Named for the Kentucky county where it was first distilled in the early 1800s, Bourbon remains among the most highly regarded of American whiskeys. Aside from its popularity as a beverage, Bourbon’s reddish-brown color and rich flavor make it a classic ingredient for special-occasion dishes. Cooking dissipates the alcohol in the whiskey, leaving behind a rich, appetizing taste.
The distinctive flavor of good Bourbon gives character to marinades and barbecue sauces for beef and pork, flambeed sauces, and cakes, cookies, pastries and other desserts. As with wine or other spirits, any Bourbon used for cooking should be of a quality good enough for drinking.
Bourbon beef tenderloin
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 8 hours
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
To ensure that every bite of tenderloin is butter-tender and delicious, ask the butcher to remove the shiny connective tissue, known as the silver, that covers the top of the meat. A charcoal or gas fire works equally well for this dish, adapted from a recipe from The Lady and Sons restaurant, Savannah, Ga.
2 cups water
1 cup each: Bourbon, brown sugar
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1 beef tenderloin, about 4 1/2 pounds, well trimmed
1. Combine water, Bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, cilantro, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Fold the tail end of the tenderloin back onto itself so that the fillet is of uniform thickness; secure with butcher’s string. Pour Bourbon marinade over meat; cover. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, turning meat several times.
2. Prepare grill for direct cooking. Drain marinade into saucepan; heat to a boil; cook 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Place meat on oiled grill; cook with lid closed, turning often and basting occasionally with cooked marinade, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 135 degrees (medium rare), about 45 minutes. Remove meat from grill; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition information per serving:
345 calories, 41% calories from fat, 15 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 43 g protein, 0.1 g fiber
Mississippi mud cake
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Like other Southern “tipsy” cakes, this rich dessert should be served in thin slices. To double the recipe, bake in a greased, floured 9-inch tube pan for about 1 1/2 hours.
3/4 cup strong black coffee
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut in 8 pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 egg
1/3 cup Bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup each: cake flour, sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup seedless raisins
Sweetened whipped cream, optional
1. Heat oven to 275 degrees. Mix coffee, butter and chocolate in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan; heat over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted; do not let boil. Remove from heat; let cool until tepid, about 10 minutes. Beat egg lightly in small bowl; stir in Bourbon and vanilla. Stir into chocolate mixture.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Rapidly beat into chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth. Stir in pecans and raisins; pour into greased and floured 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Bake until firm but not completely dry when tested in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes; turn out of pan onto serving plate. Cut in thin slices; top with whipped cream.
Nutrition information per serving:
280 calories, 53% calories from fat, 17 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 2.9 g protein, 2.2 g fiber
