Rosemary-Lemon Pork Chops with Ember-Smoked Butter

Instructions

• 01 Mix the marinade ingredients, including 1¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Coat the pork chops all over with the marinade, place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Meanwhile, make the butter.
• 02 In a medium bowl mash the butter ingredients, including ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, with the back of a fork. Form the mixture into a log, 3 to 4 inches long. Set the log in the bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• 03 Prepare the charcoal grill with all-natural lump charcoal for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 450°F).
• 04 Lift the pork chops from the bowl, allowing the excess marinade to drip off, and discard the marinade. Grill the chops over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until still slightly pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a metal tray and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut the butter lengthwise into four long pieces and set each one on top of a pork chop. Using long-handled tongs, lift an ember, about the size of an orange, from the bed of charcoal and very carefully set the burning ember on top of each piece of butter for 1 to 2 seconds. The butter will smoke and melt. Return the burning ember to the grill. Serve the pork chops right away.