I love finding recipes that are naturally gluten-free on websites that don’t necessarily devote themselves to the gluten-free diet. It just goes to show that you don’t need a package with a big “gluten-free” stamped on it to eat — and eat well.
This post for Grilled Pork Chops, Cauliflower Gratin from Christopher Cina is one such post. It doesn’t hurt that Christopher is an accomplished chef who has worked at some truly great restaurants and has showcased an amazing gluten-free recipe every now and again.
I’m especially looking forward to trying the cauliflower gratin as I’ve been in love with just about anything cauliflower lately. I might try it with coconut milk in place of the heavy cream, but either way, it’s going to be tasty.
Grilling meat, man has been doing it since the discovery and replication of fire. Before that it was raw meat baby. The practice of cooking meat, some say, has resulted in rendering the appendix useless, just a spare part. Theories regarding the appendix believe that it produced an enzyme to help digest and protect the body from raw meat, fat and sinew. As such, it has now been reduced to a ticking time bomb.
Grilling, by definition, is a dry heat method of cooking with heat applied to either the top or bottom of the food, for me, it is preferably over an open flame or charcoal. Having been the chef of a charcoal steakhouse, I do appreciate the flavor imparted to meat cooked over lumpwood charcoal (which is 1000 times better than the briquettes which are more filler than actual charcoal) as opposed to gas grills. But there is also something to be said for the ease and convenience of firing up the propane grill and having it ready in 5 minutes, especially when my girls get hungry.
Both methods impart a unique flavor to meat, poultry seafood, vegetables and even breads. But whichever you choose, make sure your meat is ‘on the bone’. Grilling bone in meat, such as these pork loin chops, imparts better flavor and helps keep the meat from drying out. The only drawback is that it increases the cooking time slightly as the bone itself is not a great conductor of heat. For larger cuts such as a thick porterhouse or cowboy steak, my advice to cooking meat on the bone is to find a ‘cooler’ spot on the grill to allow the meat to come to temperature without too much charring of the flesh. The other option you have is to ask your butcher for thinner cuts. These 6 ounce pork chops are thick enough to be prepared medium rare to medium on your grill ‘hot spots’ without worrying too much about the extra time the bone adds. As a last option, a common restaurant practice is to start the meat on the grill and finish in the oven, sometimes referred to as grill-roasting. While I’m not a fan, it is an option…
