If you don’t have a bottle of bourbon in your pantry, you should. Cooking burns off the alcohol, leaving behind delicious traces of corn mash, vanilla and oak aging barrels. Don’t go too cheap on the bourbon. As with wine or any other beverage, if it’s not good enough to drink, it’s not good enough to cook with. You don’t have to spring for Maker’s Mark or one of those small-batch boutique brands, but something solid like Jim Beam Black or Old Granddad will work well. Rebel Yell has spice and raisin notes that blend well with this recipe, too. And that way you have something on hand if a guest asks for a Manhattan.

Orange juice and soy sauce add savory and sweet to the mix, punched up by the brown sugar.