Pineapple Grilled Pork Chops

I guess in Okinawa that chicken is a more expensive meat, and pork and beef are relatively cheap.  With that in mind...just know that the balance will even out on my ratio of pork/beef to chicken recipes over the next three years.  It is about time that I broaden my horizon on the wonderful world of pork and beef, as I have kind of shyed away from them in the past.  I find them harder to cook well, and they don't soak up as much flavor as chicken.  They have also been way more expensive than chicken and when you are on a student budget...you cut costs and all costs.

Any who...this recipe was delicious, easy to cook well, and an extremely easy weeknight recipe.  I marinated these chops a few nights before (when I brought them home from the grocery store), and is the perfect balance of sweet and salty.  Next time I make this recipe I am going to try it with fresh pineapple.  We will see how it goes :)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 pork chops
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple rings, juice drained and reserved
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 pinch ground black pepper

Mix together the drained pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder together in a large plastic zipper bag, and smush the bag a few times with your hands to mix the marinade and dissolve the sugar. Place the pork chops into the marinade, squeeze out any air in the bag, seal it, and refrigerate overnight. Reserve the pineapple rings.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Remove the chops from the marinade, shaking off excess, and grill until browned, the meat is no longer pink inside, and the meat shows good grill marks, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Brush several times with marinade and let the marinade cook onto the surface of the meat. Discard excess marinade. While the meat is grilling, place 4 pineapple rings onto the grill, and allow to cook until hot and the slices show grill marks; serve the chops topped with the grilled pineapple rings.