👨‍🍳🧑‍🍳 Happy Sunday, Chefs!

The unofficial kickoff to grilling season is finally pulling into the driveway. Memorial Day Weekend is one week away, and honestly? We’re already dreaming about smoke rolling off the grill and that first glass of red wine hitting the patio table. 🍷🔥

This week’s obsession: smoky grilled pork chops glazed in sticky orange-soy lacquer, kissed by live fire, and built for long backyard dinners that somehow turn into midnight conversations.

The char. The glaze. The flare-ups. The cold drinks nearby. This is the kind of cooking summer was made for.

We’ll be letting loose all week with backyard BBQ recipe drops, grill-friendly favorites, and a few dangerously good marinades along the way.

👇 Scroll down and start marinating your first round.

Cheers,
~thebacklabel crew🍷🔥

Recipe By: @MeatChurch

WATCH the Video!

🔥🍔 Fun Fact: Memorial Day Weekend moves nearly 800 million pounds of meat across American grills every year. Backyard smoke practically becomes the unofficial scent of summer.

14 pork chops, thick cut
Meat Church Holy Gospel to taste

Marinade:
1 1/2 Cup orange juice
3/4 Cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper

1️⃣ 👨‍🍳🔥 Prepare the Marinade
Whisk together the orange-soy marinade until glossy, savory, and smelling like the kind of dinner that deserves a really good Pinot nearby. 🍊🍷

2️⃣ 🥩 Marinate the Pork Chops
Slide the pork chops into a ziplock bag or container and completely coat them in the marinade. Let them soak up all that sweet-salty magic in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

3️⃣ 🔥 Fire Up The Grill
Build your grill for direct heat cooking. Pellet grill? Set it to 450°. Open-fire setup with cherry wood and a Santa Maria grill? Even better. That smoky fruitwood situation is serious chef behavior.

4️⃣ 🧂 Prep The Chops
Pull the pork chops from the marinade and season generously with Meat Church Holy Gospel. Bold, smoky, savory energy only.

5️⃣ 🍯 Reduce The Marinade
Pour the leftover marinade into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 12–15 minutes until thickened into a sticky, lacquered glaze worthy of a steakhouse happy hour.

6️⃣ 🖌️ Glaze Like You Mean It
Brush one side of the pork chops with the reduced glaze before they hit the grill. Save extra for layering flavor while cooking.

7️⃣ 🔥 Grill The Pork Chops
Place the chops glaze-side down onto the grill grates, then immediately brush the other side with more glaze.

Flip and rotate every 45 seconds or so for even cooking and caramelized edges. If you’re cooking Santa Maria-style, raise or lower the grate as needed to dodge flare-ups and keep the glaze from going rogue.

8️⃣ 🌡️ Cook To Temp
Grill until the pork chops hit 140° internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer. They’ll coast right into the perfect 145° while resting.

9️⃣ ⏳ Let Them Rest
Pull the chops from the grill and let them rest for at least 5 minutes. This is where the juices settle down and the smoky-orange glaze gets extra glossy.

🔟 🍊 Final Move
Optional but highly encouraged: drizzle a little more reduced glaze over the top before serving. Best enjoyed with grilled vegetables, cold wine, and somebody stealing bites off your plate. 🍷🔥

🍷 Your inbox happy hour is here — we’ve curated a mix of cozy recipes, smart splurges, travel tips, and good vibes. All flavor, no fluff. Grab a glass and scroll for the good stuff. ✨