Pesto Pork Chops with Grilled Summer Vegetables

Over the weekend a few friends came over for a barbecue. Barbecueing is nice as you get to sit around, bs, drink, and have a good time. Macheesmo brought over some fresh pork chops from the farmer’s market near his house. So we decided to make a pesto pork chop. On the side I wanted to grill some veggies. So I went to the market and found yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and some red onion. It was an awesome combination.

Jeff brought Margaritas so I forgot to take a lot of pictures. Sorry.

First wash and slice the veggies. Cut the squash, zucchini and eggplant into 3/4 inch slices. Next cut the tomatoes and the onion into 1 inch slices. Finally core and quarter the bell pepper.

In a large bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Mix well then add the vegetables. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes. Great if you can do it for up to 4 hours.

Time for the pesto. I used some fresh basil from my urban garden.

In a food processor (or maybe a blender) add the basil and pine nuts. Chop until well combined. Next add the cheese and garlic. Quickly pulse.

Next turn on the food processor and start by drizzling 1/4 cup of olive oil into the machine. As it spins it will thicken and become a paste. The next part is up to you. If you like your pesto thick, don’t add too much more oil, if you like it a little thinner, add as much oil as you like.

Place the pork chops in a zip top bag and marinate them in the pesto for 30 minutes.

To grill the veggies, preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the veggies in a single layer and let them get a little color.

When you start seeing them get a little color it is time to flip.

Not all of the veggies will cook for the same amount of time. The tomatoes will take the least amount of time. The onions and green peppers may take a little longer. To check the squash, eggplant and zucchini, check the softness before removing. All three should be soft to the touch, but not falling apart.

Remove, let cool, chop into bite size pieces and serve. They are best served slightly warm or even cold.

To grill the pork chops place them over a medium high flame. Make sure to preheat the grill. You want nice grill lines as the carmelization adds great flavor.

These chops were 3/4-1 inch thick and took about 6-7 minutes on each side.

The easiest way to check for doneness is to use a probe thermometer and check for an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit or 71 degrees Celsius. While these are the well done temperatures, pork can be cooked to medium at 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 70.1 degrees Celsius.

Let the pork rest for a couple minutes before serving. Serve the pork with the grilled vegetables.

By this time in the day I put my camera safely away so that I would not break it. Jeff makes a pretty strong drink.

Enjoy!!

— Rex

Pesto Pork Chops with Grilled Summer Vegetables

Grilled pesto pork chops with fresh basil, pine nuts, and parmesan. Served with grilled summer vegetables including squash, zucchini, peppers, and eggplant.

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 pork chops
• 1.5 cups fresh basil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 3-5 cloves garlic
• 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 zucchini
• 2 bell peppers
• 2 red onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 eggplant
• 2 cups olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs basil, parsley, rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

 

1. Wash and slice vegetables. Cut squash, zucchini, and eggplant into 3/4 inch slices.
2. Cut tomatoes and onion into 1 inch slices. Core and quarter bell peppers.
3. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped herbs, salt and pepper.
4. Add vegetables to marinade and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.
5. Make pesto: Add basil and pine nuts to food processor and chop until combined.
6. Add cheese and garlic, pulse quickly.
7. Turn on food processor and drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil while spinning.
8. Add more oil as desired for desired consistency.
9. Place pork chops in zip-top bag and marinate in pesto for 30 minutes.
10. Preheat grill to medium heat for vegetables.
11. Place vegetables in single layer on grill and cook until they get color, then flip.
12. Tomatoes cook fastest. Onions and peppers take longer. Squash, eggplant, and zucchini should be soft but not falling apart.
13. Remove vegetables, let cool, and chop into bite-size pieces.
14. Increase grill heat to medium-high for pork chops.
15. Grill pork chops for 6-7 minutes per side for 3/4-1 inch thick chops.
16. Check doneness with probe thermometer: 170°F (71°C) for well-done, 160°F (70°C) for medium.
17. Let pork rest for a couple minutes before serving.
18. Serve pork chops with grilled vegetables.

Notes

Fresh basil makes a big difference in pesto quality. Pine nuts add richness but can be substituted with walnuts. Vegetables can be served warm or cold. These are great for summer barbecues.