Teriyaki Chops ~ Hawaiian Style

Break out the grill! We’ve got some chops and a pineapple! Plus, we’re gonna grow a tree! ~ a pineapple tree!

Normally, I do this teriyaki marinade and sauce for chicken breasts but by request of my Auntie, I did it with pork chops and it turned out FABULOUS! Yum Yum Yum!

Y’all know how to trim a pineapple, right? Just chop the top and bottom off and then slice the skin off the outside. Easy.
But I wanna show you something you may not have paid attention to before…

See those weird lookin things under the leaves of the top part? Those. Are. Roots. Yep, that’s what they are 🙂

If you trim off the first few layers from the bottom of it, you can put the whole top in a planter full of dirt and grow a pineapple tree. Yes. Even in Kentucky!

This here is one that I planted last year. That middle leaf sticking out is the original pineapple top that I planted. The original leaves brown, die and the root renews itself by growing new sprouts. Pretty darn cool, huh?

Those two sprouts on the sides of it came out over the winter. In my house, of course. You can’t leave it outside in the cold months, hence the pot. And, you’ll probably never have a pineapple grow off of it (I don’t think it’ll bear fruit in Kentucky weather, anyway) but the foliage is perty and the fact that you can grow something like this for free tickles me to pieces. Yeah, I’m a gardener at heart, too. I think it’s about time I transplanted it to a bigger pot.

Oh yeah, about that recipe. LOL See? I get all side tracked.. he he he
The marinade is just a few simple ingredients (included in the printout below) along with some of that fresh pineapple. Put everything in a zip top bag, give the pineapple a few squishes. Put the chops in the bag, seal and refrigerate until your ready to grill. About an hour will do. Just don’t leave them in the marinade too long. That pineapple juice will break the meat down too much after an hour.

I’ve talked about grilling on a charcoal grill before and it’s definitely my favorite choice when it comes to grilling out.

When I was talking to my aunt about this recipe, I mentioned this little gadget called a chimney grill starter. I threw a couple of pictures in here to show how easy it is to use. The reason I like it so much is that you don’t have to use lighter fluid, which makes your food taste weird and gross.
You just stick some old newspaper in the bottom of it, like this..
(I just noticed that woman’s eye peeking out the hole there. See it? Ha ha ha!)

And then flip it over and fill it up with your charcoal. Light the bottom part where the news paper is with a lighter through the holes and let it go for about 20 minutes. When the coals are white and ashy on the top, carefully (with flame resistant oven mitts on your hands) pour the coals into the bottom of the grill into a layer. Place the grate of your grill on top, close the lid to let it get hot and you’re good to go.

So here’s the end result for the chops and grilled pineapple. Tasty!
The chops were tender and delicious! And that pineapple? OMG GOOD! (it always is!)

I served my chops and pineapple with baked sweet potato slices, sprinkled with a touch of cinnamon and a drizzle of the teriyaki sauce over all of the food.

There you go Auntie! I hope you like this one! I hope all my other foodie friends out there enjoy trying this recipe as well! It’s scrumptious!

Make it great weekend! Keep it delicious! Till next time ~ much love, Connie

Grilled Teriyaki Chops ~ Hawaiian style, dairy free and gluten free

Connie Taylor

Print Recipe

Servings 5 servings

Ingredients

5 1- inch thick boneless pork chops trimmed
1 whole pineapple trimmed and sliced into 1-inch thick rounds
The Marinade:
1 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp agave syrup can substitute honey or brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 C fresh pineapple crushed
1 tbsp coconut oil melted
1 garlic clove minced (optional)
The sauce for topping:
2 tbsp sherry
2 tbsp agave
1/4 C soy sauce
1/2 C pineapple chopped
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 garlic cloves crushed (optional)

Instructions

Cut a few slices of the pineapple into small chunks, enough to equal 1 cup and divide. Use one half cup for the marinade and one half cup for the sauce.
Place all the ingredients for the marinade (crush the pineapple chunks a little) and the pork chops in a zip top bag and refrigerate. By the time you finish making the sauce and preparing the grill, the marinade will penetrate the chops enough to flavor and coat them.
Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a small sauce pan on the stove. Heat on low until ready to use.
Prepare the grill and strain the liquid off of the chops, removing any chunks of pineapple or garlic off.
Grill the pork chops on the high heat side of the grill until golden brown on both sides and the internal temp is 165 degrees F.
Grill the pineapple on the low heat side of the grill until grill marks are prevalent on both sides.
Serve the chops and pineapple with the sauce on top.