As the summer grilling season simmers down and the backyard barbecues come about less and less; I look forward to the next season of grilling. The fall season of football tailgating, drinking whiskey, and not sweating my ass off acting like I enjoy standing next to a fire in 92 degree weather.

Of course, most national food chains don’t realize that this may be the best time of the year to grill, so the cedar planks, thermometers, utensils have all been shoved over to the sale rack to make room for Santa Claus figurines. That means it’s time to stock up on grilling supplies because you won’t be seeing grilling items until next May. This, or course, is horrible for the year-round griller – great for the figurine collector.

To welcome in the fall season I created an autumn themed pork chop marinade. We all know that apple sauce and pork chops taste great together. And who doesn’t like a good bourbon whiskey on a brisk fall night (or every night)? Why not combine everything into a marinade and call it the Drunken Fall Hog. Of course I’m not using real apples, because apples have some health benefits – I’m using Mexican apple soda instead. The sweetness and the carbonation for the soda help tenderize the pork and actually compliments the bitterness of the whiskey extremely well. Fall means warming up with bourbon and putting on weight for the winter months. Next time you’re at the store buying discounted grilling supplies or Santa Claus figurines – pick up some chops, soda, and whiskey.

The Setup

Bone-in pork chops
1 c apple Mexican soda
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp gourmet mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 c whiskey

Cooking

1. Place pork chops in gallon size plastic bag.

2. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl

3.Pour half of marinate over pork chops and refrigerate overnight.

4. Reserve other 1/2 of mixture of basting chops on the grill