Not just for sippin'

Presenting....

Tennessee Whiskey Glazed Pork Chops.

Yes, whiskey. That's what I said. Cooking with wine, fruits juices, vinegar, beer, vermouth... yeah, that I understand. But whiskey? Nah. No way. Uh uh. That is, until I tried this recipe.

If you have access to Lincoln County Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniel's, in particular), use it. There is a smokiness that comes from a particular process used in the distilling that can make or break this recipe. I suppose, if you really want to go Whole Hog, you could use one of the single malt Scots or Irish whiskys. Those that are peaty and smoky but also 300 bucks a bottle....

• 1/2 cup whiskey, JD if you can get it
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 4 pork chops, bone-in center cut 1-inch thick
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Whisk whiskey, cider, sugar, mustard, cayenne, vanilla and 1 tsp vinegar together.
2. Transfer 1/2 c of this mixture to a bag, add chops. Press air from bag and zip. Turn to coat chops. Put in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, longer is better.
3. Keep remaining whiskey mixture separately.
4. Remove chops from bag, pat dry, discard marinade.
5. In small saucepan, heat remaining whiskey mixture to a simmer and reduce until thick and bubbly. Add the butter, whisking until melted in and the glaze has taken on a nice sheen.
6. Heat grill to high, reduce heat to medium-low. Place chops on grill to sear. Turn chops. Brush glaze on chops. Cook until almost done.
7. Turn chops, brush again with glaze.
8. Internal temperature should be 145 when done.
9. Remove from grill, plate and serve.

This recipe can be used for pan-frying if you modify things just a little bit. The original recipe came from an early 2007 issue of "Cook's Country." This great resource is published by the same folks who bring you America's Test Kitchen on television. Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated subscriptions are a good choice if you wish to give someone who can't boil water something useful.

Comfort food WIP

It's cold up here with a capital "C." Temps have been 15 to 20 below zero Fahrenheit at night with 35 to 40 below windchills. Surprisingly, it got up to 5 degrees above zero today and the sun shone brightly. That doesn't mean it was bikini weather, just the same.

It's around this time of year when we start thinking about good food from our childhood and how great it was to come to the table after a freezing day. The aroma of roasts, the thick and hearty broth in a vegetable stew... nothing compares to that when you are chilled to the bone, toes and fingers numb, nose frosty.

Certain meals bring back, not only the memory of meals, but the very scent of the food. Baked ham, scalloped potatoes and green beans. Meatloaf, a baked potato and... green beans. Roast beef with taters, carrots and onions. Black bean soup, bean soup with ham and bacon.

We ate a lot of potatoes when I was a kid. Mashed, baked, roasted or fried. Nobody had ever heard of Gratin Jurassien but Mom managed to make a good equivalent even if she wasn't the most adventurous cook. I doubt she had ever heard of Emmenthaler or Juras but, back those many years ago, Velveeta® was just fine. Potato soup is another one of those lovely food memories. So simple yet so delicious.

We also ate a lot of green beans, not that there is anything wrong with that. (We find that we eat more green beans than any other vegetable, even now.) Mom decided to get fancy with the greensies at one point and, while great for holiday fanciness, they didn't go over well for everyday. The notorious "green bean casserole" never really made much of an impression around our house, you know? We liked those onion-thingies but the whole idea of mixing beans, crap of *ahem* soup and plopping fried onions of top just didn't quite seem to do justice to the beans. Green beans with bacon, onion and almonds was quite nice but, as I said, a bit uppity for everyday food.