11 Underrated Sauces To Pair With Pork

Want to try something new with pork chops or douse your pulled pork in unusual flavors? These underrated sauces will delight your taste buds while incorporating ingredients that you may not always turn to in the kitchen. Step aside basic barbecue, because these options will bring a whole new zing to your plate. Many incorporate tastes from different regions or bring in seasonal ingredients that are harvested at peak ripeness for maximum flavor. You can use them slathered over the top of your pork, as a dipping sauce, or even as a marinade.

We talked to chefs from around the country about what ingredients and combinations they like but don't see very often. Chef Richard Sandoval of Richard Sandoval Hospitality recommended ingredients common in Latin cuisine to bring a spicy heat to pork, while chef educator Maricel Gentile of Maricel's Kitchen focused on Filipino favors. An expert in pork sausage and the owner of Lottie's Meats, Chelsey Maschhoff gave us insight into what works well with this particular meat. Finally, ButcherBox's chef-in-residence Ashley Lonsdale shared her thoughts on combining flavorful spices and herbs to create the ultimate sauce for pork.

You may need to search for a few ingredients, but we promise it will be worth the effort. Some options simply rely on pantry staples and only take a few minutes to prepare. No matter which you try, you might just discover a new favorite sauce to pair with pork.

With flavors of pungent spice from achiote, which is made from the seeds of the achiote tree, this combination is perfect for pork. Achiote is also known as annatto and commonly used for its warm flavor and vibrant color. In fact, annatto extract is one of the most common natural colorings used to bring a yellow-orange hue to items like cheese. As a flavoring, it has a nutty taste that is subtle, but works well with pork, together with aromatics and citrus.

Combine this spice with orange juice and lime to infuse bright citrus notes. Garlic and oregano make the sauce more complex but still let the achiote and citrus shine through. "Achiote's earthy, slightly bitter undertones complement pork's rich, savory flavor, while the citrus cuts through the fat and adds brightness," says Richard Sandoval. "This pairing reflects the balance of acidity and earthiness in Latin American cuisine."

You can use achiote paste to make a tasty marinade, perfect for everything from pork chops to kabobs. Sandoval recommends letting the pork marinate for at least four hours to get the most flavor. You can simmer extra marinade that hasn't been used with raw meat to thicken it, creating a dipping option to serve alongside your pork.

For some heat and sweetness, try a pineapple habanero glaze on your pork. Glazes can be added to the meat in the final stages of cooking to create a syrupy sweet exterior that adds flavor and moisture to the finished dish. Pineapple works well with pork because it has a lot of sweetness that brings out similar flavors in the pork. Adding spicy habanero kicks this classic pairing into high gear.

Fresh pineapple adds a burst of flavor, but you can also substitute canned or frozen if you don't have access to fresh. Habanero peppers are loaded with capsaicin (the chemical responsible for a pepper's heat), but you can substitute other chili varieties if desired. "The sweetness of pineapple enhances pork's natural sweetness, while habanero brings a touch of heat that cuts through the richness," Richard Sandoval describes.

To make the glaze, he instructs: "Blend fresh pineapple with a touch of honey, habanero, lime juice, and a splash of rice vinegar. Simmer to thicken, adjusting heat levels to preference." It's important not to add the glaze too early or it can burn, altering the flavor and texture of your dish. Instead, Sandoval recommends using a kitchen brush to glaze the pork during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

To add an extra layer of umami to your pork, try a miso sauce flavored with tamarind fruit. Miso, which is made of fermented soybeans, is commonly used to add depth to marinades and works with a variety of meats. Tamarind is a fruit native to Africa and popular in Asian and Indian cuisine. It has a slightly tropical flavor with a sweet and tart taste, making it a complex ingredient to pair with miso. Both come in pastes that you can use to build a flavorful sauce.

"This fusion of Japanese and Southeast Asian flavors creates a savory umami base (miso) with a tangy-sour kick (tamarind), perfectly balancing pork's richness," describes Richard Sandoval. He recommends starting by whisking white miso, tamarind paste, a touch of honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Add them to a small saucepan to heat the ingredients, helping them meld and combine. This makes the perfect sauce to drizzle over large cuts of pork or to dip smaller pieces of meat. Sandoval likes this sauce for its "deep umami backbone with bright, tangy notes and a hint of sweetness," calling it the ideal pairing for grilled or braised pork.

This popular Filipino sauce, also known as sawsawan, is made with vinegar, sugar, garlic, and ginger. It works well with fattier cuts of pork like crispy pork belly, because of the combination of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors. You can use any vinegar, but traditional suka dipping sauce is made with cane or coconut vinegar. 

"Mix it with some minced garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper," recommends Maricel Gentile. "You can also add optionally minced onion, or ginger, or soy sauce, or calamansi juice (or lime) for some tang, some sugar to sweeten it up, or some red chilis for spice. Everyone in the Philippines has their own favorite variation." Experiment with the components, as well as different varieties of each ingredient, to find your preferred combination. Just be ready to guard your secret recipe closely, since this flavorful sauce will quickly become a family treasure.

Because the vinegar is fundamental to the balance, you can try different options to find what you prefer, adding even more nuance to each sauce. "The Filipino vinegar is really the key, but not essential if you can't get it," says Gentile. "Just use a good quality vinegar and taste test it before — like wines, each has its own flavor profile."

You can pick up premade versions of Filipino liver sauce at the store, but it's easy to make at home as well. "If it is a roast pork, like a lechon where you have the crisp exterior, fatty underlayer, and tender interior of the pork all together, I recommend the Filipino liver sauce," says Maricel Gentile. Lechon, an entire roasted pig, is a traditional favorite in the Philippines around Christmas, and is often celebrated as the central dish on the table. The essential feature of the best lechon is a crispy, flavorful exterior with juicy, tender meat inside. You can serve liver sauce with any type of pork, but it works especially well with meat with deliciously crispy skin.

This sauce is made with grilled pork liver, making it a good option to go with pork, but it also works with other meats. Cook the liver thoroughly so that the sauce is safe to consume, making sure that the interior temperature is at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Garlic, onion, and vinegar combine with the savory liver, then brown sugar and breadcrumbs are added. Puree the mixture until the sauce is smooth and serve it alongside pork as a dipping sauce. "It's savory, slightly sweet, and tangy and pairs well with this type of pork," describes Gentile. 

Mustard sauce has a little tang, but the creamy version adds extra fat and flavor, making it a perfect accompaniment to pork. This pairs well with leaner cuts, and Chelsey Maschhoff recommends serving it with pork tenderloin or chops. "It is tangy, but has enough fat in it to help with how lean pork can be and bring out the right flavors," she explains.

Mustard sauce is also very versatile, working well with steak and chicken. You can pour it over the top to really douse your meat in flavor or use it as a dipping sauce on the side. Experiment with different mustard styles, from sweet honey to spicy, grainy ones. The flavor profile of the final sauce will vary depending on the type of mustard used.

You can find creamy mustard at the store or make your own by combining mustard with heavy cream and spices, warming the ingredients over low heat on the stove. Serve the sauce hot over pork tenderloin or pork chops with extra alongside for dipping. You can also marinate pork in creamy mustard sauce to incorporate those flavors even earlier in the cooking process.

Pull in seasonal flavors with this sauce, which Chelsey Maschhoff turns to in the summer months. Agrodolce is an Italian version of sweet and sour sauce that relies on honey to bring the sweetness and vinegar for a sour tang. Many versions also incorporate wine and additions like plums, aromatics, and spices for extra flavor. This sauce is popular over meat and vegetables, but the plum variety is an especially nice pairing with pork. Plums are in season as early as May all the way through November, depending on the region. Look for peak ripeness to get the sweetest plums for your sauce.

You can add other fruits to up the sweetness, which goes perfectly alongside the vinegary bite. Make the base, then add your diced fruit. Customize the sauce by pureeing it for a smooth consistency or leaving it a bit chunkier to get delicious bites of sweet plum. Agrodolce also pairs well with roasted or grilled vegetables, in addition to pork, making it the perfect component of a hearty bowl. You can dollop it right on your food or incorporate it as a dipping sauce instead, if you prefer to serve a few variations of sauces with your meal.

Pork and apples are a classic pairing, from applesauce and pork chops to a whole roast pig boasting an apple in its mouth. Apple chutney is made with chopped apples, which are simmered in vinegar, sugar, and savory spices until the mixture is roughly the consistency of jam. But while jams and jellies are super sweet, chutney incorporates some warmer, savory spices to give extra depth, which makes it the perfect sidekick for any cut of lean pork. Cinnamon and nutmeg are common additions, but you can also use cayenne pepper for a little bit of heat, or ginger for extra umami.

This sweet sauce works especially well in the fall when apples are in season. You can experiment with different varieties of apple to see how a chutney made from tart Granny Smith is different from a sweeter Red Delicious. Slather some rich chutney over your finished pork dish or serve it in a bowl for dipping. If you want to further incorporate the apple flavors, make a stuffed pork chop using the chutney as a deliciously sweet filling. Aromatics like onions can also be combined with the chutney as a tasty stuffing for tenderloin or chops.

The options for curry sauce are almost endless, but all have similar spices acting as a flavorful base. Curry powder is typically a combination of turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, ginger, cardamom, and fenugreek, but the exact blend varies by brand. If you make your own curry powder, play with the ingredients to suit your taste. To make a sauce, add aromatics like garlic, onion, and ginger, savory ingredients like tomato paste, and sugar to play off the spice. You can add salt, but check to see if your curry powder contains any before you go too heavy handed with the shaker. 

You can prepare pork in curry sauce, use it for dipping, or pour it over the finished dish, like pulled pork served over rice. But it's really delicious when you use it as the base for a flavorful soup, full of pork and vegetables, as it benefits from long simmering times to let all of the flavors incorporate and meld. Curry sauce also works well with sides and toppings, and Chelsey Maschhoff likes curry pork alongside pickled asparagus to highlight delicious spring flavors. Don't be afraid to try different varieties of store-bought curry paste, different brands of curry powder, or make your own to switch things up.

Pineapple and pork is a classic pairing, but if you want to try something different, use the same logic to combine bright fruit flavors in unexpected ways for new sauces. "Pineapple isn't the only sweet and sour combination that works with pork," says Ashley Lonsdale. "A tamarind or yuzu glaze, honey-lime vinaigrette, or mango chutney all work, too." The sweet and tart combination in a fruit-based vinaigrette goes great with pork. Lonsdale recommends using citrus and honey for a sweet and bright combo. "The deeply savory flavor of pork pairs well with many fruits, which often bring sweetness and acidity," she says.

You can try different types of citrus to start. Switch out lime for orange or lemon juice, which will have a similar flavor profile. You can also look for more unusual varieties, such as Buddha's hand lemons or sumo citrus. You can find plenty of pre-made vinaigrettes on store shelves or make your own out of a few pantry staples. Start by whisking vinegar and lime juice together, then add honey, salt, and pepper. This is a super easy dressing and sauce to make and customize with added spices and different variations of citrus. Vinaigrette works for salads as well as to pour over vegetables and meat, so it's a versatile option to keep in your fridge.

Jerk chicken is a popular dish, but this sauce is equally delicious when served on pork. Using flavorful spices is key in making Jamaican jerk sauce. "Jamaican jerk pork is a well-loved preparation for pork, with allspice as the star flavor," explains Ashley Lonsdale. Jamaican jerk seasoning is such a popular option that it's included in some of the best-reviewed spice sets to use when barbecuing meat. Jerk sauce is great for dipping, saucing, or even as a marinade for pork before it's cooked. The uses are endless, but the sweet heat that it brings to your meat is second to none.

To add even more flavor, smoke the pork over pimento wood, either in a smoker or on a grill using a smoker tube. This type of wood comes from the tree that produces allspice, so it adds even more flavor to the meat. When paired with Jamaican jerk sauce, it creates a warm and rich dish. You can make your own jerk sauce by combining hot peppers, aromatics like garlic and ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and spices like nutmeg and thyme. 

You can also pick up Jamaican jerk sauce or seasoning at the store to make things easier. Look for versions with plenty of spice, plus enough heat and sweetness to balance everything out. "Additional warming spices pair exceptionally well with pork, like cinnamon or cloves, and nutty flavors like hazelnut or roasted almonds," suggests Lonsdale.