The Porch Report: October

Oct 12

THE PORCH REPORT — OCTOBER

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The drinkSmoked Maple Old Fashioned

The dishBourbon-Glazed Pecans

The seasonThe first fire of fall

Reading time5 min

What you’ll need

Everything for this month, in one place.

The drinkCocktail smoker kit · Smoking wood chips · Bourbon barrel maple syrup · Angostura bitters · Mixing glass & spoon · Double jigger · Clear-ice tray · Hobnail rocks glasses · Y-peeler

The dishPecan halves · Lodge cast iron skillet · Half sheet pan · Parchment sheets · Maldon flaky salt

The fireNatural fire starters · Poker & tongs · Wool blanket

A smoked Old Fashioned with an orange peel resting on the arm of an Adirondack chair, a fire pit glowing behind it at dusk — Plate I. The Smoked Maple Old Fashioned, on the arm of the chair.

October is the month the porch earns its keep. The air finally turns, the fire pit comes back out, and the first pour of the season tastes better outside.

This month: a smoked Old Fashioned sweetened with maple, a pan of bourbon-glazed pecans to pass around, and a few notes on getting the first fire of fall right.

The drink: Smoked Maple Old Fashioned

A classic Old Fashioned with maple standing in for sugar and a quick kiss of wood smoke. Cherry or oak chips are the easy match for bourbon.

Ingredients

Makes 1

Bourbon: 2 ounces
Maple syrup: ¼ ounce (bourbon barrel-aged is worth it here)
Bitters: 2 dashes Angostura
Garnish: A wide strip of orange peel
Ice: One large clear cube

Method

5 minutes

1. Smoke the glass: Light a pinch of cherry or oak chips in your smoker and trap the smoke in an empty rocks glass for 10 to 15 seconds.
2. Stir: Measure the bourbon, maple and bitters into a mixing glass with ice. Stir for about 20 seconds until cold.
3. Pour: Turn the glass over, drop in the big cube, and strain the drink over it.
4. Finish: Peel a strip of orange, twist it over the glass to release the oils, and drop it in.

No smoker? It’s still a very good Old Fashioned without one. Skip step one.

The dish: Bourbon-Glazed Pecans

A cast-iron skillet of glossy bourbon-glazed pecans on a weathered porch table beside a glass of bourbon and fallen leaves — Plate II. Bourbon-glazed pecans, still warm from the skillet.

Sweet, salty, a little warm from the cayenne, and gone faster than you’d think. Make them before guests arrive and set a bowl by the fire.

Ingredients

Makes 2 cups

Pecans: 2 cups pecan halves
Butter: 2 tablespoons
Brown sugar: ¼ cup, packed
Bourbon: 2 tablespoons
Spice: ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne
Salt: ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Method

20 minutes

1. Heat: Heat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Glaze: Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, bourbon, cinnamon and cayenne, and let it bubble for a minute.
3. Coat: Add the pecans and stir until every piece is glossy.
4. Bake: Spread them in one layer and bake 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once. Watch the last few minutes; they go from toasted to burnt quickly.
5. Finish: Sprinkle with flaky salt and let them cool 15 minutes. They crisp as they cool, and keep a week in an airtight jar.

The season: the first fire of fall

Two Adirondack chairs beside a crackling fire pit on a stone patio at dusk, a blanket over one chair and autumn trees beyond — Plate III. The first fire of fall.

Check before you light. October is still fire season in much of the West. Look up your local burn rules first.
Give it room. Keep the pit at least ten feet from the house, fences and low branches, with a hose or bucket of water nearby.
Burn seasoned hardwood. Dry oak, hickory or apple burns hot and clean. Skip lighter fluid; a couple of natural fire starters under some kindling does the job.
Keep a poker close. A long poker and tongs keeps hands and sleeves out of the fire.
Bring a blanket. A wool blanket over the chair means nobody has to go in early.
Put it out properly. Drown it, stir the ashes, and drown it again before you head to bed.

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