WHITE WINE MARINATED PORK CHOPS

MARINADE:
½ c. dry white wine
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
¼ c. roughly chopped fresh thyme
1 TB minced garlic
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops, each about ¾-1” thick

SALSA:
2 medium ears corn
Extra virgin olive oil
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped **
2 TB finely chopped basil or fresh Italian parsley
2 t. sherry vinegar
¼ t. kosher salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ c. crumbled goat cheese or feta, optional

In a medium bowl whisk the marinade ingredients. Put the chops in a large ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag, seal it tightly, and turn several times to evenly distribute the marinade. Put the bag in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, turning once or twice.

Heat the grill to medium (350-450 degrees). Lightly brush the corn with oil and grill over direct heat until browned in spots, about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. When the corn is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs. In a medium bowl, stir together all the salsa ingredients and set aside.

Increase the grill to high (450-550 degrees). Allow the chops to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. Remove them from the bag and wipe off most of the marinade; discard remaining marinade. Grill over direct heat until barely pink in the center of the meat, 6-8 minutes, turning once. Let rest for 3-5 minutes. Spoon salsa over the chops and serve warm.

** The original recipe called for red bell peppers instead of tomatoes and parsley instead of basil. If you like the flavor of bell peppers, then grill them until they are blackened, put them in a ziplock bag for 10 minutes to loosen the skin, remove the skin and seeds and chop.