A couple weekends ago I had the pleasure of dining at The Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, NC. It was a fabulous meal that included a starter of Pork Belly Skewers, in their house-made Blueberry BBQ sauce with pickled jalapenos and cilantro. Hello delicious! It was so fabulous that I needed to purchase a bottle of the sauce before we left the restaurant….until we had another bottle of wine and I forgot. 

Luckily, the sauce is sold at Southern Season in Chapel Hill and online. It’s a traditional eastern BBQ sauce with a very vinegary bite – but added with a sweet blueberry and spice sweetness that will caramelize just perfectly on any grilled meat. A simple pork chop is all you need. For extra juiciness, I did a easy quick brine on the chop that was no sweat and doused the chops in the sauce while grilling.

It was surprisingly amazing. If you can’t make it to Kinston, make sure you grab a bottle of this stuff for home cooking.

QUICK BRINED Pork Chops with Blueberry BBQ Sauce

• 2 cups cold water
• 3 tablespoons, kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 thick cut pork chops
• canola oil
• Chef & The Farmer Blueberry BBQ Sauce 

Mix cold water, salt and sugar in a shallow dish or sealable bag. Stir to combine. Add pork chops and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Completely dry the pork chops with paper towels. Brush slightly with oil. While grilling baste the chops with Blueberry BBQ Sauce. Once cooked through, rest meat and enjoy!