The bird may be the star of the show during Thanksgiving dinner, but the success of a meal is made up of the sum of its parts. Start with a tasty tipple, and everything else will go smoothly. And if your side dish involves bacon jam, you'll be scraping the bottom of the dish in no time.
Red Door Wood Fired Grill recently opened its fourth location in Liberty. This locally-owned favorite is where you'll find this side dish, which combines crisp-tender Brussels sprouts with savory bacon jam. I might whip up a batch of jam for other purposes--it sounds like the ideal condiment for day-after turkey sandwiches. This recipe serves 8-10 people, so there will be plenty to pass around the table. Thanks to Executive Chef Derich Carlson for sharing the love!
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Jam
- 1 c. chicken stock
- 1/2 c. garlic herb butter
- 1 lb. bacon jam (recipe below)
- 2 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and blanched
- 2 tsp. salt and pepper mixture
- 1. In a skillet, heat the chicken stock, garlic herb butter, and bacon jam.
1. Place the brussels sprouts in the skillet and season with salt and pepper and cook until heated all the way through.
2. Plate on a serving dish and keep warm until ready to serve.
Bacon Jam
- 12 lbs. bacon, diced
- 1/4 c. rendered bacon fat
- 7 lbs. yellow onions, diced
- 2 oz. garlic, minced
- 4 c. cider vinegar
- 2 lbs. brown sugar
- 2 c. maple syrup
1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until lightly browned.
2. Turn off the heat, remove the bacon and reserve the fat, and set aside.
3. Add 1/4 c. of the fat back into the pan
4. Combine the cider vinegar, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
5. Cook the onions and garlic in the mixture until the onions are translucent.
6. Deglaze the pan with cider vinegar, brown sugar, and maple syrup and add the bacon and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Place in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Do not grind to a fine consistency.
8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Northlander and Bar Director of The Monarch Bar on the Country Club Plaza knows that a cocktail is just another chance to wow your guests. With the American Pie, he combines drinks and dessert into one heavenly experience.
American Pie
- 1 oz Wild Turkey Long Branch Bourbon
- .5 oz Belle Meade XO Bourbon
- .75 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- .75 oz Pecan Pie Coulis (recipe below)
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake hard w/ ice and double strain over a large rock in a rocks glass.
2. Top w/ a cupcake and serve with a sidecar of Warre's Warrior Ruby Port.
Pecan Pie Coulis
- 1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup turbinado sugar
- 1 tbsp Nielsen Massey vanilla
- 1.5 cups pecans
Combine in a mixing bowl. Mix well and transfer to a 8x8 metal baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes. Let cool and transfer baked mixture to a blender and blend with 2 cups Simple Syrup until smooth. Store in an airtight container for one week in the refrigerator.