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Meat Me in Memphis

Monogram Foods

Bacon, sausage and beef jerky are just a few of the items that will be taking center stage at the 8th annual Meat Me in Memphis gala which will be held on Oct. 24 at The Columns at One Commerce Square.

You may not be familiar with the brand name Monogram Foods, but chances are you have enjoyed some of this Memphis-based company’s products.

Their broad portfolio of products includes such items as beef jerky, sausage, hot dogs, pre-cooked bacon and other processed food items. Their brands include Circle B, King Cotton and Trail's Best Meat Snacks.

For the 8th year, they will be hosting their annual gala that features local chefs preparing dishes with Monogram Foods ingredients.

Erling Jensen is one of the ten chefs who will be participating this year. Erling has been a part of the event since the very first year.

He will be preparing Beef Tenderloin with Spicy Smoked Sausage, Bacon, Mushrooms and Petit Chantal cheese.

It’s a tasty follow-up top the NY Strip with Bologna and Bacon Bearnaise Sauce that he prepared last year.

Erling rendered the fat from bacon and bologna and used the fat as the base of his rich Béarnaise sauce. Each year, he finds a creative way to incorporate Monogram’s ingredients into his dishes.

Other dishes served last year included Creole Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Seafood Gumbo with Smoked Sausage and Sweet and Spicy Bacon Poppers.

And they didn’t forget a sweet ending. Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies were also on the menu!

The event is hosted annually by The Monogram Loves Kids Foundation. Since the foundation was formed in 2012, over $2 million in grants have been given to kids charities.

This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!

Tickets are $125. Email svaughan@monogramfoods.com to purchase tickets

NY Strip Steak with Sausage, Potatoes and Squash served with a Bologna and Bacon Bearnaise Sauce

This is the dish that Chef Erling Jensen of Erling Jensen restaurant featured at the 2018 Meat Me in Memphis event.

  • 6 oz. NY Strip
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 package (40 oz.) King Cotton bacon
  • 1 package (2 lb.) King Cotton chunk bologna
  • 1 package (14 oz.) King Cotton original smoked sausage
  • 1 pound fingering potatoes, sliced longways
  • 1 yellow squash, diced

Let steak stand 30 minutes at room temperature. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over the steak.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add oil to the pan; swirl to coat. Add steak to the pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low; add butter, thyme and garlic to the pan. Carefully grasp pan handle using an oven mitt or folded dish towel. Tilt pan toward you so the butter pools; cook 1 ½ minutes, basting the steak with the butter constantly. Remove steak from the pan; cover loosely with foil.

Let stand 10 minutes. Reserve butter mixture. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Discard thyme and garlic; spoon reserved butter mixture over steak.

Cook 1 package of bacon and 1 package of bologna in cast-iron skillet so that the fat from each is rendered. Set aside cooked bacon and bologna. Pour 1 cup of fat into a glass mason jar and set aside for the bearnaise sauce.

Sauté the smoked sausage, fingerling potatoes and squash in the remaining rendered fat in the cast-iron skillet until cooked through.

Bologna and Bacon Bearnaise Sauce

  • 1 cup rendered bacon and bologna fat
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Salt and pepper

Place rendered fat in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat: keep warm. Whisk egg yolks, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon hot water in a medium bowl. Place bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch the water).
Drizzle the melted fat 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking constantly, until all of the fat is fully incorporated, and the sauce is thick. Season to taste with cayenne, salt and pepper; add more lemon juice, if desired. Serve immediately.
 

Jennifer Chandler graduated at the top of her class from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She is a full-time mom to two daughters in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a freelance food writer, restaurant consultant, and author of four cookbooks The Southern Pantry Cookbook, Simply Salads, Simply Suppers, and Simply Grilling.