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Armenian Grilled Pork with Pepper Sauce
To recreate khorovats, or Armenian barbecue, we used thick-cut, bone-in pork chops, marinated them in a mix of onion and oregano, then grilled them with wood chips to infuse the pork with smokiness. Bone-in, blade-end pork loin chops are the best cut for this recipe because they contain a good amount of fat, which keeps the meat moist and flavorful; rib chops will work, too, but because they are leaner, it’s important not to overcook them. The sauce that accompanies these chops was inspired by an Armenian grilled vegetable recipe called summer khorovats. It's excellent with any grilled pork or chicken. You will need an 8-inch square disposable foil pan for cooking the vegetables. Khorovats is traditionally accompanied with warmed lavash.
4
Servings
Tip
Don't soak the wood chips before wrapping them in foil. Dry chips smoke more readily, which is desirable for quick-cooking foods such as pork chops. After placing the pork on the grill, don't open the lid for 10 minutes. This allows the smoke to collect and create a more intense smokiness in the chops.
1 hour
plus marinating
For the pork chops:
-
¼
cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
-
01To prepare the chops, in a food processor, combine the oil, onion, oregano, 2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Process to form a coarse paste, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Using a paring knife, make verticals cuts spaced about ½ inch apart into the fat on each chop. Add the chops to the onion paste and turn to coat, rubbing the mixture into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before heating the grill.
Reviews
September 8, 2026
It's all about the sauce
Over many trials, I never found the marinating of the pork to do anything worthwhile, so I just grill them the way I always have. But the sauce, THE SAUCE! OMG! The sauce is fantastic! You could eat your shoes with this sauce! Extra sauce is great on an omelette. It's great on anything you've got. It's even good as a soup. I've always used Anaheim chiles because those are the only variety I can find. But really, this sauce is what makes the recipe fabulous.
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Rather than grilled can this be roasted or pan cooked?