Charmoula-Marinated Pork Chops

Charmoula (or Chermoula) is a marinade used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking.  It usually consists of a mixture of herbs, oil, lemon juice, garlic and cumin.  Peronsally, I had never heard of it before, but when I saw this recipe on my Weber Grills iPhone app, It just looked too good not to try.  Now mine does not look anything like the picture on the app, but whatever, the flavors were amazing and I would definitely make this again.

Normally I would have brined the pork even before marinating.  I have become a big fan and supporter of brining and normally will not cook pork without it.  Pork and whole birds actually.  Brining, if you haven't tried it, truly makes the meat moister.  You can even over cook pork a little if you brine and it STILL comes out amazing!  This time I did not make the time to do it and was a bit nervous, but alas, the pork turned out perfectly.  Sooooo... it's your choice on if you want to brine or not, in this case, with the marinade and good thick pork chops, brining could be skipped (don't tell Stephen, The Obsessive Chef, I said that though!!).

Charmoula-Marinated Pork Chops
Adapted from Weber Grills iPhone App
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 pork chops (I used boneless pork loin chops)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Directions:
In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the ingredients except for the pork and stir until well combined.  Place the pork in a resealable plastic bad and pour the marinade over.  Seal and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F.  Clean and oil grill grates.  Place the pork directly over the fire and grill 4-8 minutes per side or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145-150.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Serve with Creamy Cucumber and Grilled Potato Salad and enjoy!!

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