the barbecue sauce.
To make this recipe a bit lighter and more tangy, use a vinegar-forward Carolina-style barbecue sauce instead of a thick, sweet Kansas City–style sauce, and reduce or omit the brown sugar in the rub. For a honey-garlic twist, replace the brown sugar with 1 tablespoon honey and add 1 teaspoon granulated garlic to the rub, then finish the chops with a drizzle of warm honey just before serving.
If you’d like some caramelized edges, switch the oven to broil for the last 2–3 minutes of cooking and watch closely so the sugars in the sauce don’t burn. Finally, for make-ahead convenience, you can season the chops with the dry rub up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate them; this short “dry brine” time helps the seasoning penetrate and improves overall flavor and juiciness.
