Feeding the Boys: Spice-Rubbed Pork Chop + Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies #TailgateParty #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the #TailgateParty event.

Product samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

Today, Ashley of Cheese Curd in Paradise asked some blogging friends to join her in posting tailgate recipes. She wrote: "#TailgateParty Football season is here and so is the food! Get creative with game day recipes for a tailgate or a party at home! Delicious appetizers, main dishes, grilled offerings, and desserts! Bonus if it is portable for stadium feasting!"

We have delicious recipes from across the country to make your next tailgating party the best and most delicious party ever!

• Air Fryer Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls by Daily Dish Recipes
• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites by Everyday Eileen
• Brat Bites with Spicy Mustard Dipping Sauce by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Brutus Burgers by The Spiffy Cookie
• Buffalo Snack Mix by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Cubano Dip by The Freshman Cook
• Dutch Oven Party Twist Loaf by Simply Inspired Meals
• Easy Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing by Family Around the Table
• Quick Brined Chicken Thighs by The Beard and The Baker
• Smoked Pork and Cheddar Burgers by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sourdough Baguettes with Classic Pimento Cheese by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Spice-Rubbed Pork Chop + Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Tailgate Sliders by Sweet Beginnings
• Tailgate Three Meat Chili by Our Good Life


Feeding the Boys



Well, tailgating isn't something that we normally do...because that would require actually going to a sporting event. And we're not very sporty. However, I do often feed the boys, including my husband and his pals plus our sons and their robotics team. 





On the weekend before Ashley's event, Jake, Brian, Daryl, and Pax were headed up to Mt. Madonna for an overnight archery trip. So, I asked if they would do a test run on the ThermoPop. I received for this event. If you want to enter to win a Thermopop of your own, be sure to enter the rafflecopter at the bottom. Thanks for sponsoring this event, Thermoworks!*




Sure thing, they said, Take photos! I ordered. We will, they promised. And they did.


ThermoPop Thoughts



Let's be real: ThermoWorks sent me the ThermoPop for participating in this event, but I knew that it wasn't really mine. As soon as I opened it, it was out of the box and secured in Jake's grill tools drawer. That's fine. He's the one who mans the grill...or one of his friends!






A few notes: ThermoPop is affordable. And while it's easy to use, it's loaded with features.
• Rotating display - You can turn the digital readout to make it easy to read. Cool.
• Lighted display - If you're grilling at, or after, dusk, you can still see the reading. Perfect for autumn evenings and cooking after dark at a campsite.
• Super Fast - ThermoPop registers temperatures consistently within a few seconds. Okay, maybe five seconds. That's still really fast.
• Accuracy -  The specifications list a temp range of -58° to 572°F with a +/- 2°F variance up to temps of 248° and a +/- 4°F for temps above 248°F. Not bad.


Spice-Rubbed Pork Chop


This isn't really a recipe, as I didn't really do anything to this piece of pork from the nano share of our pig. However the spice rub is one I always have in the cupboard. And it's well worth the effort to make. I use it on anything we're grilling, including pork, beef, or chicken!


Dry Rub
• 1/2 C organic dark brown sugar
• 2 T salt 
• 2 T coffee grounds
• 1 T pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika)
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t paprika
• dash of ground coriander
• dash of ground cardamom
• freshly ground pepper

Blend everything together in a bowl. Rub as much as you need to coat all surfaces of your grillable meat. Let stand for at least an hour before grilling. I actually rubbed this one the night before because the guys were heading out of town before I got home from work that afternoon.



Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies


And, on the same weekend as the archery trip, the robotics team members had been working like crazy every Saturday.




Every single weekend. All Saturday long. So, I took to asking for cookie requests. One day, a student asked for ginger cookies. Done.




But instead of gingerbread cookies of which I have several favorites, including Pierniczki (Polish Gingerbread Cookies), Puerquitos (Mexican Gingerbread Pigs), or Sherlock-inspired Gingernuts, I decided to make some quick, chewy ginger cookies with molasses. I opened up the container the following day after lunch and the team descended. Three dozen cookies were gone in less than fifteen minutes. No joke!


Ingredients



Cookies

• 1-½ C butter, room temperature
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 1 C organic dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ C unsulphured molasses
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 t pure vanilla extract or coffee extract
• 4 C flour
• ½ C ground almonds
• 3 t baking soda
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• ½ t ground all spice
• 1 t ground ginger
• 2 T candied ginger, small dice

Finishing

• 4 T organic granulated sugar
• 1 T ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground ginger
• candied ginger, sliced, as needed
• Also needed: parchment paper or silicone mat, baking sheet


Procedure


Cookies

Preheat your over to 350 F degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with the sugars until lightened and fluffy. Pour in the molasses and mix until well-combined. Add in the eggs and extract and beat again.


In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients - flour, ground almonds, baking soda, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Use a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients are completely combined. Stir in the candied ginger.


Finishing
Blend together the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Place that mixture in a pie plan or large bowl. Use a scoop to portion out the dough and scoop into the sugar mix. Roll the dough in the sugar, then place on a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet, approximately an inch or two apart. Flatten the balls slightly and press a candied ginger slice into the top.





Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the base of the cookie looks slightly more firm than the rest of the cookie. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. Cool completely.


The Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Find ThermoPop on the web, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram


*Disclosure: I received product for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.