Rum Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Rum glazed sweet potato slices make a great side dish, and the sauce is delish on pork chops too!

We wanted to do something a little different with a pair of sweet potatoes found lurking in the pantry. This recipe cuts ‘em plank style and cooks them on the grill. You could just stop right there and have a tasty side dish. 

But no, Rick Browne’s cookbook, The Big Book of Barbecue Sides, went ahead and took the side dish over the top with a sweet, thick glaze of molasses, rum, and raisins. (I found no online version of the recipe, so please hover over the photos below for a brief how-to description.)

Even better, the glaze goes perfectly with grilled pork chops. This tasty meal also felt a little bit scandalous – as if we were eating candy for dinner. They say it’s nice to be naughty every so often. 

Grilled sweet potatoes are good even without the rum glaze -- but with, it's a wow!

My recommended changes:

• Less sugar. 
• Thin out the glaze, maybe using a water-orange juice mix. As-is it’s quite thick and hard to serve. (Be prepared for leftovers or reduce the overall quantity.)
• The recipe calls for dark molasses. I used a ‘Robust’ version and now wonder if regular ol’ molasses might have been better. I like the strong, deep, dark flavor but am not sure everyone else will. 

My secret for delectable pork chops = brining. Find more info here. 

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Are you ready for today’s cook-along song? It’s also a good message while we’re still under the stay-at-home order, at least in my state.

You know I usually enjoy a jazz soundtrack over dinner, but today we’re veering in a folk/Americana direction instead. Jake Xerxes Fussell brings us a bit of intricate finger-picking and a few vocal quirks in this down-homey tune titled Have you Ever Seen Peaches Growing on a Sweet Potato Vine? I hope you like it.
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