Grilled Pork Kabobs with Spicy Peanut Butter, Sesame, and Soy Sauce Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. thick pork loin chops, fat trimmed and cut into pieces about 1 inch by 2 inches
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 T lime juice
• 2 T smooth peanut butter
• 2 tsp. finely minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Cut away any visible fat from the pork chops, then slice the meat into pieces about 1 inch by 2 inches. Each trimmed chop should end up in about 4 strips cut crosswise.
2. In a bowl, add the red wine vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, lime juice, and peanut butter. Whisk until the peanut butter has fully blended into the liquids; it may need a bit of determined stirring before it turns smooth.
3. Once the marinade is uniform, whisk in the finely minced garlic and red pepper flakes.
4. Place the pork pieces in a Ziploc bag or a plastic container with a snap-on lid, then add the marinade.
5. Refrigerate the pork for 6-8 hours, turning it a few times during that window if you are around.
6. When it is time to grill, take the pork out of the refrigerator and pour off the marinade. A colander set in the sink works well for draining the pieces.
7. Slide the pork onto skewers, folding each strip over as you thread it so the pieces stay put instead of rotating while they cook.
8. While you coat the grill with olive oil or non-stick grilling spray and heat it to medium-high, let the pork sit out briefly. At that temperature, you should only be able to hold your hand over the heat for 2-3 seconds.
9. Grill the kabobs, using tongs to turn them several times so every side picks up good grill marks.
10. The kabobs are ready when the pork is firm without feeling tough, or when an instant-read thermometer registers 160F/70C.
11. The grilling time was about 15 minutes, but it will vary depending on how hot your grill is and how cold the pork is when it goes on.
12. Serve hot.