Recipe: Grilled Pork Chops with Coffee Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fine sea salt, plus more for seasoning pork
- 2 lb. pork shops, preferably center cut
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Coffee Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
- COFFEE BARBECUE SAUCE
- 1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong, dark coffee
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped, about 1 cup
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 3 fresh hot chili peppers, such as jalapeño, or hotter if desired, seeded
- 2 tablespoons hot dry mustard mixed with 1 tablespoon warm water
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
Preparation
Pour 1 quart of water into a deep container. Add the salt and stir until it’s dissolved. Put the pork chops in the solution, submerging them completely and weighting them down with a plate if necessary. Refrigerate for at least 12 and no more than 24 hours.
Remove the chops from the brine and pat them dry with paper towels. Prepare an outdoor grill or preheat a grill pan over high heat on the stovetop.
Season the chops with salt and pepper, and put them on the grill over direct heat. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, or less if the chops are thinly cut. After turning the chops, baste them with coffee barbecue sauce, letting the sauce caramelize onto the pork. Serve from a platter with extra barbecue sauce alongside.
COFFEE BARBECUE SAUCE
Put all of the ingredients in a small pot, stir them together and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat so the mixture is just simmering and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pot form the heat, let the mixture cool and puree it in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade. The barbecue sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.