Pork Loin Chop Marinade, Old South African

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apricot, loosely thrown in, not pressed into the cup
• 3 large onions, sliced into thin rings or 4 small onions, sliced into thin rings
• 2 cups vinegar, which can be 1 cup wine and 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 12 well-bruised lemon leaves or 6 slices lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon fresh mild curry powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon spices, such as cardamom, cumin, anise and peppercorns or genuine fresh masala

Directions

1. 1

   Boil the apricots in water until soft. Enough water should be in the pot to allow you to pureé the apricots in a blender when soft.

2. 2

   At the same time, boil the onions in the vinegar until tender.

3. 3

   In the meantime, crush and mix together the spices mentioned, plus the sugar. Exact spices or quantities are not that important.

4. 4

   The apricots cook quickly. Mash or pureé them, add to the boiling onion mixture, then add the spice-sugar mixture.

5. 5

   Cool mixture to room temperature. Do not worry about the extreme sourness of the mixture -- you are not going to eat it!

6. 6

   This is enough to marinate 8 - 12 loin chops, depending on size and thickness. I prefer fairly thick chops.

7. 7

   Use a glass, ceramic or porcelain dish, and ladle some of the mixture into the bottom and spread it all over. If your mixture is very thick, add a little water, but it must be fairly thick and not watery!

8. 8

   Pack in a layer of chops tightly together. Layer over more marinade, and add the rest of the chops. Top with the last of the marinade.

9. 9

   How you do it, will depend on the size of your container and number of chops. Make sure all chops are in contact with the marinade.

10. 10

    Cover with plastic film and keep in the fridge. It's a good idea to turn and re-pack them once, to make sure every bit is marinated.

11. 11

    You can safely marinate them for at least 3 days and up to 7, 8 days in the fridge. They only get better!

12. 12

    To use: Scrape off the marinade with a spatula, and discard. You don't have to scrape them frantically, just get rid of most of the marinade.

13. 13

    It's by far the best to grill them over coals or charcoal. Don't overcook! Only use salt after grilling.