autumn essentials: hearty beef, bacon, veggie soup

How To Make autumn essentials: hearty beef, bacon, veggie soup

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  1

  PREP/PREPARE
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  2

  Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
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  3

  STAGE I: THE MEAT
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  Place the diced bacon into a skillet over medium heat.
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  Cook until the bacon begins to brown, and renders its fat, about 8 – 10 minutes.
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  Add the ground chuck and pork tenderloin.
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  Cook until the meat is browned, and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6 – 8 minutes, then move the skillet off the heat and reserve,.
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  Chef’s Note: I cooked the beef, pork, and bacon in a separate skillet. In truth, you could do the whole recipe in a large heavy-bottomed pot. But, since you would then have to remove the meat from the pot, and put it into a large bowl, I figured it would be just as easy to wash a skillet; as opposed to a large bowl, so I opted to go with the skillet.
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  Chef’s Tip: If you are grinding your own meat, use the insert with the large holes. If you are having your butcher grind the meat, ask them for a coarse grind, or chili grind. If you are using regular grind, that is fine; however, I find that regular grinds of meat tend to get lost in the soup, where a coarser grind helps the meat to stand out.
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  Chef’s Tip: If you do grind your own, then cube the chuck roast and pork, and place into the freezer until the meat firms up, but is not frozen. That way, when you grind it, the cold will keep the fats from smearing into the meat.
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  Chef’s Note: What are charcoal steaks? Charcoal steaks are flatiron steaks with the center seam of cartilage intact. Like flatirons, they have abundant marbling and a natural tenderness. In addition, they are an inexpensive cut of meat that has a heck of a lot of flavor. 
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  STAGE II: THE VEGGIES
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  Add the butter, and the olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, and allow to melt.
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  Add the onions, and the garlic, and then cook (stirring frequently), until the onions begin to soften, about 3 – 5 minutes.
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  Chef’s Note: At the last minute, I decided to use pickled onions; as opposed to just a regular yellow onion… And I was very happy with the results. Here is the recipe that I used: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/other-side-dish/onion-essentials-maple-cider-pickled-onions.html
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  Chef’s Tip: Do not use raw garlic in this recipe; instead, use baked garlic. It makes such a difference in the mellow flavors of this recipe. If you never had the pleasure of baking your own garlic, here is the recipe that I use. It is easy/peasy: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/seasoning-mix/cooking-essentials-baked-garlic.html?r=4
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  Add the remainder of the veggies from Stage II, and sprinkle with a bit of salt, to get the process started.
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  Sweat the veggies, stirring frequently, until the cabbage begins to wilt, and the carrots begin to soften, about 10 – 12 minutes.
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  STAGE III: PULLING IT TOGETHER
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  Return the reserved meat to the pot.
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  Stir to combine.
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  Add the basil, oregano, thyme, cumin, and red pepper flakes to the pot, and mix thoroughly.
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  Add the Worcestershire to the chicken stock, whisk in the flour, and add to the pot.
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  Chef’s Tip: Why not use beef stock? I tried the dish with beef stock; however, I felt that it made it way too heavy. By using chicken stock, I managed to lighten the recipe and, at the same time, achieve the flavor notes I was looking for.
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  Chef’s Note: Taste and season with additional salt and/or pepper, to taste.
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  Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, and the diced potatoes.
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  Stir to combine.
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  Chef’s Tip: Do not use standard russet potatoes because they will fall apart. Red potatoes can stand up to the cooking, and still maintain their shape.
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  This is the brand of fire-roasted tomatoes I used. They really added a rich depth to the flavors of this recipe.
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  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and allow to cook, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12 – 15 minutes.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Serve while nice and warm (but not boiling hot), and do not forget to add some dinner rolls, or nice crusty bread. Enjoy.
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  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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