Q: What do you call a pig doing karate?

A: a pork chop!

What do you call a pork chop grilled in a orange-pineapple glaze? Last night's dinner!

Ok, so that second one wasn't so funny, but it WAS tasty if I do say so myself.

Pondering what to make for dinner last night and having a few pork chops defrosted in the fridge, I came up with a quick idea based off of something my mom used to make when I grew up. I threw a few pork chops in plastic baggie to marinate in orange-pineapple juice for a few hours. I was on my way to creating a dish that was an excellent addition to the beautiful weather we had last night (the single break from rain we've had in WEEKS!). With a few ingredients and a little bit of time, the result was something that I am excited to share with my readers. Plus, I got to use my rice cooker!

Orange-pineapple Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

• 3 cups of orange-pineapple juice, divided
• 3-4 center cut pork chops
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• Cooked rice for serving
• Orange & pineapple slices for garnish (optional)

In a re-sealable bag, marinate pork chops in 2 cups of orange-pineapple juice for minimum of 2 hours.

In saucepan, bring 1 cup of orange-pineapple juice to a boil. Whisk in cornstarch and reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer for approximately 20 minutes, occasionally whisking (be careful, juice bubbles up quite frequently).

In the meantime, heat grill to 350 degrees.

Once glaze has reduced by half, whisk in garlic powder. Reserve half of glaze for serving (strain any clumps of cornstarch that might remain).

Remove pork chops from marinade and place on hot grill. Discard marinade. Brush glaze on the top side of chops. Cover and grill for 7-8 minutes.

Flip pork chops, brush second side with glaze, cover and grill for an additional 7-8 minutes (or until internal temperature is 145 degrees).

Remove pork chops from grill and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Spoon rice onto serving platter. Top with pork chops and reserved glaze. Garnish with orange and pineapple slices. Enjoy!

I commissioned my multi-talented boyfriend to take pictures of the outcome this time. We enjoyed this meal on our back deck among the purple flowers. It was just like being in Hawaii!