Sorghum, an old-fashioned Southern staple, makes a stirring return to the kitchen

Chefs at many more Dallas-area restaurants are also sweet on sorghum, slipping it into salad dressings, roasted veggies and flavored butters, or drizzling it over breakfast dishes. It even makes it into cocktails.

Yep, old-fashioned sorghum is in again — but is it in your pantry? Long a Southern staple, sorghum syrup practically disappeared from home kitchens once refined sugar became widely available and affordable. It’s made from juice extracted from the cane stalks of sorghum plants, which are raised as a grain crop. Unlike honey and sugar, sorghum boasts more than mere sweetness. It has a buttery, earthy complexity — but it’s not overbearing, so it plays well with other flavors, from the bold to the mild.

David McMillan, the top toque at the Meddlesome Moth in Dallas and the Bird Cafe in Fort Worth, says he prefers cooking with sorghum syrup rather than molasses, which is a byproduct of sugar manufacturing.

“Sorghum is gentler and doesn’t have the sulfur quality that molasses does,” he says, adding that sorghum syrup still has a rich flavor and viscosity. He notes that sorghum syrup and products labeled sorghum molasses can be used interchangeably.

McMillan blends sorghum syrup with a ginger- and garlic-infused vinegar to make a glaze for chicken or duck wings, and a sauce for poached sweetbreads. He says plain malt or cider vinegar blended with sorghum syrup makes a great finishing glaze for grilled chicken or pork.

Read on to learn more about sorghum syrup, where to buy it, and how to slip it into everything from smoothies and salad dressings to vegetables and baked goods. Our recipe roundup includes Dean Fearing’s Sorghum Malt Glazed Pork Tenderloin (an adaptation of an antelope loin dish he serves at his restaurant), along with Bacon Marmalade and Sorghum Buttermilk Pie.

Tina Danze is a Dallas freelance writer.

Sorghum-Honey Mustard Dressing

In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sorghum syrup, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and salt and black pepper to taste. Makes 1 cup.

SOURCE: Fearing’s at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas

Roasted Vegetables With Sorghum Molasses

In an oiled 9×13-inch baking pan, combine 2 cups short, thick carrot sticks, 2 cups diced baby turnips and 3/4 cup diced onion with 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon sorghum molasses. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 375 F for about 25 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 servings.

SOURCE: Chef Matt McCallister, FT33

Sorghum Grilling Glaze

Heat equal parts sorghum syrup and malt or cider vinegar, stirring, until combined. Use as a glaze for grilled chicken or pork, brushing it on the meat in the last few minutes of grilling so that it doesn’t burn.

SOURCE: Chef David McMillan, the Meddlesome Moth and Bird Cafe restaurants

Blue Cheese, Walnut and Sorghum Crostini

Combine 6 to 8 ounces crumbled blue cheese with 2 ounces toasted walnut pieces. Slice a baguette into rounds. Distribute the cheese mixture among the bread slices and drizzle lightly with sorghum syrup.

Bake at 375 F until cheese mixture is melted and slightly browned. If desired, garnish with fruit or herbs. Can be served warm or at room temperature. Keeps for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container.

SOURCE: Bourbonbarrelfoods.com

Oatmeal With Sorghum Syrup

Prepare steel-cut oatmeal according to package directions. Drizzle with sorghum syrup or sorghum molasses and top with crème fraîche and chopped pecans.

SOURCE: Adapted from CBD Provisions

Seven quick hits

Collard Greens: Add a little sorghum and vinegar to cooked collard greens.

Banana Sorghum Smoothie: Combine 1 ripe banana, 1 cup milk or almond milk, 1 1/2 tablespoons sorghum syrup or sorghum molasses and 3 ice cubes in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and frothy.

Sorghum Butter: Combine 1 stick softened butter with 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup. Use as a spread for biscuits or use it as a baste for whole roast chicken.

Sorghum Sundae: Use as a topping for vanilla ice cream (or Greek yogurt), along with chopped pecans and bananas.

Sorghum Simple Syrup: Heat equal parts water and sorghum syrup over medium heat, stirring until they come together. Let it cool completely on the stove top and then funnel it into a bottle. Use it in place of simple syrup to sweeten bourbon or whiskey cocktails, such as an old-fashioned.

Sorghum in place of molasses: In baking recipes that call for molasses, use an equal amount of sorghum but cut the amount of sugar by 1/3, since sorghum is sweeter than molasses.

SOURCE: Maasdam Sorghum Mills

Sorghum in place of maple syrup or honey: Drizzle it over French toast, waffles, pancakes or biscuits. In recipes, substitute equal amounts of sorghum syrup or sorghum molasses for maple syrup or honey.

BACON MARMALADE

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 4 minutes or until just dark golden brown; drain on paper towels. Wipe skillet clean; return bacon to skillet.

Add sorghum; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add vinegar; cook, stirring often, 8 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add broth and bay leaf; cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add seasonings. Cool 30 minutes.

Uses: Use as a spread on toast with a triple-cream cheese; tossed with blue cheese in an iceberg lettuce salad; spooned over vanilla ice cream; or as a sandwich spread (especially good in a turkey, apple and brie panini).

Makes 1 1/4cups, about 5 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 279 (19% from fat), Fat 6 g (2 g sat), Cholesterol 14 mg, Sodium 497 mg, No fiber, Carbohydrates 50 g, Protein 4 g

SOURCE: Southern Living

FEARING’S SORGHUM MALT GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

Season fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place fillets in pan without crowding. Cook for 2 minutes on each side (for medium-rare). Brush on a generous amount of Sorghum Malt Glaze. Turn each fillet and cook until glaze thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove fillets from pan and keep warm. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

SOURCE: Adapted from Dean Fearing, executive chef of Fearing’s at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas

Sorghum Malt Glaze: Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 seeded and medium-chopped red bell peppers (discard stems), 1 medium-chopped small onion, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon annatto seeds (sold at Mexican and Hispanic markets). Sauté for 2 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add 1 cup sorghum syrup or sorghum molasses and reduce by one-third, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup malt vinegar and reduce by one-third, about 1 minute. Pour mixture into blender and purée until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

SOURCE: Fearing’s at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas

PER SERVING: Calories 421 (19% from fat), Fat 9 g (2 g sat), Cholesterol 89 mg, Sodium 647 mg,Fiber 2 g, Carbohydrates 51 g, Protein 33 g

SORGHUM BUTTERMILK PIE

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Stir the sorghum, buttermilk, sugar, flour and baking soda together in a large, high-sided saucepan. Add beaten eggs to the pan and stir to thoroughly combine all the ingredients. Use a whisk to break up any flour lumps.

Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heat-safe spatula or a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes to a boil. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan frequently to prevent scorching. When mixture reaches a boil, immediately remove from heat and continue stirring for a few minutes until the foaming subsides.

Carefully pour filling into the prepared crust, filling it to the top; it may appear that there is more filling than the crust will hold; let the poured filling settle for a few minutes, then gently stir in the remaining filling. If you are worried about spills, you can place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes, until it is firm with just a little wobble to it. Place the pie plate on a rack to cool completely. Chill until firm.

Makes 8 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 386 (23% from fat), Fat 10 g (3 g sat), Cholesterol 71 mg, Sodium 251 mg, No fiber, Carbohydrates 70 g, Protein 4 g

SOURCE: csmonitor.com