PARTNER POST: Dive into the 120 days of summer with Santa Rita wines that pair perfectly with the foods of the season, straight off the grill.
Get in the spirit of summer cooking with grilled pork chops topped with a spicy cherry and plum salsa complete with jalapeño and a glass of red wine.
Grilling is definitely one of my favorite things about summer. Yes, I do grill year round, but it’s much more enjoyable when the weather is gorgeous. Sunshiny grilling vibes are the very best kind.
These Grilled Pork Chops with Spicy Cherry Plum Salsa is my kind of summer meal. It’s healthy, easy, and lightning quick. My favorite part –besides eating it! — is that I don’t even have to wash a pot afterward. 
The inspiration for this dish came from Santa Rita Wine’s 120 Hero’s Salute Red Blend and Badia seasoning. The seasoning is inspired by Latin cooking and is a blend of cumin, onion, garlic, and other herbs, and I’ll definitely find many uses for it in my kitchen.
I’m a red wine lover, and I found the Santa Rita Wine red blend to be very smooth and fruity, with hints of spices, vanilla, coffee, and tobacco. It had a delicious depth of flavor, and I thought that it would complement the dark stone fruit that’s in season right now. The spicy-sweet cherry plum salsa was the perfect thing to bring this dish together.
The smoky grilled flavor of the pork was plenty here, but I wanted to add even more of that to the dish by grilling the plum as well. Not only did this add the smokiness I wanted, but I didn’t have to peel the plums beforehand because the peels slip right off after you grill ’em. I live for shortcuts!
The best part about grilled fruit is how syrupy the juices get, and that sweet, smoky syrup went right into that salsa. I also added pitted cherries, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, and some jalapeno. I was tasting this salsa along the way as I made it, and honestly, the jalapeno addition is what made it really exciting and balanced everything out. Sweet and spicy is always where it’s at for me.
For more grilling inspiration with Santa Rita, check out this grilled Chilean chicken and pebre sauce.
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- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the salsa:
- 2 medium plums (halved and pitted)
- 1 cup cherries (pitted and coarsely chopped)
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 jalapeno (seeded and finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
For the pork chops:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil (for the grill)
- 4 pork loin chops (about 1″ thick)
- Badia seasoning*
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium and brush the grill grates with the canola oil.
- Place the plums cut side down on the hot grill and cook about 3 minutes per side or until softened and charred. Remove from the grill and allow to cool. When the plums are cool enough to handle, remove the peel and chop into ½” chunks and place in a small bowl. Add the cherries, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and black pepper, to taste. Set aside to let the flavors meld while the pork chops cook.
- Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper, followed by a generous amount of the Badia seasoning on both sides.
- Place the pork chops on the grill and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until a thermometer reads 150 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the chops. Remove from heat, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve warm with salsa, and enjoy!
Notes
Badia seasoning may be found at http://badiaspices.com.
I have a handy cherry pitter that I use to make pitting my cherries so much easier!
You don’t have to peel the plums, because once they’re grilled, the peels slip right off.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of red wine pairs well with the grilled pork and spicy cherry salsa?
A smooth and fruity red blend, like Santa Rita Wine’s 120 Hero’s Salute, complements the dish beautifully with its hints of spices and dark stone fruit.
How can I achieve a smoky flavor for the grilled pork?
Grilling the pork chops over medium-high heat will give them a smoky flavor; additionally, you can enhance this by grilling the plums alongside the pork.
What spices are included in the Badia seasoning used for this recipe?
The Badia seasoning is a blend inspired by Latin cooking, featuring cumin, onion, garlic, and other herbs.
