Tennessee-Whiskey Pork Chops

By june

Ingredients

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

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Whisk whiskey, cider, brown sugar, mustard, cayenne, vanilla, and 2 tsp 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.
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.
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 tsp vinegar, whisk in butter, and simmer glaze until thick and sticky, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
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.