant), but have you ever seen anyone upset while holding a margarita? Didn’t think so. Have you ever seen anyone upset while holding a margarita? Didn’t think so.
3. Tequila lowers blood sugar and cholesterol. Another benefit of the agave plant: tequila contains agavina, a sugar that comes from the leaf and triggers insulin production in the blood stream. Agavins also lower triglycerides and, in effect, cholesterol.
4. It boasts minimal hangover powers. Again, this isn’t all tequilas, but the “blanco” or “silver” varieties don’t contain sugary syrups and aren’t aged in wood; therefore, they don’t contain congeners – the chemical impurities that are rough on your system and exacerbate hangovers.
5. Tequila numbs pain. When it enters your system, tequila dilates the blood vessels and helps transport blood to all of your body parts, lessening pain. We’re willing to bet it works with emotional pain, too.
6. Less calories, more taste. Tequila is so good on its own that you don’t need to waste calories or add unwanted, headache-causing sugars in the form of mixers or chasers. Squeeze in a little lime, stir in a few ice cubes and enjoy.7 Ways Tequila is Good For You
7. It cures the common cold. That’s what doctors in 1930s Mexico said, anyway. They would prescribe tequila with some lime and salt for a cold and people today still believe that stirring some into your tea with honey and lemon can relieve a sore throat. This one might be a myth but it’s worth a shot.
Is there nothing this stuff can’t do?
Of course I get that not everyone loves Tequila. The Margarita Pork Chop marinade is fabulous without it too. Don’t sub in anything – just skip the booze.
Conventional wisdom is that alcohol cooks off entirely with normal cooking methods, but I don’t believe that all of it does go away. If you’re cooking for someone that can’t have alcohol or for children, again, just leave it out.
Margarita Pork Chops start with marinade.
If I have gallon size plastic bags (ahem) I make the marinade in the bag (see Mojo Chicken for the method). If I don’t, I make it in a measuring cup (affiliate links follow). I use a microplane grater to zest the lime and the garlic into the mixture. After I zest it, I squeeze in the lime juice using my favorite wooden reamer.
We use boneless pork chops, but pork tenderloin would work great too. Chicken or shrimp also substitute well.
I like to pound the pork chops for this recipe – it allows the marinade to coat more of the meat plus it makes them cook faster.
Trim the fat off the chops before putting between two pieces of plastic wrap. Drizzle a few drops of water on the pork chop (under the plastic) to make the pounding easier.
I use a meat mallet tenderizer, but I use the flat side. The textured surface will tear up the meat too much. I would pound chicken if we were using that instead, but I would just butterfly shrimp.
Add the marinade and leave it on for at least 30 minutes, but up to 3 hours. Any more than that and the acid might “cook” the meat a little bit, changing the texture.
Flip them around in the marinade. Keep the meat refrigerated while marinating.
These are great grilled, but would work great in a cast iron grill pan/skillet stove top too. Bake them in a hot (425 degrees F) oven if all else fails. They’ll be delicious no matter what. The Margarita Pork Chops should have an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F, chicken should be at least 160 degrees F, and shrimp should be pink throughout, at about 120 degrees F. Use this handy-dandy Instant Read Thermometer to test for done-ness.
Margarita Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 Pork Chops
- 1/3 cup Olive Oil
- 1 large Garlic Clove, grated
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper, minced finely
- 1 Lime (zest and juice)
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 Tbsp White Tequila (I like Hornitos)
Instructions
- Combine oil, garlic, honey, jalapeno, lime zest and juice, cumin, salt and tequila.
- Pour marinade over meat, refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. (Can be left in marinade for up to 3 hours.) Turn meat several times to coat completely while marinating.
- Grill, saute or bake chops until cooked through, 145 degrees F with an instant read thermometer.
Serve Margarita Pork Chops with Mexican Rice, Bean & Corn Salad and Palomas.
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