---
title: "Deboned pork loin chops on the braai with orange, rosemary and cinnamon"
description: "Pork loin chops cut thick and served with the bone cut away have become a common sight in butcheries; or ask your butcher to cut and trim them for you."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "WHAT’S COOKING"
author: "Tony Jackman"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tonyjackman/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-19-whats-cooking-today-deboned-pork-loin-chops-on-the-braai/"
published: "2026-02-19T11:00:39"
updated: "2026-02-17T11:35:49"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 278
---

# Deboned pork loin chops on the braai with orange, rosemary and cinnamon

> Pork loin chops cut thick and served with the bone cut away have become a common sight in butcheries; or ask your butcher to cut and trim them for you.

By Tony Jackman · Published 19 February 2026, 13:00 SAST · Updated 17 February 2026, 13:35 SAST

## Content

Pork needs a careful touch and a slow cook high above the coals. Pork loin chops are pleasantly meaty, with a glorious cap of fat that can be allowed to crisp to golden satisfaction. Try giving them a harsh, super-hot singeing first, then raise the grid really high and let them cook towards the edge of the grill until tender and no longer pink at the centre.

These have a nice zesty flavour from orange and some herby punch from rosemary, and a cinnamon hit for a sweetly spicy finish. Don’t be afraid of mixing herbs with spices; the combinations often add to a dish’s umami.

**Ingredients**

4 pork loin chops, deboned

Juice and zest of 1 orange

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 or 3 fresh rosemary sprigs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Salt and black pepper to taste

**Method**

Mix together the juice, oil, zest, cinnamon and the needles pulled off the rosemary sprigs. Douse the pork chops in this and let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Remove from the fridge an hour before cooking.

Have lots of hot coals ready. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chops close to very hot coals for 2 or 3 minutes per side, and let them catch some flames if you have them.

Raise the grid high and place the chops near the edges of the grid. Let them cook until cooked through but tender, turning once or twice. Be careful not to leave them too long: push down in the centre with a finger; they should be soft but pliable, not hard at all. **DM**

*Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram [@tony\_jackman\_cooks](https://www.instagram.com/tony_jackman_cooks/).*