Whiskey adds old-fashioned flair to weeknight pork chops

What I want to eat at any given moment depends on the weather, my mood, how hungry I am, how much time I have or even a random craving. But with alcoholic drinks, most of the time my answer will be some sort of whiskey-based beverage. I love the notes of wood and spice that the spirit carries. Naturally, my go-to cocktail is an old-fashioned. It’s got a lovely mix of the spirit’s inherent flavors alongside sugar, fruit and a touch of bitterness for complexity.

In compiling a roundup of pork chop recipes not too long ago, I took note of the Dirty Martini Pork Chops from cookbook author Ali Slagle. “A dirty martini is a good choice when you’re looking for a cocktail that’s savory, briny, assertive,” Slagle wrote of the recipe. “Those are the same attributes we seek in sauces to cut through the richness of certain cuts of meat, such as pork chops.”

Then I was struck with an idea: What if I did the same thing with my favorite cocktail? And just like that, this recipe was born.

Thick-cut pork chops are seasoned simply with salt and pepper, then cooked over moderate heat and flipped frequently to keep them moist. Once they are set aside, the real magic begins. The cocktail-inspired sauce includes whiskey (preferably rye or bourbon, which are spicier and sweeter, respectively), fresh orange juice, cherry preserves and a dash of Angostura bitters. The orange juice and cherry preserves are nods to the orange peel and maraschino cherries often used as garnishes. (Yes, cherries are less common, but I love a good one, such as those from Luxardo. No neon-red fruit, please.) The preserves pull double duty by acting as a substitute for the sugar used in the cocktail.

Before adding these ingredients to the pan, a warning: Never pour alcohol directly from the bottle. Especially if you have a gas stove, always add it off the heat, have a lid or pot cover nearby in case it catches on fire, and make sure you know where your fire extinguisher is (just in case). And last but not least: Don’t panic if the alcohol does catch fire. It will die down on its own after a few minutes.

Once the whiskey hits the pan, the harshness of the alcohol fades, leaving only its essence behind to meld with the fruit and bitters. To finish, knobs of cold butter are swirled in until emulsified. The result is a pan sauce for the pork that is luscious, flavorful and complex — a modern take on an old-school drink.

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Old-Fashioned Pork Chops

Two (12-ounce) center-cut, bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon peanut oil or other neutral oil

½ cup bourbon or rye whiskey

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from ½ orange)

1 teaspoon cherry preserves

1 dash Angostura bitters

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pat the meat dry and lightly sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

In a medium (10-inch) stainless-steel skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chops and cook, flipping every 2 minutes, until browned on the outside and the internal temperature in the thickest part away from the bone registers 145°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. If your chops have a fat cap, use tongs to stand them up, pressing the fat cap into the skillet to render and sear until crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest while you make the pan sauce.

Remove the skillet from the heat and pour off the fat. In a small bowl or cup, combine the whiskey, orange juice, preserves and bitters. (If cooking over a gas stove, have a lid handy to douse flames if necessary.) Add the whiskey mixture to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan, and return the skillet to medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the butter, a couple of pieces at a time, stirring constantly until the sauce emulsifies and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve each chop with a pour of the whiskey sauce.

Servings: 2

Substitutions: For center-cut, bone-in pork chops, use any type of pork chops; boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts; or slabs of tofu, with an adjustment to the cooking time. For bourbon or rye whiskey, use another type of whiskey. For cherry preserves, use chopped Maraschino cherries. For Angostura bitters, use another type of bitters, or omit. Avoiding alcohol? Use nonalcoholic whiskey and bitters.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Nutritional information per serving: 743 calories, 41 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrates, 416 mg sodium, 201 mg cholesterol, 52 g protein, 0 g fiber, 4 g sugar.

— Aaron Hutcherson