Our good friend David (
DRKsmoking
) had to go and post that incredible looking potato and bacon dome again. I just had to run it being a tried and true potato lover. I believe mine was on a smaller scale than his but tried to maintain the concept. The only question was what I planned to serve with it. Dug through the main freezer and decided on braised beef tenderloin tips with onions and peppers in a light sauce. Little did I know at the time this would be the ugliest plate I've ever posted here but it was also VERY good so thought I'd share. Presentation missed the mark by a mile but flavor profile exceeded my every expectation.
Start out with some celery, jalapenos, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, black pepper a dollop of butter. This will get mixed into the potato mixture.
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Potatoes, the veggies, and extra sharp cheddar into a bowl.
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Mix all that up and create one God awful looking mess.
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A pack of my homemade pepper crusted bacon for the weave.
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Make the bacon weave, get it in the bowl, and pack the taters in. Then flip the ends of the bacon over.
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Cover with foil and onto the grill for an hour.
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The tenderloin tips.
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Into a skillet with red and green bell pepper, onions, paprika, minced garlic, black pepper, a dollop of BTB beef base, and a splash of beef broth. At this point things really start getting ugly.
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After an hour on the grill, time to get the potato & bacon dome out of the pan. There was a LOT of grease but I tried cleaning up as much as I could. Time to go back on the grill to crisp up the bacon.
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Another 20 minutes or so, the bacon is looking pretty good. Two pics.
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Ugly personified.
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Yes David, I actually made gravy....unlike some people

(Sorry, I just had to)
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Bacon dome sliced.
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Now for the coup de grace: ugliest plate ever posted in SMF. Served with a nice garden salad.
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Close up. Try not to cringe.
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So...it was ugly as homemade sin but the flavors were outstanding. A really, really good dinner if you can get past the visual aspect. The potato and bacon dome was absolutely incredible. Far and again the best potato dish I've ever done. A couple things to note however. I either had the potatoes a bit too dry, didn't get them packed in tight enough, or a combination of both. They wanted to crumble when I was slicing it and was very difficult to get a nice pie-shaped slice. Mine cratered but Tracy got a nice looking slice. The beef tips were outstanding. Super tender and flavor well beyond what I'd hoped for. All in all, a very tasty dinner. The only reason this one is getting posted is to give David credit for showcasing an amazing dish that hopefully others will embrace. Trust me, it's well worth it!!
This one is a wrap. Got to get Sunday breakfast going for my lovely bride. Y'all have a great holiday weekend. Stay safe, be happy, and let's get those rib entries in!!
Robert