Executive chef Tony Sledge credits his wife Audrey for this latest version of a longtime Cabin Club favorite. At home, she grills a pork chop finished in a basic honey glaze inspired by hazy childhood memories of the one her Arkansas-raised father mixed up for cookouts, then plates it with creamy-cheesy grits, baked apples and sauerkraut.
“I just kind of played with it, tweaked it a little bit and kicked it up a notch,” he says. The resulting combination provides a full range of palate-pleasing tastes and textures. “It’s basically heaven,” he says. “It is that good.”
The pork chop: It’s not just any pork chop — it’s a 10-ounce, inch-plus-thick Duroc chop, according to Marc Standen, corporate chef for Hospitality Restaurants, which operates Cabin Club. “[This breed] is actually raised and bred like pigs used to be, where the meat itself is very dark — it looks closer to beef than it does the pale stuff you see in the grocery store,” he says. “So it actually tastes of pork instead of just like kind of a generic meat.”
The smoked gouda grit cake: Sledge describes it as “a conversation piece” made with grits from South Carolina, golden brown on the top but custardy in the middle thanks to the cheese, heavy cream and egg yolk. “It just gives you a different texture to the plate,” he says of the combination. The gouda adds a smoky flavor and aroma that complements the pork. “You’re getting that sensation right there before you even take that first bite.”
The Granny Smith apple and fennel slaw: Sledge says the side, dressed in mayo, sour cream and a little honey, counters the meaty chop and spicy-sweet glaze with a refreshingly crisp, cool tang. “The anise flavor [of the fennel] really matches well with apple,” Standen adds. “It’s an herbal flavor that pairs well with a lot of different things, especially sweet-and-sour.”
The honey garlic glaze: Sledge’s recipe spices up honey and a little brown sugar with cayenne, pepper, salt and garlic. “Garlic is sweet once it’s cooked and roasted,” he explains. “So it helps bring out that sweetness.”
$25, 30651 Detroit Road, Westlake, 440-899-7111, thecabinclub.com
