Beer and Honey Pork Chops

For a quick homemade meal that doesn’t taste quick at all, try making these savory pork chops. They’re sweet, tender, and sure to be a hit with the whole family.

One of the great things about this recipe is that it only requires common ingredients. So, you may end up having all of the things you need for this meal already at hand.

Beer is not often used as a marinade ingredient, but it should be. The carbonation in the beer works to tenderize the meat, while the beer’s flavor mingles with the marinade spices to create a deep, and rich marinade.

Also, according to the University of Porto, meat cooked at high temperatures contain PAHs, also known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. PAHs are known to cause cancer. However, marinating meat in beer reduces the levels of PAHs in meat. So, cooking with beer actually reduces the risk of getting cancer.

This recipe can be made without beer, however the flavors wouldn’t be as strong, and apparently, the meat wouldn’t be as safe to eat! Now, let’s get into the recipe.

• 4 boneless pork chops
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1½ tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 can FRIO beer

- Place the pork chops into a bowl or dish. Then, pour on the salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, and beer and cover the bowl or dish. Let the pork chops marinate for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 12 hours.

- Prepare the sauce by combining the brown sugar, honey, and ketchup in a bowl.

- In a skillet on the stove, pour in a bit of oil or butter, then start cooking the pork chops. They’ll need 5-8 minutes per side. Once you flip the pork chops the first time, coat them in the sauce. Flip them one more time and put on more sauce.

Let them cook for another 30-45 seconds, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads 160 F. Then, take the pork chops off the heat.

- Serve with a vegetable, potatoes, or a noodle dish. You can coat the pork chops with another layer of sauce just before serving if desired.