Take A Bite Of: Peach Mustard Pork Chops

A twist on your regular marinade. Its summer time (almost) in the South and we love our peaches. Here is an interesting and delicious option we made last night. Buon Appetito!

Peach Mustard Pork Chops

Ingredients
4 (1 1/2-inch thick) pork chops
Safflower or corn oil, for brushing
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Peach-Mustard BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)

Prepare an outdoor grill with a high heat for both direct and indirect grilling. Position a drip pan under the grate on the cooler side of the grill.

Brush the pork chops on both sides with oil and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Grill the chops over the heat until brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Move them to the cool side of the grill and brush with some of the Peach-Mustard BBQ Sauce. Cook the chops, covered, turning and basting with sauce every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted crosswise into the chops registers 140 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes.

To serve: Drizzle the chops with more sauce and serve.

Peach-Mustard BBQ Sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 cup peach jam or preserves
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and boil until almost completely reduced and the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 minutes. Whisk in both mustards and the jam or preserves. Simmer, whisking, until jam melts, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bourbon and salt.

Note: Stir in the bourbon at the end to give a big jolt to the sauce. This Southern blend goes great with pork but can also be paired with chicken, duck, or veal. Makes approx: 1 1/4 cups.

Take A Bite Of: Beer Can Grilled Chicken

Something a little avante garde for the grill. It's Memorial Weekend...even the chickens want to imbibe. Now, normally, I am all about aesthetics with food presentation, and this, well, doesn't exactly fit the bill. But The Neely's know Southern Cooking and this is one of Pat's recipes. It takes a little muscle, and a little time but you aren't doing any laborious tasks this weekend anyway, are you? Buon Appetito! Or as some say in the South, "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, tasty!"

Beer Can Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

Beer Can Chicken Rub:

2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder

For the Chicken:
4 pounds chicken, washed and dried
Vegetable oil
Beer Can Chicken Rub
1 (12-ounce) can beer

Directions:
For the chicken rub:
In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together and use for the grilled chicken. You can store extra rub mixture in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

For the chicken:
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

Rub the chicken and its cavity down with the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with rub mixture, remembering to season the cavity. Pour out 1/4 of the beer and sit the chicken on top of the beer can. Place the chicken in the center of the hot grill and cover. Cook the chicken for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F.

Once cooked, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.