The dreaded culinary routine has crept up on us. I’m sure you’re familiar with it; the family-favorites – deemed so because of their consistent tastiness and familiarity – fall into a tedious rotation. We buy the same ingredients during each trip to the grocery store, so that we can make the same dishes at home.
In an effort to interrupt the cycle before it settled in, I bought pork chops.
I wanted ingredients rarely used in our routine cooking, but that I would still find in the pantry. So on the menu: grilled pork chops with a coffee and molasses glaze. On the side, some wild rice and a plum-radicchio salad. It hit the spot.
Molasses-Coffee glazed Pork Chops
Serves 4
Ingredients
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup strong coffee
1/2 tsp ground ginger
6 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp dijon mustard
4, 1 inch thick pork chops
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and place in the fridge overnight, or at least 2 hours.
2. When ready to eat, heat the grill until hot.
3. Remove the pork chops from the plastic bag, placing the marinade into a saucepan.
4. Grill the pork chops for approximately five minutes a side, or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 145 oF (much more accurate measurement that insures cooked meat). Let it rest for 5 minutes, tented with foil.
3. Meanwhile, heat the saucepan on high, stirring constantly. The mixture should reduce to about 1/2 cup and become thick (note: it’s a glaze, it should be sweet).
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown’s Molasses Pork Chops.
La Petite Pistache 