Recipe: Oak Steakhouse’s Char-Grilled Gifford’s Bacon

Courtesy of Executive Chef Jordan Arcuri.

by

Oak Steakhouse’s Char-Grilled Gifford’s Bacon

As the seasons start to change, so do our palettes. With fall comes a craving for cozy foods we can tuck into and indulgent dishes as rich as the colors on the trees. This decadent bacon offering from Oak Steakhouse meets all of our autumnal requirements.

“My approach to Oak’s menu is all about seasonality, and this dish exemplifies just that,” says new Executive Chef Jordan Arcuri. “Oak’s Char-Grilled Gifford’s Bacon has gone through many seasonal iterations over the years (with more planned in store!), and this fall twist is one of my favorites. It’s easy to recreate at home, and we definitely recommend using locally-sourced pork and ingredients to maintain freshness and quality.”

Here, Chef Arcuri breaks down everything you’ll need to recreate this delicious dish at home. (oaksteakhouserestaurant.com)

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz Gifford’s bacon, grilled
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 pound butter
  • 1 qt veal stock
  • 3 cup maple syrup
  • 1⁄2 cup apple butter (can also be bought at grocery store)
  • 10 pounds red apples, deseeded and decored
  • 1 pound brown sugar
  • 2 cup water
  • Salt to taste
  • Lemon juice to taste
  • 2 cups rice wine vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 bulbs fennel, shaved on a mandolin

Directions:

  1. Bake one large sweet potato at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 min and boil one large peeled sweet potato until tender. Have one pound of butter in your fridge cubed into 1-inch by 1-inch cubes. Once your baked and boiled sweet potatoes are done cooking, remove skin. (Be careful, it will be hot!) Once skin is removed, start to slowly fluff your potatoes with a fork, slowly adding in butter until the entire pound is incorporated. Let sit for four to five minutes to slightly cool.
  2. For the maple jus, reduce one quart of veal stock in a medium sauce pot on medium heat. On another stovetop burner, reduce 3 cups of maple syrup in another medium sauce pot. Once the veal stock has reduced by half, and so has your maple syrup, add your veal stock to your maple syrup. (Be careful, since your maple syrup has reduced its pure sugar, adding a liquid to the pot will cause it to “spit.”) Once all the liquid is with your syrup, place back on medium heat and it will dissipate into the liquid. Once your glaze has simmered for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the stovetop to let cool to slightly warm, add half a cup of apple butter to your glaze and whisk in. Season with salt to help bring out natural sweetness.
  3. Cut a ten-ounce block off your Gifford’s bacon slab and have a medium sauté pan preheating on medium-high heat to 400 degrees. Once you have portioned your bacon, wrap in a napkin and place on a plate until your pan is fully heated. Once your pan is hot, add two tablespoons of canola oil and turn your stovetop off, remove your bacon from the napkin and press firmly into the pan fat side down. When the bacon is making noise, turn your stove back on and crank the heat to high. Once a little smoke starts, turn your heat off and place bacon into your preheated 400 degrees oven for 12 to 16 minutes. Make sure to check and baste your bacon using the fat rendering in the sauté pan every 2-3 minutes. Once your bacon has a beautiful brown sear, the fat has rendered and is fully hot throughout, remove from the oven and pour off the fat. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
  4. Take one large fennel bulb cut in half lengthwise. Placing the cut side down with the bottom of the bulb pointed towards your stomach, cut the small root stem off and slice as thinly as possible lengthwise. Once cut, add fennel to three cups of ice-cold water for 20 seconds. This will shock your fennel, cause it to be more aromatic, and have a nice crunchy texture.
  5. Combine and serve!