Tzatziki Pork chops

This recipe was the result of one of those "I've got stuff that I need to use ASAP, what am I going to make for dinner types" of moments. I had made the tzatziki sauce earlier in the week for kabobs. I had thawed pork chops that needed to be used. It seemed only natural to combine the two!

Yogurt is used as a meat marinade/tenderizer in many Indian and Greek dishes. I figured the flavors in the tzatziki would only bring goodness to the pork chops. Adding the additional salt when adding the sauce to the pork makes the sauce work more like brine, allowing the flavors to penetrate the meat while adding moisture back into the pork. The yogurt also helps tenderize the meat, resulting in a fantastic dinner!

The flavor on the chops was more subtle than I thought it would be. There was no stand out flavor, other than savory melt in your mouth deliciousness. The yogurt allowed the chop to gain a lot of color on the grill - it only helped deepen the flavors. I was foolish and used up my tzatziki sauce in the marinade, only to be left wanting more as a dip, so that's how I've written the recipe. I can see this becoming the basis of a lot of future meals, and that makes me happy! I hope you give this a try.

Tzatziki Pork Chops
makes 2 servings
Tzatziki sauce:
1/2 c plain yogurt, Greek is best but really any will work
3 T grated cucumber
1/4 t cumin
1/8 t garlic powder
1/4 t kosher salt
dash pepper
2 sprigs oregano minced

2 pork chops, center cut boneless
few pinches salt

Make up the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix well to incorporate.

Pour 1/2 the sauce over the pork chops and add a few additional pinches of salt. Coat chops in sauce and allow to marinate for 2-4 hours.

Grill pork chops until done, 150* internal temperature. Serve with remaining tzatziki sauce.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
2 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 343.8
Total Fat 20.2 g
Saturated Fat 7.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.8 g
Cholesterol 86.4 mg
Sodium 100.3 mg
Potassium 684.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5.4 g
Dietary Fiber 0.3 g
Sugars 4.3 g
Protein 33.3 g