This is a print preview of "Crack Open That Bourbon and Cook!" recipe.

Crack Open That Bourbon and Cook! Recipe
by Fiona Young-Brown

In the almost twelve years that I have lived in Kentucky, I have come to develop an appreciation for bourbon. In addition to drinking, it is wonderful for cooking, and this weekend I put a new bottle of Four Roses to good use. (No, I am not being paid by Four Roses in any way. That just happened to be what I had handy.)

First up were these Peanut Butter, Bourbon, and Bacon Brownies, made using a wonderful recipe from Friends Drift Inn. How could I not try these when they contain the holy trinity of ingredients, AND chocolate! The bacon is fried in a delicious sorghum and bourbon mix and then sprinkled into the cake tin. The result was a wonderfully moist brownie with layers of flavor. Yes, they look a little odd out of the oven, but that's because I dolloped the rest of the mix on top rather than spreading it, so an not to disturb the layers. A definite keeper recipe and a hit at the Christmas party.

Next up was a recipe that Chef Anthony Lamas of Louisville's Seviche shared with me a few years ago. His recipe for Pork Tenderloin with Smoked Cheddar Chipotle Sweet Corn Grit Cakes took first prize in a Woodford Reserve Culinary Bourbon Challenge. When I tried the recipe myself, I probably should have allowed more time for the grit cakes to set up. Since mine didn't, I instead served the mix up as a corn mush, but it was absolutely delicious, even in the eyes of my grit-loathing husband. Whether you succeed with grit cakes or serve a corn mush, you won't be disappointed by this.

Chef Lamas' Award Winning Pork

Tenderloin with Smoked Cheddar Chipotle Sweet Corn Grit Cakes

4 servings

Adobo-Rubbed

8 hours or more.

For the sauce,

combine the bourbon, onion, garlic, chipotle chiles in adobo, tomatoes,

ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice concentrate, honey,

paprika, chili powder and salt in a saucepan. Mix well and cook over

medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Strain through a medium

mesh strainer into a bowl. Store in the refrigerator until serving

time. This makes a LOT of sauce, far more than we needed. So, instead of straining it all, I strained just enough for us to use. The rest of the sauce, with the onions and chiles, has gone into a freezer bag for later use as a base for a stew or to go with meatballs.

If making mush, follow the next set of instructions when you are close to serving. If making grit cakes, you need to do this 4 to 24 hours before serving. Combine the water, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the salt in a large

saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the grits and cook using the package

directions, stirring in the butter and chipotle chiles in adobo as the grits

begin to thicken.

Cook for 2

minutes longer. Add the cheese gradually and stir until melted. Stir in half

the corn, reserving the remaining corn for garnish. Remove from the heat.

(For grit cakes) Grease a

12x18-inch pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour the grits into the pan and

spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface

and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Cut into the desired shape.

Preheat the

oven to 350 degrees. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a sauté pan. Dust the

grit cakes with flour and add to the sauté pan. Fry for 2 minutes on each side

or until golden brown. Remove to a sheet pan and bake for 3 to 5 minutes. Keep

warm.

Grill or fry the pork until a meat

thermometer registers 160 degrees.

Reheat the sauce. Place 1 grit cake in the

center of each serving plate and place 1 portion of pork next to the cake.

Spoon the desired amount of sauce around the grit cake and over the pork.

Garnish with corn kernels and cilantro if you like.