Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze

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For a tart and sweet twist on traditional pork chops, try my Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze. Make extra glaze to drizzle on grilled veggies.

This is an unpaid, un-sponsored post. Valley Fig Growers provided me with complimentary product, but all opinions are mine.

I have to be honest…I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve eaten figs in any form. If I decide I don’t like something, I’m not going to eat it. Doesn’t even matter if I’ve never tasted it before. I honestly can’t even tell you why I didn’t eat figs, but they made my no-eat list for years. At my food blog conference in May, I tasted Valley Fig Growers fig spread with cheese. I may or may not have taken several more samples after that!

Figs have been around for centuries, and were first imported to California in 1882. There are more than 1,600 fig varieties worldwide; California grows Mission (dark purple) and Golden Figs. Figs are high in fiber and have no fat, cholesterol or sodium, so they are a great snack and a good product to incorporate into your lifestyle. Valley Fig Growers offers 4 different types of figs:

• Mission Figlets
• Mission Figs
• Golden Figs
• Fig Spread

I’m a texture and visual eater, and whole figs just aren’t that pretty to look at. But I loved the flavor combination of the fig spread and cheese, so when I got the opportunity to create recipes using fig spread, I decided to put on my adventurous cap. Fig Spread, the newest Valley Fig Growers product, is available in 4 distinct flavors. I love balsamic vinegar, so I was super happy when I opened the box.

For my first recipe with fig spread I wanted something simple, yet delicious. I had some thick-cut pork chops, and thought that honey and fig spread would be a great combination and complement to the pork. I had also recently purchased raw honey from the Amish Cheese House in Chouteau OK. Yes, there’s a large Amish community in Eastern Oklahoma, and their market is fabulous. We probably spent an hour in there, buying all kinds of goodies. If you’ve never tried raw honey, you are missing out. Raw honey tastes better, and does not have the aftertaste of regular honey. I didn’t even know there was an aftertaste until I tried raw. Raw honey can be a little more expensive, but it’s well worth it.

I decided to taste test the fig and honey combination the night before I made the recipe, just to be sure. Fig spread has a thick and rich texture, so I added honey and warmed it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. I put a little bit onto some cheese, and had to stop myself from eating the entire block of cheese with the glaze. I immediately knew I made the right decision to make Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze.

My goodness, Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze is fantastic. I literally danced around my kitchen after the first bite! I can’t even describe the deliciousness of the fig honey glaze. Honey by itself would be too sweet, but the rich figs help to balance it out. The roasted garlic also adds such a wonderful depth of flavor, and the pork chop is so tender and juicy.

When I first began to cook pork chops years ago, I used thin-cut chops. However, you have to watch them carefully or they will get dry fast. And once they’re dry, there’s not much you can do to revive them. Once I switched to thicker cut bone-in chops, I never had that problem anymore. Center-cut loin chops are thinner than thick-cut chops, but either one will do the trick. For this Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze I used thick-cut, bone-in pork chops.

I seasoned both sides of the chops with coarse sea salt and fresh-ground pepper. I also smear both sides with roasted garlic. I’ve used raw garlic, but it doesn’t result in the same depth of flavor. Once seasoned, I let the chops sit for about 15 minutes. The other critical thing is to sear the pork chops in the skillet before they go on the grill. That helps the pork chops develop that beautiful golden color. I’ve tried searing them in oil, or not searing them at all, but it’s not the same. I also use real butter to sear the pork chops. A little butter goes a long way, and it adds more flavor.

SIMPLE GRILLING PROCESS FOR MOUTHWATERING GRILLED PORK CHOPS WITH FIG HONEY GLAZE

• Heat the grill to medium. Spray liberally with Avocado Oil Spray, and place the pork chops on the grates
• Grill on one side for 5 minutes, flip to other side, and grill for 5 minutes
• Spread warmed fig and honey glaze onto one side of pork chop, and grill for another 3 minutes
• Flip the pork chop, spread the glaze on the other side, and grill for another 3 minutes
• Remove and let rest

I added grilled vegetables for a complete meal with my Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze. I used red onions and green, yellow and red bell peppers. But of course, you can mix and match your favorite vegetables. I also drizzled the fig honey glaze onto the vegetables, and they were so delicious.

As I ate my Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze, I was already planning new recipes to make with the fig spread. Rest assured that Grilled Pork Chops with Fig Honey Glaze will remain high on my meal plan rotation.

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