Antigua Pork Chops and Bacon-Wrapped Bananas

August 27: National Pork Chop Day

In more than a decade of blogging, we have tried to cook recipes to match certain national holidays or months. Within that time of 10 years, there seems to be new food holidays coming up, like National Pork Chop Day. 

So as we continue to “cook our way through the calendar/countries,” we decided to try a pork chop recipe from Antigua and Barbuda. They seem to be regular pork chops seasoned with the usual salt and pepper with the addition of lemon juice and cumin. The savory meat is complemented by its sweet accompaniment, the bacon-wrapped bananas, which turns this basic recipe into a unique tropical treat. 

For this food holiday, National Pork Chops Day, try cooking a Caribbean-inspired dish: Antigua pork chops and bacon-wrapped bananas.

Recipe
(Adapted from Food.com)

For the pork chops

  • 4 pork chops
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • ¾ tablespoon cumin
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the bacon-wrapped bananas

  • Slices of bacon, cut into segments
  • 2 bananas, cut into 1-inch chunks (or width, not length, of bacon)
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Directions

In a small bowl, cream the butter with the cumin, salt and pepper.  Rub the mixture over both sides of all the pork chops. Set aside.

Cut the bananas and put the chunks in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over them to prevent from browning. In a skillet, fry the bacon for a few minutes just to render out the fat. Do not cook all the way so the slices are still bendable. Drain on paper towels and cool slightly. Wrap the bacon around each banana chunks. 

Put the bacon-wrapped shrimp on four skewers (one for each pork chop). Meanwhile, fire up the grill and cook the pork chops for around 7-8 minutes per side, allowing for good char marks. After about 15 minutes, lower the grill heat to medium low and place the bacon-wrapped banana skewers on the grill. Turn the pork chops and skewers occasionally and make sure that the chops and bacon are cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the chops of they will dry out. Transfer the cooked chops and bacon-wrapped bananas to a plate to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Be sure to pick harder bananas for this recipe. Softer fruit can turn mushy when wrapping the bacon around the slices and may fall off the skewers when grilling.
  • Search our blog for other pork chop recipes.