Books & Spoons Recipe for PECAN BOURBON PORK CHOPS

Once again I wish I could share the scent of the dish with you. While this meal was slow cooking in the oven, my home was filled with the most enticing aromas that you might be able to imagine by just from the ingredients - pecans, bourbon, pork, rosemary, maple syrup... Ah! 

The great thing about the recipe is that you most likely have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Truly, a recipe that utilizes what we often have as stable ingredients at home. 

I choose to slow cook the pork chops in the oven with the marinade for a couple of hours. I used pork chops with the bone attached to get that greatly enhanced flavor the bones bring to the slow-cooked dishes. Of course, if you have a slow-cooker, you can set the meat and marinade in it and let it slowly simmer all day if you have the opportunity for it. 

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Another way to use the recipe is to lightly bread boneless slices of salted and peppered pork filets with flour, quickly brown them on both sides in a piping hot pan, pour the liquid marinade on top of the meat, and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes, covered, until the pork is done and the flour in the pork has thickened the marinade into a sauce consistency. 
So you have the slow-cooked meal choice or the meal ready in 35 minutes version using the same, mouth-watering sauce with the pork. There is even more variety to the dish if you use chicken, breast or thighs, either cooking slowly in the oven or quick and easy on the pan. I also think that the marinade would work with slices of tofu in the pan if a vegetarian meal is what you are looking for.

My choice of side dishes with the pork was sweet potato purée and a mixed baby green salad. I like to use the sweet potato purée instead of mashed potatoes because I purée them with just a tiny amount of salted cooking liquid and add freshly ground black pepper. I love the taste of the sweet potato and the nutrients of it. Also, compared to mashed potatoes, fewer calories, if that's something you want to be aware of. 
It was so delicious all together, giving me a spark to look forward to the season to come, and the lovely autumn flavors, colors, and aromas! 
I hope you enjoy it, until next time
~ Cheers!

PECAN BOURBON PORK CHOPS

For 4  pork chops:

• 3 Tbsp of bourbon (or whiskey if you don't have bourbon)
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup of chopped pecans
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1/4 tsp dried, crushed rosemary

1. Take the pork chops off the fridge and let them come to the room temperature while mixing the marinade.
2. Mix the ingredients of the marinade
3. Salt and pepper the pork chops slightly
4. Set them flat into an oven dish and pour the marinade mix on top of them
5. Set in the oven (140 C / 280 F) and let them cook until the pork is tender and is ready to fall off the bone. 
6. Serve with your choice of side dishes 

If you don't like to have a large bottle of bourbon or whiskey at your house, or don't want to invest in a whole bottle for a couple of tablespoons you need for cooking, most liquor stores sell tiny, shot size, bottles of a variety of alcohol, that is very handy for baking and cooking. These tiny bottles are often located close to the cashier. All the alcohol will be cooked away from the marinade, and the dish is safe to serve for the whole family.