Go Ahead - Shop at a Discount Grocery & Some Pork Chops

Discount grocery stores are fantastic.  If you've never shopped at one, do it!  Most cities have at least one (Hattiesburg has two), and I imagine larger cities have many to choose from.  Check out my haul from the local E&B Grocery.  All of it for twenty dollars.


3 Boxes of Kashi cereal
4 Boxes of Wolfgan Puck organic chicken broth
2 Containers of Tropicana orange juice
2 Bottles of Pellegino
Back to Nature granola
Celestial Seasons white tea
Grey Poupon mustard
Lucini Pinot Grigio vinegar
Annie's organic dressing
Barilla whole grain pasta
½ lb organic spring mix


Items typically sold at discount stores are damaged (think dented cans), slightly expired (one to two months), or discontiued.  They are great places to pick up gourmet pantry items.  And remember, they are going to be hit or miss. I wouldn't suggest you treat a discount grocery like your regular grocery store.  Below is a list of tips to get the most out of a trip.


1.  Find out when the store gets their merchandise in.  The E&B gets merchandise on Thursday, so the best shopping days (as far as selection) is either Thursday or Friday.
2.  Check expiration dates.  A lot of the merchandise is slightly expired, say a month or two, but be careful, I once bought a box of cereal that had been expired over 12 months.
3.  Know your prices and don't buy common staples.  These stores know what people are most likely to buy, and they tend not to discount those items as much (or at all). Sometimes an item is the same price or less at a regular grocery store.  
4.  Hunt for unusual items; items people do not buy on a weekly basis.  Think gourmet mustard, hot sauce, specialty vinegar, salad dressing, herbal tea, and chocolate bars.  And it may be my location, but I alway seem to find great deals on organic, whole-grain cereal.  

Now for those pork chops (no, I did not purchase these at the E&B).  It is still grilling season in southern Mississippi, so forgive me norther dwellers, but this is another grilling recipe.  And due to the nature of the rub, I wouldn't suggest cooking them any other way. The rub is a combination of freshly chopped herbs, muddled together with garlic, lemon, and oil.  The muddling process helps the herbs release their fragrant oils for a big flavor punch.  The chops smelled delicious even before putting them on the grill; my whole kitchen smelled of garlic, tarragon, rosemary, and parsley.  


Herb Marinated Pork Chops


3-4 bone in pork chops, 2-3 lbs.
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Juice from 1 lemon
Zest from ½ a lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


With a mortar and pestle muddle the fresh chopped herbs, the chopped garlic, the lemon zest, juice from half a lemon, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes.  

Pat the chops dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Spread the herb rub over the chops, again covering both sides.  Drizzle with the remaining lemon juice and olive oil. Cover and let the chops marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator (the longer the better).  Bring the chops to room temperature before grilling.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill (see below) for direct grilling over medium heat.


Charcoal Grill
Ignite the coals.  When they turn ashen-white arrange the coals evenly over the fire bed.  A medium temperature grill is achieved when the coals are very mature, with no visible flame.  Place the chops directly over the coals, positioning the bones over the hottest part of the grill.  Cook 4-5 minutes each side, basting with any reserved rub.

Gas Grill
Preheat the grill, set to medium.  Grill the chops directly over the heating elements, positioning the bones over the hottest part of the grill. Cook 4-5 minutes each side, basting with any reserved rub.

Serve immediately.