Spiced Grilled Pork Chops with Charred Corn Salad

Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

Charred Corn Salad:
2 cups corn kernels (2 ears of corn)
1 small jalapeño seeded and minced
1/4 cup red onion diced, ¼ inch dice
1/4 cup cucumber diced, seeded and ¼ inch dice
1/4 cup bell pepper diced, ¼ inch dice
1/2 cup baby tomatoes quartered
1/2 avocado ¼ inch dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice plus zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

Spiced Pork Chops:
2 pounds bone-in pork chops (6 portions, ½-inch thick)
kosher salt as needed for seasoning
Pepper freshly ground, as needed for seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
olive oil as needed for pork

INSTRUCTIONS

Charred Corn Salad:
Lightly brush each corn cob with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.
Heat grill to high heat. Add a small amount of vegetable oil on a folded piece of paper towel, and then carefully grease the grill with the oil. Once the grill is nice and hot, add the corn. Close lid and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping and covering, about 12 minutes total. You want to achieve some char marks on each side. Set corn aside and allow to cool enough to handle. Carefully cut the corn kernels off the cob on a cutting board. Reduce grill heat to medium high.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the corn, jalapeno, red onion, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, avocado, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lime zest, lime juice and cilantro. Toss together and season with salt and pepper as desired. Set aside and make the pork.

Spiced Pork Chops:
Generously season both sides of the pork chop with salt and pepper. In a small bowl mix the garlic powder, cumin, cayenne powder, and paprika. Sprinkle each side of the pork chops with about ¼ teaspoon of spice mix on each side. Lightly brush both sides of the pork with olive oil.
Set grill to medium high heat. Cook first side of pork covered, for about 3 minutes. Flip over and cook uncovered another 1-2 minutes, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 135-140°F, or until no longer pink. Remove the pork from the grill and transfer to a clean plate. Serve warm with charred corn salad.

From jessicagavin.com