Guy’s dream dinner. Fellas, cook this with the buddies. Ladies, win over your man’s heart with this pork and beer specialty.
Every now and then when I’m digging through the pantry seeking the perfect extra ingredient to add to a sauce, I stumble upon my Brer Rabbit Molasses. Before I even have time to lay it down on the counter next to my simmering saucepan, my husband always chants out in a girlish tone, “Sweet sassy molassy!” His childlike excitement escalates upon realizing its a pork chop night. He hovers over my shoulder as he watches me concoct a sweet sauce with a splash of spice. The recipe below uses typical ingredients for many barbecue sauces with the exception of ketchup or any other tomato based substance. With this dish, I wanted to enhance the caramelized flavors on the pork glaze. Keeping these factors in mind, I know I will certainly have a pleased audience combining the tasty trio : sweet, spicy, pork.
Although I generally pair each dish with a wine, I have to admit that this dish tastes best with an India Pale Ale. Craft beers have infiltrated the market of alcoholic beverages. Consumers continue to ditch lighter lager drinks like Budweiser in exchange for flavorful and hoppy beers like IPA. In my opinion, IPA is like the California Cab of craft beer. The extra hops add a bitterness similar to the tannins in a Cab. The honey notes in the IPA provide a sweet sensation that meets the pork glaze at the altar for a perfect marriage. Recommendation: Southern Tier Brewery – Unearthly IPA
Sweet Sassy Molassy Pork Chops
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup Sweet & hot mustard (or any other specialty mustard on hand)
- Vegetable Oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- Chipotle chile in adobo – just adobo sauce 1-2 tbsp
- 2 pork chops
Grill over medium high heat, sear each side for about 2 -3 minutes. Flip once and cover for 5-10 minutes. Total cooking time 10-15 minutes to desired doneness. I served with grilled potatoes seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Grilled corn would also be a tasty accompaniment.
