Ginger-Lime Multipurpose Marinate

The self-proclaimed Barbeque Queen of Arizona lived up to her name last night.

Since we had a pack of pork chops that needed eating, I decided to marinate the pork chops before BBQing them. The marinate that I chose was one that was originally meant for chicken (see original recipe here), but since alot of things you can do to chicken also apply to pork, I figured I'd give pork this marinade and see how it came out. This marinade worked wonderfully on the chicken. It's pretty easy and can be doubled/tripled/etc as needed depending on how much meat you're working with (I doubled the original recipe), and can be modified within reason.

Don't skimp on the lime juice because when working with pork, you want something that's pretty acidic. The acid marinate help tenderize the pork, making it more flavorful to eat.

Ginger-Lime Multipurpose Marinate

• Juice from about 4-6 limes (or about 1 cup of lime juice)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced or shredded
• Large chunk of shredded ginger
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Zest from one of the used limes, remaining peels from the other used limes
• 1 shot of rum (optional)
• Pack of pork chops
• Large non-reactive bowl

Cut limes in half and juice into the large bowl, adding in the pulp. Set the used halves aside. Add in garlic, ginger, black pepper, soy sauce, oil, zest, and rum. Cut up the remaining used lime halves (I quarter them) and add into the bowl. Give it a swirl or stir to combine ingredients. Then add the pork chops to the bowl. Make sure the marinate covers all the chops. Cover the bowl, and let sit overnight.

My marinating chops after their overnight soak. Grey color is good, since that means the marinate penetrated the meat deeper.

To cook, place chops on heated grill and cover. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes, then turn the meat. Cover and wait a few minutes. Pork is done when the inside is slightly pink and a meat thermometer inserted into the chop reads anywhere between 145 degrees Fahrenheit and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Do NOT let the inside meat get white, as that means the meat has been vulcanized to "well done". Let sit for 3 minutes to retain juices, serve and eat.

The Queen at work

Tips:

• Freeze the ginger. It shreds easier
• I recommend using Captain Morgan 100-proof rum. It adds a slight taste and disinfects the meat. Use at least 2 shots of the rum when using this marinate with chicken, since chicken is a particularly germy meat. Tequila is also an acceptable substitute, given the amount of limes used
• If using this marinate on chicken, pour the marinate ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag, add chicken, and refrigerate overnight. Chicken does not keep well outside of a refrigerated environment longer than a few hours
• Herbs like parsley or cilantro can be added for flavor. Use fresh if possible
• Throw some bacon fat onto the coals for added flavor
• For a sweet marinate, add 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I recommend dark brown sugar as the flavor works well with pork, and enhances the limey tartness of the marinate

Bon apetite!