It's Bill Murray's Birthday! (Grilled Pork Chops with Coffee Barbecue Sauce)

Happy birthday, Bill Murray!  Bill was born September 21, 1950 in Illinois.

In Coffee And Cigarettes, the Wu-Tang Clan make a point of always calling Bill Murray by his full name.  This is one of my favorite scenes.   Here's a coffee recipe in honor of him.

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Grilled Pork Chops with Coffee Barbecue Sauce 

Plan in advance to brine pork chops basted with a coffee barbecue sauce in this recipe from a famous NYC chef. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fine sea salt, plus more for seasoning pork
2 pounds pork chops, preferably center-cut
Freshly ground pepper
Coffee Barbecue Sauce (recipe below)

Instructions: 
Pour 1 quart of water into a deep container. Add the salt and stir until it is dissolved. Put the pork chops in the solution, submerging them completely and weighting them down with a plate if necessary. Refrigerate for at least 12 and no more than 24 hours.
 
Remove the chops from the brine and pat them dry with paper towels. Prepare an outdoor grill or preheat a grill pan over high heat on the stovetop.
 
Season the chops with salt and pepper and put them on the grill over direct heat. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, or less if the chops are thinly cut. After turning the chops, baste them with coffee barbecue sauce, letting the sauce caramelize  onto the pork. Serve from a platter with extra barbecue sauce alongside.
 
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
 
Coffee Barbeque Sauce
 
Use this coffee barbecue sauce as a marinade or finishing sauce for grilled or baked pork, beef, or chicken. The sauce may be covered and refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong, dark coffee
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped, about 1 cup
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 fresh hot chili peppers, or milder/hotter as desired, seeded
2 Tablespoons hot dry mustard mixed with 1 tablespoon warm water
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons chili powder

Instructions: 
Put espresso or coffee, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, chile peppers, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and chili powder in a small pot, stir them together, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat so the mixture is just simmering and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, let the mixture cool, then puree it in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade.
 
The barbecue sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.