Michael Thorp | Executive Chef | The Mustang Club | Bowling Green, Kentucky
Photo Credit: Michael Thorp
Culinary Syrups: Consistency Meets Craft At Every Station
At The Mustang Club in downtown Bowling Green, Ky., Executive Chef Mike Thorp builds menus based on his belief that labor is the most expensive ingredient in the kitchen. Located in a restored landmark building, The Mustang Club combines Southern dining and a wine bar upstairs with a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge downstairs. When Chef Thorp tested The Perfect Purée’s new line of culinary-inspired syrups, he recognized their ability to move seamlessly between stations and reduce the time-intensive prep typically required to achieve the complex, authentic flavor of handcrafted syrups.
Chef Thorp chose sweet potatoes, a staple of Southern menus, to complement Chai Cardamom Syrup, which he mixes with whipped crème fraiche and fondant potatoes in his Chai Cardamom-Glazed Sweet Potato Tart. Next, he simmered the syrup with butter to give the tart a polished mirror-glaze finish. “The Chai Cardamom Syrup is fantastic,” Chef Thorp says. “It has a warmth and aromatic depth that usually takes hours of blooming spices to achieve.
At the bar, Honeysuckle Orange Blossom Syrup infuses foamy egg whites with sweet, floral flavor in a speakeasy-style cocktail called The Mustang Blossom. “I am incredibly impressed with the versatility of these new products both on the plate and in the glass,” Chef Thorp says enthusiastically.
Chef Thorp appreciates the same versatility in The Perfect Purée’s legacy products. He transforms Peach Ginger Blend into a gastrique-style lacquer with bourbon and sorghum syrup for pork chops. Though just one component of a multi-faceted dish, the glaze is the hero of the plate with a glass-like amber finish that holds perfectly under the broiler. In Kentucky, pork and fruit preserves are a Sunday dinner tradition, Chef Thorp explains. “For this dish, I wanted to elevate that nostalgia. The natural heat of the ginger cuts through the richness of the bone-in pork chop while the peach pairs seamlessly with local Kentucky sorghum,” he says. “The ginger notes in the purée also tie together the nuttiness of the sesame brussels sprouts, creating a flavor profile that is familiar but not expected.”
Traditional Ingredients Shape a New South Perspective
The Mustang Club’s menu features Kentucky proteins (pork and chicken) and staples (grits and corn) as well as traditional ingredients like sorghum. Called ‘poor man’s sugar,’ sorghum is a durable crop that was used in hard times to sweeten coffee, biscuits, and gingerbread. Today, it’s gaining popularity as a gluten-free whole grain. Chef Thorp appreciates its terroir, which adds complexity to savory glazes. “It tastes like the land,” he says. “Grassy, earthy, mineral-rich and slightly smoky.”
Chow chow, a relish, is another staple of traditional Southern menus. It originated as a way to preserve the last of the garden harvest before the first frost and recalls the Southern ‘use it or lose it’ mentality. Chef Thorp’s version comes from his great-grandmother’s recipe, rescued from a tattered canning book heading to the church rummage sale. “It’s like a fingerprint — every southerner has their own version. Some are spicy, some sweet, some heavy on green tomatoes, others on cabbage,” Chef Thorp says.
The Perfect Purée helps him fill the gaps in local seasonality. “Sometimes I need a bright, punchy fruit element that isn’t growing in our soil at that moment. Peach Ginger blend allows me to bring a ‘summer’ flavor profile to a hearty, winter-style pork dish without compromising on quality,” Chef Thorp says.
Also, if labor is the most expensive ingredient, then processing stone fruit is a costly endeavor. Chef Thorp wants his team to focus on the finish and execution of a dish rather than the prep. The sugar content of fresh stone fruit matters, too. “The Perfect Purée eliminates that variable, giving me a consistent flavor, sweetness, and acidity every single service. That reliability is crucial for guest satisfaction,” he says. “It simplifies the process for us in the kitchen, allowing our team to focus on enhancing the natural flavors and textures, rather than extensive preparation.”
Eat Humble Pie
Like a lot of chefs on their day off, Chef Thorp enjoys looking for inspiration. He recently went on a hunt for Kentucky Winter White truffles at a farm outside Bowling Green, where dogs sniff out truffles near hazelnut and oak roots. Besides having curiosity about new ingredients, Chef Thorp advises young chefs to check their ego and ask for help when they need it. “If a product tastes better than what your team can make on your worst day, use it. And, always remember to treat yourself, your staff, and your food with respect, but mean it,” he says.
In the broader dining landscape, Chef Thorp is observing trends that seem made for The Mustang Club’s model. Supper club dining is one. “Guests are moving away from over-the-top intellectual food and returning to comfort. They want familiar formats — pork chops, potatoes, casseroles — but they want them executed with perfect technique and premium ingredients,” he says,
In his view, guests want comfort and experience in equal measure — meals that feel like something they might make at home but with unexpected touches that carry a sense of occasion. “They don’t want to be challenged; they want to be fed and entertained,” Chef Thorp says.