Make your favorite pork dish even better with a sauce.
Often known as "the other white meat," pork is enjoyed around the world in many forms. Although properly prepared pork will have plenty of flavor on its own, some dishes include a sauce to enhance the flavor. Whether you're making spareribs or a Christmas ham, there is a sauce that works well with your pork dish.
Barbecued Pork
When it comes to barbecued ribs and pulled pork, barbecue sauce reigns supreme. Countless versions of barbecue sauce exist, but the basic components typically include tomato paste, vinegar, mustard and brown sugar. From there, chefs and home cooks often add ingredients to make it hot, mild or sweet. Some barbecue sauces are very thick and others are thin, often depending on the preference of a particular region. Barbecue sauce is basted onto pork ribs both during and after the cooking process. For pulled pork, the sauce is usually added after the meat has been cooked and shredded.
Pork Tenderloin
A variety of sauces that work well for pork tenderloin, although the most common is mustard-based. Some mustard sauces are made spicy with hot peppers and chili powder or cayenne pepper. Creamy mustard sauces include milk or cream, while sweet versions typically use honey, brown sugar or apple juice. Some recipes call for sauce made with mustard powder, while others call for a specific type of pre-made mustard, such as plain, zesty or grainy. When tenderloin is served, pour the sauce over the meat.
Pork Chops
Apple-based sauces add a tart sweetness to balance out the savory flavors of a pork chop. Recipes typically call for steamed fresh apples mashed up with sugar or brown sugar, cider vinegar and other spices. A shortcut, however, is to use ready-made applesauce or apple cider as your base. After cooking, the hot apple-based sauce is ladled on top of the pork chop. For additional apple flavor, use apple marinade before cooking.
Ham
Whether served at holiday dinner or as a regular family meal, ham often includes a sweet glaze made with honey, brown sugar or a combination of the two. Pineapples and pineapple juice are also used to glaze the ham, combined with the honey or brown sugar. When baked, the glaze forms a sweet crust on the outside of the ham. You can also drizzle the glaze over the ham once you slice and serve it. Mustard sauce is ideal for ham as well.
Tags: brown sugar, honey brown, honey brown sugar, made with, mustard sauces