HICKORY SMOKED BEEF BONE MARROW AND BOURBON BACON VIDALIA ONION JAM | ALL AMERICAN COOKING

When I was in Columbus, OH a few years back, I stopped at a local place in the Brewery District for a bite and a pint. What I saw on the menu made my mouth water… Roasted Bone Marrow and Onion Jam served on grilled bread. It was an appetizer, I had never had ANY of the items listed in this particular dish, and I was anxious to try them all for the first time. Because that’s how I got to be the foodie I am today - always trying new things. Because you don’t know if you like it or hate it until you try it.Show more

It was delicious. The bone marrow was like beef flavored butter, perfectly seasoned and I detected a bit of herbs in it as well. The onion jam, to my amazement, was simple caramelized onions with an added sweetness and a little tang. After asking the server, it seems I guessed correctly - caramelized onions, brown sugar, and this one had a touch of balsamic vinegar. The grilled bread was much crispier that I imagined grilled bread to be, and had a hint of garlic flavor. A crostini, I was told, but made on the grill as opposed to in the oven. (In hindsight, I should have opted for this technique when making the crostini I made for this video, as mine quickly dried out and became extra crispy within 15 minutes of removing them from the oven.) I was shocked at the simplicity of this dish, and yet the complexity of flavors and textures I was experiencing. When I found out this particular restaurant was closed, I was determined to one day recreate what I had experienced that evening in Columbus.

It’s been at least three years, maybe even longer. The details of time fade in the memory banks as we age, but the eating experience remains. I’m perusing through the @GrandWesternSteaks online menu, and behold!!
https://grandwesternsteaks.com/beef-bones-for-marrow-canoe-style.html
Beef marrow bones cut canoe style exactly the way I had experienced them! I ordered them immediately (along with a BMS 8-9 Wagyu brisket which I will smoke for a video and get into more detail than my previous brisket video)
While waiting for them to arrive at my doorstep, I got to researching different types of onion jam. And I began to see a lot with bacon. Now I’ve had bacon jam before, I’ve had bacon jam with onions before. But I had never had a bacon-onion jam. My wheels started spinning. I know the basics of how to make an onion jam. I knew I would have to cook the bacon separately and add it back in later, otherwise it would be too greasy, even though cooking onions and bacon together is an aroma that will change your life (as briefly discussed in some unintentional B roll that was left in this video between my brother and I)
I got to work on creating a recipe that would work, that was flavorful but not too complex. And then it hit me… bourbon.

No seriously, I was drinking bourbon and suddenly I felt the effects of it. Came out of nowhere. I digress…

Ok, Bourbon will be added. Bourbon, brown sugar, and bacon are like the three greatest “B’s” in the culinary world besides beef, but that will be beef butter (another great pair of B’s) from the bone marrow.

I knew that some people added a bit of water to their recipes, which I’m not a fan of but I needed that extra liquid to help prevent the brown sugar from burning and to dilute the acidity of the necessary vinegar. And I began thinking of a rather dirty and lame joke I know involving making love in a canoe and light beer. Hence, the light beer became the stand-in for water since they are practically the same thing.

The only aspect I struggled with was seasoning. I knew I needed garlic, but I didn’t know if it should come as pressed garlic or in the form of paste or powder. And at the time of cooking I realized I was out of the garlic paste and I felt fresh garlic would be too overpowering, the granulated garlic wound up being the chosen one. (I would still opt for the paste if you have it, add it before the brown sugar) I also wanted just a touch of smoky spice, but felt chipotle chili powder would be too much, so I opted for the subtle smokiness of my favorite, smoked paprika. The decision to go with dark brown sugar over light was easy, as I felt the richer molasses flavor of the former would pair nicely with the bourbon and help keep this a sweet and savory dish, not turn it into candy.

Other than regretting using the oven to make the crostini instead of the flat top or grill pan, this turned out to be one of the best dishes I’ve ever made, and it is my honor and pleasure to share it with you. Thank you to those that have subscribed and those that may subscribe after watching this video. I have much more to come, I hope you’ll enjoy this journey I am taking exploring my passion for food, cooking, and entertaining, and that you’ll benefit from my experimentation. Likes and comments help a lot, too, so don’t be shy! Even if it’s negative, I can take it and learn from it. It still helps this channel.

Enjoy this video and this recipe, thank you.. Don’t Eat Boring Food!