Fourth Of July Bourbon & BBQ Round-Up

By Richard Thomas

This year the Fourth of July weekend is four days long, and while the fireworks wait until Tuesday, the cook-outs start on Saturday afternoon and run from there. That makes this long holiday weekend the perfect time to give cooking with whiskey a spin, because few things go together better that bourbon and barbecue. Chefs Mike Johnson and Christina Fitzgerald, co-owners of the Sugarfire Smokehouse in St. Louis, know all about that.

“The flavors of bourbon always marry well with the smokiness of barbecue,” said Johnson. “They really bring out the best in each other, especially a good bourbon with a hint of sweet paired with a sweet barbecue sauce. I really think it goes back to the roots of it all, for both bourbon and barbecue you have to find a balance between sweet and savory, and both tend to have a smokiness behind them as well.”

Bourbon goes well with a variety of cook-out staples, including mains, side dishes and desserts. According to Fitzgerald, “When it comes to smoked meats and sweets, bourbon adds to just about anything! A bourbon glaze is simple for the home cook and always great on pork, ham and even certain fish. At the restaurant we use it often and our pie shop does as well .”

They do indeed. In terms of cooking with whiskey, they have some ideas for your holiday barbecue and drinks to serve with it:

Bourbon Short Ribs With Rebel Yell

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c beef stock
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon
1/3 c Worcestershire
1/2 c brown sugar
1/8 c pickled jalapeño juice
1/3 c light corn syrup
1 c peach purée
1 1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c tomato paste
5 lb bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise in to 2′ pieces
3 T all-purpose flour
3 T vegetable oil
3 medium onions, diced
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 275F. Combine stock, vinegar, Rebel Yell Bourbon, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeño
juice, corn syrup, peach puree, ketchup and tomato paste in a medium stock pot on low heat. Season ribs well on all sides. Lightly dust each short rib with flour, knocking off any access.

Heat a large pan, one suitable for transferring to the oven, on the stove, set on high. Add vegetable oil to pan and sear ribs for 6 minutes on all sides. Remove ribs and place in a roasting dish. Using the same pan on medium high heat, sauté vegetables until softened. Add vegetables, bay leaves, garlic and enough of the sauce to cover 2/3 of the ribs. Wrap ribs tightly with aluminum foil and place on a center rack in the oven. Continue to reduce remaining sauce until desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Roast ribs covered for 3 hours. Allow to rest and serve with sauce.

‘Tucky Sage Cocktail

Ingredients:
2 oz Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon
0.5 oz sage simple syrup *
1 oz lime juice
1 oz ginger beer
Combine all ingredients, including sage, in a shaker filled with ice, and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with more sage.

* To make sage simple syrup, boil sugar, water and fresh sage leaves. Let simmer on low for 30 minutes, then let cool and strain. The simple syrup has a shelf life of two weeks. You can also use honey instead of sage.

The Whiskey Reviewer knows a thing or two about bourbon and barbecue as well, from pursuing our cooking with whiskey beat:

• Bourbon barbecue sauce
• Maple and bourbon barbecue sauce
• Bourbon and bacon baked beans
• Mashed sweet potatoes with bourbon
• Cherry bourbon hand pies