’Tis the season for cooking indoors and ’tis the season for drinking oatmeal stouts. If both of those things sound pretty nice to you right about now, you’ll want to try this easy recipe for cast-iron pork chops with an onion and oatmeal stout sauce.

We used the oatmeal stout from Upslope Brewing Company in Boulder, CO. This limited release is a great example of the style—dark black, thick body and tons of roasted malt flavor and aroma.

Not only does the beer work perfectly in the sauce, but it also makes a great companion for the meal. The smoky flavors of the beer combine with the flavors of the pork to create an almost grill-like taste from the oven.

Oatmeal Stout Pork Chops
2 bone-in pork chops
½ tablespoon salt
½ tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided in half
2 onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons Asian-style sweet-and-spicy sauce (we like Frank’s)
1 cup oatmeal stout
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons sliced green onion

Remove the chops from the fridge, preheat your oven to 375ºF and warm a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the pork on both sides with the salt and pepper.

Add the olive oil and half of the butter to the skillet. Once the butter has melted and become foamy, sear the pork chops for 3 minutes per side, then remove them from the pan and set them aside.

Add the onions to the pan and allow them to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. Add the garlic, mustard and the sweet-and-spicy sauce and stir. Once the ingredients are mixed, add the beer and bring to simmer and allow to cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the molasses then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter. When the butter is melted and the sauce has thickened a bit, add the pork chops back to the pan. Heap onions and sauce on top of the chops and transfer the skillet to the oven.

Cook for about 15 minutes, until the interior temperature of the pork reaches 140ºF.

Garnish the finished pork chops with the sliced green onion.