From smoked porter fajitas to blue berry stout jam, I love cooking with beer and experimenting with flavor profiles. We just got back from Yosemite, and the fridge was looking pretty sad when we got home. Last night was not a good one for shopping, so I had very little to work with when I got home. Fortunately, I’m a bit touched in the head and came up with a really nice recipe for some beer pork chops. I really loved the flavor and simplicity of the dish.
Belgian dubbels are known for their plum, dried fruit, and complex mineral character—at least the Trappist varieties. I recently brewed one and am giving it some aging time, but I figured that I could steal a bit from the fermenter. I also happened to get some figs from a co-worker and had some plums from before we left. Then the idea for pork chops with fig, plum, and dubbel hit me. It turned out very nicely while having the right amount of sweet and savory qualities, so I thought I’d share the recipe.
- 2 to 4 pork chops (mine were about 1/4 of an inch thick)
- 1/2 to 1 whole Onion
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Plum
- 1 to 2 figs
- Pinch of Sea Salt (to Taste)
- Pinch of Freshly Ground Pepper
- 1 to 3 teaspoons sugar (according to your desired level of sweetness)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Basil
- Dash of Balsamic Vinegar
- Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 1/2 Cups Belgian Dubbel
- Olive Oil
Start by searing the chops in hot olive oil. Salt and pepper them as you are searing each side for a minute or so. Add the onion (I like to to make half rings) and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly soft. After the onions have cooked for the 3 minutes, add the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Make sure to flip the chops when adding the garlic. Mix all liquids together while cooking occurs. After the garlic and onion have cooked for a few minutes, add the figs and plums. I like to quarter the figs and slice the plums thinly. Add the sugar as well. Cook for a few minutes and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for about 5 minutes and pull the chops out. Reduce the rest until the liquid becomes thicker (5 min or so) and add the chops back in to glaze them. Serve them and enjoy!
