Molasses Glazed Pork Chops with Fava & Fingerling Hodge-Podge

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I’m two weeks deep into my fully vaccinated life and I’m starting to feel the rush of familiarity. I ate on a patio this past Monday and I just booked my tickets home at long last. The everyday joys of my pre-pandemic life are creeping back in. And bigger ticket items, like travel, are no longer flights of fancy – pun very much intended. So in honor of my approaching return to Nova Scotia, I present this plate inspired by my beloved home province – Molasses Glazed Pork Chops with Fava and Fingerling Hodge-Podge.

It wouldn’t be BBQ season without a chop or two. And while steak may be the “classy” choice, I still have love for the pork chop. Perhaps it’s my imagination but I feel like I see pork chops less and less. And I don’t get it. I see bacon constantly, so the world has not collectively turned its back on pork. But I feel like I’m far more likely to see a flank steak than a couple of pork chops on a grill.

I get that pork is a little bit dicier to cook. You can’t undercook pork and simply call it rare like you can with steak. And pork gets just as tough and dried as steak when it lingers over the heat for too long. So yes, the margin of error is thinner. But on the plus side pork chops are a lot easier on the wallet and if you treat them right they can be just as decadent as a perfectly cooked steak.

But you may be asking, what do pork chops have to do with Nova Scotia? Well, it is true that lobster is generally associated with all things maritime. But NS is also home to our version of Boston Baked Beans. We obviously don’t refer to them as Boston Baked Beans. We call them beans in molasses or pork and beans but the dish is essentially the same. When I was little, a can of beans in molasses and a cut-up hot dog were my idea of a fabulous meal. My Molasses Glazed Pork Chops deploy the same flavors as a pot of beans. But instead of bacon or lardon merely flavoring beans, I left the beans out of the equation and made the pork the main event.

Molasses, all by itself, feels like home to me. Tea biscuits drenched in molasses is the taste of my childhood. Brown bread is a religion where I come from and everyone’s East Coast grandma supposedly makes the best molasses cookies. I don’t know why or how this liquid sweetener made such an impact on our wee peninsula but it sure as sugar did. Oh, and did I mention we like puns?

Now, let’s talk hodge-podge. This is a quintessential Nova Scotian dish. As the name suggests, hodge-podge is made with odds and ends. It’s typically made in the spring and summer with whichever fresh veggies your garden is currently producing. The preparation is simple. The veggies are boiled until tender and then cream and butter are added to the pot and you’re left with a creamy vegetable side. Think of it as an overpopulated creamy vegetable stew. And as I said, you can make hodge-podge with anything but I’ve never met a rendition without some type of potato involved. Potatoes are important to us. Dill too! Dill seems to be a hodge-podge mainstay.

The fava beans on the other hand are not traditional. I just really enjoy them. At this time of year, the market closest to me always has them. The only drawback with fava beans is they can be a little fiddly to prepare. You, of course, have to remove the pod, which is simple enough. But then you have to blanch them and remove their outer skin. This requires a little dexterity and can take some time. If you can get your hands on some frozen peeled fava beans, I would go that route. But I wouldn’t waste your time with dried. They don’t hold their shape well and their texture is different. Save the dried favas for soups, stews, and dips.

So that’s everything you need to know about these Molasses Glazed Pork Chops with Fava and Fingerling Hodge-Podge. This is a simple dish but it makes a huge impact on the plate. And if you have a flair for drama, ask your butcher for Frenched pork chops. It gives the finished meal fine dining vibes.

Enjoy!