Cliff Morgan loves to hunt, fish, and barbecue. He’s good at all three, and has perfected his skills for smoking meats and fish too. Cliff was gracious enough to share his favorite marinade recipe. Cliff’s All-Purpose Marinade has only 3 ingredients, and is strong enough that most meats and poultry absorb the delicious flavor in only 30 minutes to 3 hours marinating time, which is perfect for anyone who is pressed for time. The marinade is great on steaks, pork chops, and chicken (“as well,” says Cliff, “as venison and elk,” which are his favorites). If I’m going to be away longer than 3 hours, I pour the marinade over frozen meat or chicken breasts; it can then sit in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours without a significant change in the texture, and by the time the meat is thawed, it will have soaked up just enough of the marinade to tenderize and flavor.

The official Hancock tasters especially loved this marinade on grilled pork chops – the chops stayed extra juicy and were absolutely tender enough to cut with a fork. Of course the marinade ingredients are poured off before grilling, so the calories added from marinating are very minimal – just enough of the oil adheres to insure that the meat or chicken doesn’t stick to the grill, and all alcohol is immediately cooked off when the meat or poultry hits the hot grill; only the flavor remains, and it’s fabulous. Heat up the grill; this is a perfect marinade to use on your favorite meat or poultry at the next barbecue or family get-together.

8 Servings


1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Bourbon
1/2 cup soy sauce

3 to 4 pounds center cut pork chops, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or steaks

1. Mix all ingredients well.


2. Pour over the pork chops.


3. Let marinate 30 minutes to 3 hours.


4. Pour off the marinade and grill.

Amount Per Serving (adjusted to allow for most of the marinade to be poured off)
Calories 295 Calories from Fat 124
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 42% Protein 54% Carb. 1%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 14 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 102 mg
Sodium 340 mg
Total Carbohydrate 2 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 40 g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 1% Calcium 0% Iron 8%