Summer recipes by chef Zoe Schor | The seasonal supper

Grilled Pork Chop with Peach Barbecue Sauce

1 quart water
2 cups salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 qt ice
4 large bone-in pork chops
1 qt peach barbecue sauce (recipe below)
1 bag baby arugula
1 peach
1 red onion
extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper

1. Combine water, salt and sugar in a pot and set over high heat. As soon as the mixture is boiling, pour it into another, heat-safe container. Add the ice. Stir until the ice melts. The mixture should be around room temperature; if it is still warm, chill it until it is room temperature or cooler.

2. Immerse the pork chops in the brine and chill for two to four hours. Remove from brine and place on rack to dry. 

3. Light a grill. If using a charcoal grill, arrange the coals to create a hotter side and a cooler side. When the coals are hot, place all four pork chops over the hot area. For cross-hatched grill marks, leave for a minute or two, then turn each chop roughly 90 degrees. Turn the chops over and repeat on the other side. Once the meat has been marked on both sides, move to cooler area of the grill. If possible, cover with a metal bowl or something similar to help trap the heat.

4. Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature of the pork. When the meat has reached 120 degrees or so, pull it off. Allow it to sit and rest for several minutes; the temperature will continue to rise to the USDA-recommended 145 degree internal temperature.

5. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, spread peach barbecue sauce all over each chop.

6. Just before you are ready to serve the pork, chop the peach into chunks and julienne the red onion. Toss these with arugula, olive oil, lemon juice (you probably won’t need all of the juice—just add it to taste), salt and pepper. Serve the pork chops with the peach salad on top or off to the side.

Serves 4.

Peach Barbecue Sauce

6 ripe (preferably overripe) peaches
1 large red onion, julienned
1 canned chipotle pepper (or other chili)
6 large cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup bourbon
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
Salt to taste

1. Bring a pot of water big enough to hold the peaches to a boil. Prepare an ice bath, also large enough to hold the peaches, and set aside.

2. While the water is coming to a boil, wash the peaches. Carve a small X into the end of each peach with a paring knife. 

3. When the water is boiling, drop the peaches in carefully. Leave them in for about a minute, then remove and transfer to ice bath.

4. Cut the fruit away from the stone and into chunks. Set aside.

5. In a heavy saucepot, saute the onions until slightly caramelized. Add garlic cloves and chipotle pepper.

6. When all ingredients are slightly caramelized, add the bourbon and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pot vigorously with a wooden spoon.

7. Add peaches, orange juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire, onion powder and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow sauce to simmer until tomatoes are cooked and the flavors have married.

8. Allow the sauce to cool slightly. Put in a blender, using caution not to overfill, and blend until smooth. Pass the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Taste and, if necessary, adjust seasoning.