comfort food essentials: beef, bourbon, and bacon

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Andy Anderson !
Wichita, KS

Okay, so there I was sitting in front of the fireplace with a bourbon on the rocks; casually thinking about dinner, and watching the dancing flames through the amber color of the bourbon in my glass. I got up and found a couple of arm roasts in the walk-in. And, thought bourbon, bacon, and beef… what could go wrong with that? The sauce was made from ingredients on hand, and after putting it together, I popped it into the oven, and sat down with another bourbon. Life is hard. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

(1 rating)
yield serving(s)
prep time 25 Min
cook time 2 Hr
method Bake

Ingredients For comfort food essentials: beef, bourbon, and bacon

  • PLAN/PURCHASE
  • THE BEEF
  • 3 slice
    bacon, diced
  • 3 - 4 lb
    arm roast, or chuck, cut into 3/4-inch (2cm) cubes
  • 1/4 c
    flour, all-purpose variety
  • 1/2 tsp
    white pepper, freshly ground
  • THE SAUCE
  • 1 1/2 c
    chicken stock, not broth
  • 1/4 c
    coconut sugar, packed
  • 1/4 c
    tamari sauce, or liquid aminos
  • 1/4 c
    bourbon, i use jack daniel’s
  • 1/4 c
    bbq sauce, homemade if possible
  • 2 Tbsp
    apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp
    powdered ginger
  • 3 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1 md
    yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 tsp
    crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • THE THICKENER
  • 1.4 c
    apple cider
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp
    flour, all-purpose variety

How To Make comfort food essentials: beef, bourbon, and bacon

  • 1
    PREP/PREPARE
  • 2
    Whenever you slow braise, oven cook, or smoke beef, pork, or chicken, there will be variables that need to be factored into the recipe. For example, what is the cut of meat you are using and its size? Did you brine before cooking? What is the “exact” temperature of your oven, slow cooker, instant pot? If you are braising, what acidic are you using? So, when a recipe calls for a slow cooker time on a roast of 6 hours. Start checking around four hours. On the other hand, a recipe may call for 6 hours in the slow cooker, and it takes you 8 hours.
  • 3
    Why chicken stock in a beef dish? Well, the other sauce ingredients were heavy hitters, and I did not want to make it too overbearing.
  • 4
    For this recipe, you will need a heavy-bottom pot with a tight-fitting lid.
  • 5
    Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
  • 6
    Place a rack in the bottom position, and preheat the oven to 250f (120c).
  • 7
    In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour and white pepper, then throw in the beef and toss, until lightly coated.
  • 8
    Add the bacon to the pot. Set the heat to medium, and cook, until it begins to crisp, and renders out its fat, about 5 – 7 minutes.
  • 9
    Remove the bacon, add about a third of the beef, and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch.
  • 10
    Repeat for the other two batches, and reserve.
  • 11
    Chef’s Note: If your bacon does not have much fat, you may need to add a bit of grapseed oil to the pan.
  • 12
    Add the onions, and sauté until softened, about 3 – 5 minutes.
  • 13
    Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
  • 14
    Add the chicken stock, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those brown bits (fonds) that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  • 15
    Add the remaining SAUCE ingredients (including the reserved bacon), and combine.
  • 16
    Add the beef back to the pot, combine, and bring up to a simmer.
  • 17
    Cover the pot, place in the preheated oven, and cook, until the beef is fork tender, about 1.5 – 2 hours.
  • 18
    Chef’s Note: Check the beef after 45 minutes, and then every 20 minutes thereafter.
  • 19
    Add the flour to the apple cider.
  • 20
    Remove the beef from the oven, and place on the stovetop. Bring up to a simmer, and add the cider/flour mixture.
  • 21
    Simmer for a few minutes, until thickened.
  • 22
    PLATE/PRESENT
  • So yummy
    23
    I like to serve this dish with some rice, and crusty bread. Enjoy.
  • 24
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

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