For The Most Flavorful Pork Chops, Add The Fizzy Liquid To Your Marinade

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Combining meat with soda is one of those cooking techniques some people turn their noses up at, but only because they haven't tried it. Today, you can find innovative and tempting recipes that employ pretty much any soda you can think of, from root beer pulled pork to Mountain Dew Tso Chicken to short ribs braised in Coca-Cola inspired by HBO's culinary TV dramedy "The Bear." One option which deserves your attention, however, is incorporating the fiery, fizzy joys of ginger beer into a pork chop marinade for maximally flavorful results. 

The key factors in most good marinades are fat, salt, acid, flavorings, or aromatics, plus time for these to work their magic on the meat. In much the same way as vinegar or lemon juice, the acidic nature of the ginger beer (Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer, for example, has a pH level between 3.0 and 3.5, per findings from McGill University's Office for Science and Society) will tenderize the pork chops by breaking down meat proteins.

Beyond the science, the obvious benefit of ginger beer is the taste of ginger, which adds a welcome and unmistakable component while also being versatile enough to pair with a wide range of other flavors. A simple but effective pork chop marinade would be ginger beer, Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper, but this could easily be customized (maybe with some jalapeños if you want to up the heat, or Worcestershire sauce for added umami). Combine your ingredients and place in a resealable plastic bag or covered baking dish with boneless, center-cut pork chops, ensuring the marinade thoroughly coats every part of the meat. Let them sit in a refrigerator for one to 12 hours, and your flavor-packed pork chops will be ready for the grill. 

A few more tips — firstly, avoid diet ginger beers containing artificial sweeteners, as it is the sugar in soda that helps marinated meat caramelize so well. It may sound obvious, but when choosing what brand of ginger beer to use in your marinade, make sure to pick one made with real ginger (yes, unfortunately, there are ginger beers out there made without it). If you are concerned that the characteristically fiery burn of ginger beer might be too overpowering a taste for your pork chops, worry not — as with recipes containing mustard or wine, the flavor will mellow out during the cooking process.

With this in mind, resist the temptation to swap fermented ginger beer for a less assertive, unfermented ginger ale. Many modern brands of ginger ale will give you far less ginger flavor (cans of Canada Dry sold in the U.S. no longer feature the claim "made with real ginger," following a 2019 class-action settlement over the minuscule amount of ginger extract used during its production).

Depending on your ingredients, a marinated pork chop should be richly flavored enough to be enjoyed on its own, or perhaps with some sweet and spiced apple sauce (as apple complements ginger well) or additional mustard to really double down. However, if you're of the view that a pork chop isn't a pork chop until it's smothered, think carefully about whether your gravy of choice will go well with the already bold flavors of a ginger beer marinade. When it comes to accompaniments, on the other hand, you'll be spoilt for choice, so you should take a look at our list of 35 side-dish recipes to serve with pork chops, from garlic herb skillet potatoes to baked mac and cheese casserole.