~Damn Yankee BBQ Sauce~

~Damn Yankee BBQ Sauce~

KC-style with maple syrup & spiced rum

Ingredients:
    • 1/2 cup ketchup
    • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (Grade A Dark preferred)
    • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1/4 cup spiced rum (e.g. Kraken, Captain Morgan)
    • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tbsp Dijon or yellow mustard
    • 1/4 cup tomato paste
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1/2 tsp onion powder (Substitute 1 small yellow onion (about 1/2 cup purée* once blended))
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder ( Substitute 4–5 garlic cloves (about 1–2 tbsp purée once blended))
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional but highly recommended)
    • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low. Let simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy.
3. Taste and tweak:
    More maple syrup = sweeter
    More vinegar = tangier
    More rum = richer (simmer extra to mellow the alcohol)
4. Cool and transfer to a clean glass jar or bottle.

Storage:
 Keeps 2–3 weeks in the refrigerator.
 Freezes beautifully for longer storage.

Serving suggestions:
Smoked ribs, pulled pork, chicken thighs
Brushed on BBQ burgers or grilled mushrooms
Dunked with reckless abandon into fries or onion rings

* How to Prepare the Purée:
    • Rough chop the onion and garlic.
    • Add them to a food processor or blender with 1–2 tbsp of the spiced rum or water to help them blend smoothly.
    • Purée until smooth.

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The story behind this recipe…
 

I was looking for a recipe for homemade BBQ sauce and all I found was Texas BBQ sauce, Kansas City BBQ sauce, Louisiana BBQ sauce… and I noticed that there were no New England BBQ sauce.

So I was using ChatGPT AI to look for recipes, so I asked it… “make a New England style BBQ sauce recipe.” it paused for a second and them spit out the recipe. I liked it, a make a few changes to it, like maple syrup instead of cane sugar and spiced rum instead of Bourbon. Hence, Damn Yankee BBQ Sauce!

~Baked Pork Chops with Apple-Stuffing Casserole~

 ~Baked Pork Chops with Apple-Stuffing Casserole~

 

Servings: 2–4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
    • 2–4 bone-in or boneless pork chops
    • 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
    • 2 cup Apple Cider
    • 1 box (or \~2 cups prepared) stuffing mix
    • 1 tablespoon butter or oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Using the apple cider instead of water, prepare the stuffing according to package directions. Set aside.
3. Season pork chops with salt, pepper.
4. Sear the pork chops (optional but adds flavor): Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with butter or oil. Sear pork chops for 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Remove from heat.
5. Assemble the casserole:
    In a greased baking dish, layer the apple slices evenly on the bottom. [Okay, I changed that... the apples goes on the top, I found that under the pork chop they get too mushy]
    Place the seared pork chops over the apples.
    Spoon the stuffing over the pork chops, covering them completely.
    Add the rest of the apple cider if you want more moisture.
6. Bake covered for 30–40 minutes, or until the pork reaches 145°F (63°C) internally. For crisper stuffing leave uncover and bake until the stuffing is golden on top.
7. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Options:

Using chicken instead of pork.

Cranberries