Strawberry Pork Chop Fiesta

Ingredients

• 4 boneless top loin pork chops, cut 1 inch thick (about 1 3/4 pounds total)
• 4 tablespoons bottled roasted red bell pepper, chopped and well drained
• 4 tablespoons frozen artichoke hearts, chopped and thawed
• 8 teaspoons cream cheese
• 8 to 12 bottled pickled jalapeno nacho-style slices
• 2 large strawberries, thinly sliced
• 1 12-ounce package center-cut bacon, thinly sliced (16 slices)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  Honey Mustard Sauce

• 1/4 cup beer
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

Directions

1. For honey mustard sauce, combine beer, honey and mustard in a small sauce pan. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened and reduced by 1/3. Stir occasionally to prevent over boiling. Makes about 1/4 cup.

2. If necessary, trim and discard surface fat from pork chops. Place pork chops on cutting board. Cover chops with plastic wrap. Starting from the narrow end of each pork chop, pound chops to 1/4 inch thickness using the flat side of a meat mallet. Remove plastic wrap.

3. Near a narrow end of each flattened pork chop, layer 1 tablespoon of roasted pepper, 1 tablespoon artichoke hearts, 2 teaspoons cream cheese, 2 or 3 slices of jalapeno, and 2 or 3 slices of strawberries. Tightly roll pork to enclose filling ingredients. Set rolls aside.

4. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on work surface. Lay out 4 slices of bacon by placing them 1/4 inch on top of each other in a shingled fashion. Near a short edge of the shingled bacon, place 1 pork roll. Using the plastic wrap to help lift bacon, roll bacon around pork roll. Remove plastic wrap and set bacon-wrapped pork roll aside. Repeat wrapping remaining pork rolls with remaining bacon.

5. Preheat gas grill to medium heat for direct grilling. Cut two 14 x 16 inch pieces of heavy foil. Place 2 pork rolls, end to end with seam sides down, on center of each piece of foil. Drizzle balsamic vinegar evenly over pork rolls. To make packets, bring up 2 opposite sides of foil; fold down to close, making 2 or 3 tight folds. Fold remaining opposite ends to close. Place foil packets, folded seam up, on grill rack.

6. Close lid and grill for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F. Remove foil packets from grill and remove foil from pork rolls; discard juices and foil. Return pork rolls to grill, brush with mustard sauce. Continue grilling, uncovered for 2 to 4 minutes or until bacon is crisp, turning occasionally (watch carefully, bacon drippings may cause flames).

7. Transfer pork rolls to carving board. Loosely cover with foil; let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 3/4 inch thick slices; serve with remaining mustard sauce.

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings as an appetizer

Source: Guy Fieri and NPB.