chop, chop!

In the most recent issue of Semi-Homemade magazine, I found a delicious-sounding recipe for Ginger-Marinated Pork Loin Roast. Then I got to the meat section of the grocery store and realized I wasn't willing to spend that much for a 6-pound piece of meat when I was just cooking for me and Wildcat Guy (and using a brand-new recipe that may or may not taste good).

So I decided to see how the marinade worked for pork chops, instead. That, and a few other small modifications, turned into a yummy pork-chop dinner!

Ingredients **
1 1/2 cups, ginger ale
1/3 cup, soy sauce
3 tablespoons, honey
3 tsp, ground ginger
1 tbsp, minced garlic
4 pork chops

Instructions **
* In an 8x11 glass baking dish, stir together ginger ale, soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic. (I used a fork to make sure the honey mixed smoothly.) Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel, place in baking dish, and turn chops to coat well in marinade. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally. (The recipe said for a minimum of 12 hours. I was able to do it for about 7, and that tasted sufficient.)

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain most of the marinade from the dish, leaving about an inch in the bottom. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. (My pork chops were about an inch thick...so I think this would have to be adjusted for thinner chops.)

* Let stand for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy!

I completed the meal with baked potatoes and corn...and really liked it! Although I want to make it again some time when I don't have a cold, Wildcat Guy assured me the flavor was good. In his words, it tasted "like a pork roast." I took that as a good sign.

Where I am: home
What I'm reading: A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House, and Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano

** The original recipe called for the marinade to include 1/3 cup dry sherry and 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped (instead of the ground ginger). Additionally, because the original recipe is for a roast, the marinade would be completely discarded and the meat baked for an hour on a wire rack in a baking pan.