Bring the taste of Kentucky in your own backyard with Kentucky’s best barbecue recipes.

Bourbon Marinated Grilled Pork Medallions

Servings 4 | Prep Time 10 minutes plus 2 hours refrigeration | Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into thick medallions
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• ¼ cup Kentucky bourbon
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place the pork medallions in a bowl or shallow baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, Kentucky bourbon, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper.
3. Pour the marinade over the pork, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat an indoor or outdoor grill over medium heat.
6. Remove the medallions from the marinade and place them on the grill.
7. Cook them for 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
8. Meanwhile, place the remaining marinade in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
9. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until ready to serve.
10. Remove the pork medallions from the grill and place them on serving plates.
11. Garnish with sauce before serving.

 

Slow Smoked Brisket

Servings 8–10 | Prep Time 15 minutes plus refrigeration | Cook Time 5–6 hours

Ingredients

• 1 beef brisket, approximately 5 pounds
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Choice of woodchips for smoking

Directions

1. Remove any large bits of fat and most of the fat cap from the brisket. Place the brisket on a large piece of food-grade plastic wrap.
2. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, mustard powder, granulated garlic, coarse ground black pepper, thyme, dark cocoa powder, salt, liquid smoke, and olive oil. Mix until a paste forms.
3. Spread the paste over all sides of the brisket.
4. Securely wrap the brisket in the plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 12 hours, or overnight.
5. The next day, remove the brisket from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 25–30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the grill for smoking over indirect heat. The temperature should be medium-low.
7. Place the brisket on the grill, away from direct heat. Cover and cook for 5½ hours, or until cooked through. Turn the brisket once at the 2½ to 3-hour mark.
8. Remove the brisket from the grill and place it on a piece of aluminum foil. Loosely tent and seal the foil, allowing a little room for steam to be produced. Let the brisket sit for 20–30 minutes.
9. Carefully open the foil to expose the brisket.
10. Cut into thin slices before serving.

 

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Servings 6 | Prep Time 10 minutes | Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• ¼ cup crispy fried onions

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Once the water starts boiling, carefully add the potatoes and boil for 12–15 minutes, or until firm tender.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully drain off the water.
4. Place the potatoes in a large bowl.
5. Add in the butter, crème fraiche or sour cream, prepared horseradish, and chives.
6. Use a hand mixer to blend until creamy.
7. Garnish the potatoes with crispy fried onions before serving.

 

Kentucky Butter Bundt Cake

Servings 10 | Prep Time 10 minutes | Cook Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups white sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1½ cups unsalted butter, set out to soften, divided
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped insides only
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons water or orange juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Confectioners’ sugar for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and generously grease a standard size 12-cup Bundt cake pan. Take a small handful of flour and sprinkle it inside the pan. Gently tap the pan to distribute the flour evenly. Tap out any excess and set the pan aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, 2 cups of sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Mix well.
3. Stir in the buttermilk, 1 cup of the softened butter, vanilla bean scrapings and eggs.
4. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to blend the batter until smooth and creamy.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and tap it gently.
6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a cooling rack.
8. Immediately place the remaining butter, remaining white sugar, brown sugar, water or orange juice, and vanilla extract in a saucepan.
9. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.

10. Leave the pan on the heat while you poke holes in the exposed part of the cake in the cake pan.
11. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the butter sauce over the entire surface of the cake.
12. Let sit for about 10–15 minutes, or until the butter sauce is thoroughly absorbed into the cake.
13. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a serving platter.
14. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving, if desired.

 

 

All these recipes and more can be found in David Martin’s book Let’s Grill! Kentucky’s Best BBQ Recipes. Click here or on the cover to get your copy now!

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