The Carolina Gold Mustard Sauce & Basted Pork Chops
Chapter 1 — Rubs, Sauces & Mops: The Foundational Layer
Proper Carolina Gold never hides pork under a sticky blanket of molasses. Paired with thick-cut, bone-in pork chops and a patient reverse-sear, this technique builds a deep mahogany bark, whether you are tending a charcoal kettle or pulling an honest shift at your kitchen stove. Sweep a cotton mop across the meat just as the fat renders, hold the grate at 225 degrees, and let the yellow mustard and vinegar do the heavy lifting.
Before you start
Combine the sauce base in a non-reactive saucepan.
Set the pan over medium-low heat and whisk the mustard, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce until homogeneous.
Bloom the dry spices.
Whisk in the teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, the freshly ground black pepper, cayenne, and the half teaspoon of kosher salt.
Simmer gently, cool, and store.
Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes without boiling to temper the harsh acidic bite of the vinegar, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and transfer to a glass jar.
Ingredients
- prepared yellow mustard1 cup
- apple cider vinegar1/4 cup
- light brown sugar1/4 cup
- honey2 tbsp
- ketchup2 tbsp
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- garlic powder1 tsp
- onion powder1/2 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- cayenne pepper1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- bone-in pork chops4 large
- olive oil2 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- black pepper1 tbsp
- garlic powder1 tsp
- smoked paprika1 tsp
Method
- 01
Season the pork chops.
Lightly coat the dried chops in olive oil to act as a binder, then firmly pat the tablespoon each of kosher salt and black pepper, plus the garlic powder and smoked paprika, onto all sides—including the fat cap.
- 02
Dial in your smoker to a steady 225°F.
Whether you are running a pellet rig or utilizing the unlit snake method on a 22-inch charcoal kettle, establish a low ambient temperature and toss on a chunk of applewood or cherrywood.
- 03
Smoke the meat low and slow.
Place the chops over indirect heat, sink a digital probe into the thickest part without touching the bone, and close the lid for 60 to 90 minutes.
- 04
Pull the chops at 130°F.
Do not let them go any higher during this phase; pull them off the grates to a resting plate while you prepare for the reverse sear.
- 05
Stoke the coals for an aggressive sear.
Open the vents wide on your kettle, remove your kamado deflector plate, or configure your grill for extreme direct heat, aiming for 450°F to 500°F.
- 06
Sear, flip, and baste.
Drop the chops over the roaring heat for 1 to 2 minutes until a deep mahogany crust forms, flip them, and immediately mop the seared tops generously with the Carolina Gold sauce so the sugars caramelize.
- 07
Pull precisely at 145°F and rest.
At 145°F, the pork retains a perfectly safe, tender blush of pink in the center; pull them immediately, tent loosely with foil, and let the muscle fibers relax on a cutting board for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
The Honest Indoor Workaround.
For apartment cooks, add 1/4 teaspoon of high-quality liquid smoke to the simmering sauce, bake the seasoned chops on a wire rack at 250°F until they hit 130°F, and perform the high-heat reverse sear in a smoking-hot cast-iron skillet on the stovetop.
Respect the internal temperature paradigm.
Lean cuts like pork loin halt strictly at 145°F, completely unlike the required 203°F for a probe-tender Texas brisket or the 195°F needed to render a fatty Carolina pork shoulder.
Save the extra sauce for pulled pork.
This is the definitive condiment for whole-hog barbecue; pull the smoked shoulder by hand rather than chopping it, leave it naked to power through the stall naturally, and serve this gold on the side.
From Cook BBQ at Home.