Dishes of the Year: Bourbon-Smoked Pork Chops at Chef JJ's Backyard

By Tia Agnew of New Day Meadery

As a business owner in the alcoholic beverage industry, I’m partial to good food and drink. Lucky for me, Indy’s independent food scene has skyrocketed in quality, diversity, and all-around fun over the past decade. Of all the things I enjoyed this past year, I loved the bourbon-smoked pork chops with bacon polenta that I had at Chef JJ’s Backyard (1040 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-602-3828) in Broad Ripple as much as any dish. Working on a Big Green Egg grill, chef Steven Unrue paired a juicy Gunthorp Farms pork chop with crispy bacon from the Smoking Goose, further emphasizing the smoky punch. Perfectly grilled polenta sent this one over the top.

See more Dishes of the Year here. This article appeared in Menu Guide 2014.