Tennessee-Whiskey Pork Chops

By á-47386

Ingredients

• NGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey or 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 4 bone-in, center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

For our Tennessee-Whiskey Pork Chops recipe, we started by making a whiskey-flavored marinade, then steeped the chops in it for at least one hour prior to cooking. The marinade also served as the base for the sauce. We cooked the chops in a hot skillet, then used the same pan to prepare the sauce to maximize flavor and save on dishes. The browned bits left behind by the chops in the pan added deep, meaty flavor to the sauce. Center-cut, bone-in pork chops were the best bet. The bone added valuable flavor to the meat and protected it from drying out. Allowing the cooked chops to sit in the pan in the finished sauce for a few minutes before serving ensured the meat absorbed the sauce. Bourbon tasted fine, but we think it’s worth purchasing the real deal—Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey—for this recipe.

Serves 4

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk whiskey, cider, brown sugar, mustard, cayenne, vanilla, and 2 teaspoons vinegar together in medium bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup whiskey mixture to gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag, add pork chops, press air out of bag, and seal. Turn bag to coat chops with marinade and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Reserve remaining whiskey mixture separately.

2. Remove chops from bag, pat dry with paper towels, and discard marinade. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season chops with salt and pepper and cook until well browned on both sides and a peek into thickest part of a chop using paring knife yields still-pink meat 1/4 inch from surface, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to plate and cover tightly with foil.

3. Add reserved whiskey mixture to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon. Cook until reduced to thick glaze, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and, holding on to chops, tip plate to add any accumulated juices back to skillet. Add remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, whisk in butter, and simmer glaze until thick and sticky, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

4. Return chops to skillet and let rest in pan until sauce clings to chops, turning chops occasionally to coat both sides, and a peek into thickest part of a pork chop using paring knife shows completely cooked meat (145 degrees on instant-read thermometer), about 5 minutes. Transfer chops to platter and spoon sauce over. Serve.© 2016 America's Test Kitchen. All rights reserved.