By Fourth of July. The annual Robinson production. Daddy at the grill since dawn. MawMaw Shirley's potato salad in the cooler. Mama's sides covering every flat surface in the kitchen. My watermelon agua fresca — now in its third year, which means, by MawMaw Shirley's rule of three, it is officially a tradition. "Once is an idea. Twice is a pattern. Three times is a law." The agua fresca is law.
MawMaw Shirley came, Daddy driving. She wore a red, white, and blue scarf that she has worn every Fourth of July for as long as I can remember, and the scarf is older than I am and more patriotic. She sat in the lawn chair under the pecan tree and held court — MawMaw Shirley does not attend gatherings, she presides over them — and everyone came to her the way planets orbit a sun, drawn by gravity that is not physical but spiritual, the pull of a woman who has fed you and therefore owns a piece of your loyalty forever.
Jamal FaceTimed. Jalen, now twenty months, appeared on screen eating something Jamal described as "a chicken nugget situation." Mama said, "Boy, that child needs vegetables." Jamal said, "He had a green bean yesterday." Mama closed her eyes. MawMaw Shirley, from her chair, said, "One green bean is not vegetables. Bring that baby to me." She means it. She wants Jalen in her kitchen. She wants to feed him properly. She wants to begin the process that she began with me — the step stool, the roux, the slow education of a Robinson child in the ways of the kitchen. Jalen is too young for the step stool. But MawMaw Shirley is planning ahead, the way she always plans ahead, because planning is what you do when the future matters and MawMaw Shirley's future is Jalen and me and whoever comes next.
The ribs were exceptional. Daddy smoked them for eight hours. The meat surrendered. The barbecue sauce was Daddy's own — a brown sugar and vinegar base that he guards with the same secrecy that MawMaw Shirley guards the exact amount of cayenne in the étouffée. Some recipes are family secrets. Some secrets are the family.
Daddy’s ribs are protected information — that brown sugar and vinegar base goes to the grave with him, and I respect it. But the spirit of that sauce, that sweet-tangy pull that made everyone go quiet at the first bite, is something I’ve been chasing in my own kitchen ever since. These Pineapple Barbecue Sauce Pork Chops are my version of that same conversation between sweet and heat, the one Daddy has been having with a grill since before I was born. MawMaw Shirley hasn’t ruled on them yet, but I’m three summers in, and by her own law, that’s almost a tradition.
Pineapple Barbecue Sauce Pork Chops
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup crushed pineapple (with juice)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Combine crushed pineapple, ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Season the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Sear the chops. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature of 145°F).
- Glaze and finish. Reduce heat to medium-low. Spoon pineapple barbecue sauce generously over each chop. Let simmer in the sauce for 2–3 minutes, turning once to coat both sides and allowing the glaze to caramelize slightly.
- Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let chops rest for 3 minutes before serving. Spoon any remaining sauce from the pan over the top.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 340 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 720mg