Diving into Marinades
Years ago, when my husband and I were newly engaged and relocated from Chicago to the Bay Area, I distinctly recall when we decided to outfit our first apartment out here with a little grill. It did not matter that we had such a small balcony, we were so excited to take advantage of living in the land of nearly year-round grilling. We shopped at one of the local meccas for grills and came home with a cute charcoal grill, and started our love affair with outdoor cooking.
It was on this little grill, on this little balcony, that we began to cook our way through my father-in-law’s fabulous marinade recipes. He is the king of marinades, and to this day, I find myself returning to his handwritten recipe cards during the course of our grilling season. One of my favorites is a rum marinade, that makes for a beautifully glazed and lusciously flavored Pineapple-Rum Glazed Grilled Pork Chop.
To me, using marinades is a wonderful way to cook over the summer; letting meats soak overnight means effortless prep work that results in rich flavors. It also means my husband is in charge of the cooking…which leaves me with more time to focus on making sweet treats!
Pineapple Rum Marinade
For pork or beef. Makes 1 cup.
- ½ cup rum (such as Bacardi Light)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard or Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 2 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Combine ingredients and allow meat to marinate overnight. Grill meat to desired doneness, basting periodically.
I wish someone would give me a little book of tried-and-true marinades! Maybe that would make me want to cook meat more… either way, of everything, marinated pork is one of my favorites and this marinade sounds delicious! :)
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:03 pm
I’ll definitely share more of my FIL’s great marinades – he has a lot of great ones that would inspire you to cook meat more! I just love the simplicity behind marinades – it hardly feels like cooking!
How cute you two are! I can just see you on your tiny deck. This marinade sounds so flavorful…and would be a perfect fit for a summer menu. Thanks for sharing!
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:04 pm
Aw, it does bring back memories of a very different time in our lives! Pre-kids, pre-house, pre-humongous grill, LOL. But the recipe is still the same :)
I couldn’t imagine not having a grill. In the summer (and even during the winter), it’s pretty much the only thing we use.
I’ll be passing this wonderful looking marinade to the hubby because I’m sure he’ll love it on some pork! Actually, I might have to try it on some salmon… I’ll test it out and report back, but I think it’ll be just fantastic!
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:12 pm
Brian, I think you’ll enjoy this one – especially if you like rum. It’s definitely a little booze-y! Hope you guys try it and let me know how it works for you, especially if you try it on salmon. Sounds like a great idea!
A lovely memory about a little balcony. Those pork chops are finger lickin’ good!
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:17 pm
Thanks, Belinda :) Writing this brought back so many great memories about our little balcony!
I’m sure the pineapple juice acts as a tenderizer as well as the flavor in this marinade. Thanks for the great post.
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:18 pm
Carol, you’re absolutely right – the pineapple juice definitely helps to tenderize!
..this is so inspiring…marinades make a whole lot of difference when grilling….
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:23 pm
They really do! I’m finding that now that we’ve switched to gas grilling, marinades are really helpful for punching up the flavor!
I’m so jealous that you get to BBQ year-round. I mean, I could theoretically do the same, but it would mean going outside in knee-deep snow in the middle of January… and as much as I love BBQ, I don’t love it THAT much. :)
Thanks for sharing this wonderful marinade. I bet it would be really great on grilled chicken, too!
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:25 pm
Hi Isabelle! Well, truth be told, if we were to grill in the winter, we’d be really wet. Our winters are rainy rather than snowy, but I know that doesn’t stop many hardcore grillers! And I can’t complain because winter is fairly short lived here. The beauty of these marinades is you can still grill indoors on a grill pan or under the broiler :) And you’re right, this marinade will probably be great on chicken, too.
marinated pork is the way to go, such a big difference. Thanks for sharing
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:26 pm
It really is, Shree!
Yum Rum….my recipe would go….a little for me…a little for the marinade…a little more for me!
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:26 pm
Ah, I love the way you think!!!
I love grilling. We had grills at the apartment complex we used to live in and would truck up and down 3 flights of stairs and across the common grounds to use them. So worth the hassle. This marinade recipe looks delicious!
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:30 pm
Ah, the things we go through for grilling! I agree, it’s definitely worth it!
We are huge on marinades these days…I am working on an Asian bbq sauce. This recipe sounds awesome
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:30 pm
Ooh, sounds good! Looking forward to seeing your bbq sauce!
i am drooling over your porkchop!
here’s a side dish to your grilling recipes: am passing to your the VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD….
http://everythingsherbed.blogspot.com/2010/07/versatile-blogger-award.html
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:31 pm
Ela, thank you so much for stopping by and thank you for the award! I am so flattered!!!
Ooooh, sounds great! Into my recipe box this goes–thanks!
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:32 pm
Glad you like it!! Please let me know how it turns out :)
I will pass this on to my son, the grill master. Thanks Liren
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:32 pm
Hi Norma! Let me know what you (and your grill master son!) thinks! Hope you enjoy it :)
Those chops look awesome, Liren. It sounds like you married into a family with a fabulous grilling legacy. It’s great that you’re able to share them with us! :-)
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:33 pm
Jean, I really did. My FIL used to grill A LOT, and lucky for us, we have a lot of wonderful recipes from him!
I AM MAKING THIS!!!! Oh man, I have used your Pomegranate marinade more times than i can shake a stick at. I know for sure this will be golden. I’ll let you know how it turned out ;)
Liren replied: — July 31st, 2010 @ 10:34 pm
Jenn! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the Pomegranate marinade! We have, too :) This one is a little different, definitely a strong rum flavor, but very good! Let me know what you think!
Wow This pictures are great. Got to love go to recipes…
These pictures are haunting me… and reading marinade recipe don’t help, as it elevates cravings to the hilt! ahhh specially that pineapple juice, love it!
Liren replied: — August 3rd, 2010 @ 10:50 am
Thank you, Malou! Always happy to elicit cravings :)
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So glad you posted a marinade recipe, it sounds great. Now you’ve got me wanting to grill.
Liren replied: — August 3rd, 2010 @ 10:59 am
Glad you like it, Gitte! Hope you try it sometime – works well on an indoor grill pan, too!
wow Liren. this looks absolutely delish :) would love to try this at home. can imagine how well this suits Filipino taste :)
Liren replied: — August 9th, 2010 @ 7:41 am
Thella, it does suit Filipino tastes – it just has an extra punch from the rum!
This Pineapple Rum marinade not only looks/sounds amazing… but has completely opened my eyes about what is possible… :)
WOW! We just finished enjoying this excellent recipe. It was very creative and tasty! Instead of grilling it, we broiled the chops to make it a little easier (our grill is buried in about 4 ft of snow!). A third of a jalapeno spiced up the marinade just enough to give it a zing! We also cooked down the remainder of the marinade and used it as a sauce. Corn starch was a great thickening agent.
Thanks again for creating a perfect main dish! O yeah…we also enjoyed it with a fresh mojito….kind of like it was July!
Liren replied: — March 1st, 2011 @ 1:20 pm
Hi Eric and Amanda! It makes me so happy to know you enjoyed the recipe. Love how you brought your summer grilling indoors, and next time I make it, I will try the jalapeno as well :) Thanks so much for writing!