Grilled pork chops with brown sugar marinade

I don't buy pork chops very often. But I've been inspired by marinades this grilling season, and so I recently decided to give this cut of meat another chance. Pork chops are often too dry for my taste (unlike the pork tenderloin, which I love).

I've never marinated pork chops before, but it makes sense. Marinades improve less than stellar cuts of meat, tenderizing and flavoring—all good. And this marinade is so incredibly simple, chances are you already have the ingredients on hand.

Here's what you need:

1 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of water
6 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons crushed, dried rosemary (though fresh would be equally good)
6 bone-in center cut pork chops

This makes a lot of marinade, so if you are cooking anywhere from 4-10 chops, you should have more than enough.

Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour about 3/4 of it over the pork chops. I put mine in a large Ziploc bag because it's the easiest way to get the job done.

Marinate in the refrigerator for at least three hours (longer is even better). Set the remaining marinade aside.

When you are ready, fire up the grill. Shake the excess marinade off the chops and place them over the fire. My chops weren't very thick, maybe 1/2 inch, and cooked quickly, about 5 minutes per side. Use the reserved marinade to baste the pork while it cooks.

The pork was moist, tender and extremely flavorful, and we all agreed this recipe is worth adding in to the regular rotation—my son especially enjoyed it, grabbing bites off his plate faster than I could cut it.

I added the leftover meat to a garden salad with dried cranberries and feta cheese the next night. Two great meals; one delicious marinade! Win-win!!