"It's the most exciting two minutes in sports!"
We're laying 2:1 odds that some pal of yours has been champing at the bit to trot out that chestnut ever since Big Brown galloped toward destiny last Derby Day. And sure, you hooted, hollered, maybe even donned a big, fancy hat and welled up a little but honestly, did you watch even one other horse race in '08? Chances are, you were there for the mint juleps.
If you are there -- as in Churchill Downs -- for the juleps, you'll be in the hands of of the track's Executive Chef Joseph "Jo-Jo" Doyle, and that ain't a bad place to be at all. The 34-year-old chef isn't a Kentuckian by birth, but tells Slashfood that the cuisine of his Mobile, AL and New Orleans upbringing prepped him for making traditional Bluegrass fare.
Hear more from Chef Doyle and get traditional Kentucky Benedictine and Bourbon Slush recipes after the jump.
The state's signature big-batch meat stew burgoo, for instance, is an analogue to gumbo. These dishes, he says, "connect through the roots of all people," but that's not to say he doesn't appreciate the nuances of traditional Kentucky cuisine.
He's embraced the aforementioned burgoo, a long-cooking meat stew that's just as likely as not to include squirrel (not in his rendition, he's quick to add -- and he leaves out the okra as well), along with turkey, ham, chicken and pork loin and has already cooked up three 80-gallon batches thus far this year. To craft the region's signature cucumber-based Benedictine dip, he consulted approximately 70 recipes before deciding that lurid green food coloring, though it offers no discernible taste benefit, is crucial for authenticity. He'll serve up 1,000 pounds of Kentucky blue cheese on Derby Day.
And yeah -- he wells up when he sees 150,000 racegoers standing en masse and singing 'My Old Kentucky Home' before post time. Who wouldn't?
As for the mint juleps, Churchill Downs bartenders will sell 75,000 of them in one hour on Derby Day, muddling them individually at the racetrack's bars to be served in the commemorative glasses that racegoers have been collecting since their introduction in 1938. Pressed for a favorite recipe, Chef Doyle was hesitant to offer handicapping, allowing just that it's best to use your preferred bourbon and mint and to take the time to make simple syrup.
In-house bartender Keith Waldbauer offers these tips for mint julep creation:
1. Be delicate while muddling the mint.
2. If possible, get a silver julep cup. The cocktail is entirely different when in a glass, which warms up faster than the silver cup.
3. Use high-proof bourbon or rye. Dilution plays a major role in the julep. Higher proof booze holds flavor longer under such conditions.
Get more mint julep recipes and tips from Slashfood and learn how to make Kentucky burgoo.
Juleps not your speed? Try this Kentucky house party favorite.
Bourbon Slush
12 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cups sugar
2 cups strong-brewed tea, cooled
2 cups bourbon
7 cups water
Ginger ale, as needed
Thoroughly combine all ingredients except for ginger ale in a freezer-proof container. Lidded Tupperware works well. Freeze. To serve, let thaw slightly, scoop into glasses and top with ginger ale to taste.
Benedictine
1 large cucumber
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 small white onion
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
Green food coloring (optional)
Peel the cucumber and either juice it with a citrus juicer or grate as finely as possible. With either method, reserve the juice and set aside. Follow the same procedure with the onion.
Combine cucumber pulp, 2 tbsp onion pulp, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and optional green food coloring in a bowl or food processor and blend, adding cucumber juice and onion juice until desired taste, color and smoothness is achieved.
Serve with dipping vegetables, crackers or cocktail rye.
