Dr. Pepper Pork Chops with Barbecue Macaroni salad

Dr. Pepper Pork Chops with Barbecue Macaroni salad

Why this recipe works: the caramel and vanilla flavor combination fond in Dr. Pepper works just as well with pork as it does straight out of the can. Here, we turn the soft drink into a glaze by reducing it in the skillet with a few other ingredients: brown sugar, which plays up the tasty undertones of the Dr. Pepper; orange juice, the acidity of which balance out the Dr. Pepper’s sweetness; and Dijon mustard, which gives the glaze a smooth constancy.

Dr. Pepper Pork chops with Barbecue Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup elbow macaroni salt and pepper

¹_/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 scallions, sliced thin

1 teaspoon chili powder

4 bone – in rib or center – cut pork chops (8 to 10 ounces each), ¾ to 1 inch thick

¼ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup Dr. Pepper

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Procedures:

1. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in pot. Add macaroni and ½ tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until tender. Drain macaroni in colander and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain briefly, so that macaroni is still moist, then transfer to large bowl. Add mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, scallions, and chili powder to bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper
2. Meanwhile, pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Combine orange juice, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and Dr. Pepper in medium bowl. Heat oil in large skillet over medium – high heat until just smoking. Cook chops until well browned and chops register 130 degrees, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.
3. Pour off excess fat from pan, then add Dr. Pepper mixture, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until sauce is syrupy, about 6 minutes. Return chops and accumulated juices to pan. Continue to cook, turning chops often, until chops are glazed and register 145 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve chops with macaroni salad.

Smart shopping Bottled Barbecue sauce

Whether you use it to baste, dip, or slather, chances are you have a bottle of barbecue sauce tucked into the door of your refrigerator. But is it the best – tasting brand? To find out, we gathered eight national brand and asked 21 tasters to sample each sauce both raw and cooked. Barbecue styles vary greatly by region, but we’d argue there’s an all – American supermarket style. It’s a little on the sweet side and balances tang, smoke, and tomato flavor. You can use it like ketchup. The sauces that fit that profile rated better in our tasting than did those closer to authentic regional barbecue styles. Bull’s – Eye original barbecue sauce emerged victorious, with tasters praising it as “fresh tasting, smoky, and tomatoey,” “tangy,” and with a “good balance of smoky and sweet.” “Almost perfect,” one taster noted.