For dinner a few days ago – pork chops with whiskey cream sauce, roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes.
A few notes. I never make the same dry rub twice for meats, because I’m always just throwing together whatever spices and then they get mashed into the meat. I love using a coffee grinder for this purpose – you know, the Krups one that you can’t clean? – just have a separate one for your coffee. This rub was cumin, salt, coriander, paprika, and chili powder. To get a good char on your chops, don’t crowd the pan! Cook until just browned on each side, then let rest on a plate. Alton advises to not over cook pork, and to have it slightly underdone is OK because pork is cleaner these days than 50 years ago when the myth of overlooking to prevent food poisoning began.
For roasted asparagus, trim your asparagus by breaking off the ends where it naturally breaks, wash, and arrange on a sheet tray lined with foil and sprayed for easy clean up. Coat with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of lemon pepper. Roast at 400 F until slightly browned, the time will depend on the thickness of your asparagus.
Now, for the sauce. Add whiskey to your pan drippings and a slurry of whiskey and a bit of flour shaken together, I use a small Tupperware to shake them together. Get a good boil going, then add some cream!
Eat!
