Go ahead, lick your fingers: Pork Chops with Homemade Citrus Barbeque Sauce

Is it impacting your appetite that we feel the need to include pictures of our beautiful baby boy? Well, not to worry… he’s not on the menu. I’m not one of those mothers who thinks their baby is so cute she feels the need to devour him.

If you can tear your eyes away from our little peach (I know I stare at him all the time!), you might notice the succulent barbequed pork loin floating above his head. That, friends, is also worth gazing at. And it’s even more worth consuming.

You know I always rave about my husband’s cooking, so the fact that I enjoyed this barbeque sauce and the pork loin it was slathered on is no surprise. But what might really sell this recipe is the fact that my husband — usually unduly modest — is quite nuts about it, too. Yes, while smacking his satisfied lips together and licking his sauce-covered fingers, he declared: “This may be the best barbeque sauce I’ve had. And I made it!”

Well, there you have it. It’s thick, it’s slightly sweet, it has a subtle citrus kick, and it’s excellent as a coating for the meat of your choice (personally, I’m a pork person). If you’re still hanging onto the nice weather we’ve experienced — which, sadly, is supposed to retreat today! — fire up the barbeque and whip up some of this sauce. It’s endorsed by me… and the husband!

Click here to download the recipe for Pork Chops w/ Citrus Barbeque Sauce.

Backgrounder…

Okay, so I’ve actually been cooking a lot and even working on new recipes for the blog. Yet, well, someone should have told me about the little things about being a father. The most important thing I’ve learned so far, and will share with Jack when it’s his turn to be daddy, is that sometimes babies cry — hard. So hard, in fact, that you’d think you were chopping their arms off… yet by all known standards and practices, best efforts, due diligence, etc., nothing is wrong. So, this little nugget has made me exhausted every time I’ve sat down to write about the joys of cooking. As a result (and with apologies) I’ve neglected you dedicated readers of My Husband Cooks.

However, there is nothing like late hours, loss of sleep and cleaning the kitchen at odd hours to make you see your cooking in new ways. This is sort of how this recipe came to me. I’ve digressed in some ways to my first love — Southwestern cuisine. It’s what first got me into cooking. What is better than the simple flavors of meat and cheese with spices like cumin, coriander, and chilies, along with fresh vegetables? It makes me even salivate thinking about it. But it’s been years since I’ve come at this with fresh eyes.

My inspiration was tropical flavors. I’ve been experimenting with the intense sweetness of flavors associated with Hawaii and the Caribbean (i.e. I’ve been wrapping things up in banana leaves and trying to find ways to really perfect those new (to me) flavors).

The barbeque sauce I created, however, is actually an intersection of flavors – including a hint of Japanese flavor. The sauce is built upon citrus and brown sugar and enhanced by ponzu. Ponzu, a citrus-flavored sauce similar to soy sauce, brings salt and enhances the underlying flavors with a bit of tanginess. My sauce also has oregano and cilantro common to Latin, especially Cuban, food. Finally, this sauce has none of the extra molasses, ketchup, or tomatoes that you see in traditional sauces, so it has a distinct flavor that I think puts it over the top.

Seriously, I like this sauce so much that I’m hesitant to even post this recipe. I feel like it’s a potential gold mine. But alas, what I do for my art and my readers! We miss you and thanks for sticking with us during this transition. We are trying to make it worth it for you.

Pork Chops with Homemade Citrus Barbeque Sauce
Ingredients:
4 pork loin chops

Sauce:
1/2 medium yellow onion (diced)
1 jalapeño (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup ponzu
1 cup fresh orange juice (approx. 3 large navel oranges)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (approx 8 key limes)
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 tbsp. fresh oregano (chopped)
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt
pepper

Brine:
2 qt. water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup black peppercorns

Directions:
1. In a large pot or similar vessel, combine the brine ingredients along with the chops. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Make the sauce:
2. Coat the bottom of a medium-size sauce pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and let heat for 30 seconds. Add the onions and salt liberally. Let cook until the onions begin to yellow slightly. Add the jalapeño and garlic and continue to cook until the onions begin to brown.

3. Add the juices, ponzu and sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and continue to reduce by about half or until the sauce is viscous, about 20 minutes. A visual key is more reliable than time elapsed: Watch the way the sauce reacts to being stirred. Drag the spoon across the bottom of the pan; you should glimpse the pan’s bottom as you drag your spoon through the thickened liquid. It should also easily coat the back of a metal spoon. Be sure to stir often and watch the temperature because as the sauce reduces the sugars will start to caramelize and bubble. You may need to stir to break up the bubbles or turn down the heat.

4. Once the sauce has reduced, remove it from the heat, add the cilantro and oregano, and let cool for about 10 to 15 min. Once it’s no longer burning hot, blend with either a hand mixer or a blender. In this version, I used a hand mixer, but my preference is for the blender since it gives barbeque sauce a better consistency. Once the sauce is smooth, it can be bottled and refrigerated for up to a week. Note, if it’s too thick after being refrigerated, warm in the microwave for 30 seconds and add a tablespoon of water. Mix together by shaking or stirring and the sauce should return to form.

5. Remove the chops from the brine and coat both sides with the sauce. My preference is for letting it rest and marinate for an hour, but it can go directly to heat from here.

6. Heat your grill to medium. Place the chops on the heat and cook for about 5-7 min per side with the lid on. After flipping, brush a bit more sauce. You are looking for an internal temperature of about 155F (done is 160F) when you remove it from the heat. For best results, let rest for 5 min before serving along with a small sample of the remaining sauce. Enjoy!