Recipe: Mint Julep, Bourbon Balls, Kentucky Hot Brown, Horse Race Pie, Kentucky Burgoo

Mint Julep

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
crushed ice
Kentucky bourbon
fresh mint

Boil sugar and water together for 5 minutes to make a syrup. Cool and place in a covered container with 6 to 8 fresh mint sprigs. Refrigerate overnight. Fill each julep glass with crushed ice. Add 1 tablespoon of mint syrup and 2 ounces of Kentucky bourbon. Stir rapidly to frost outside of glass. Garnish with fresh mint sprig.

Bourbon Balls

1 stick butter
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
4 Tbsp. bourbon
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
May require more chocolate for dipping. Suggest you have some semi-sweet chocolate chips on hand.

One day ahead: Cream the butter and sugar. Add the chopped pecans, mixing well. Add the Bourbon. Shape into balls using about 1 tsp. of the mixture for each ball. (You may need to let the batter sit in the fridge for an hour or two before you can easily roll it into balls.) Refrigerate overnight.

Next day: Melt semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl until smooth. Dip the chilled balls in the chocolate and place on waxed paper in the refrigerator to harden.

Kentucky Hot Brown

Hot brown sandwiches are open-faced hot turkey sandwiches with bacon that are the signature dish of one of the Brown Hotel in Louisville.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 to 3 1/2 cups milk
1 beaten egg
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons whipped cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Slices of roast turkey
8 to 12 slices toast (trimmed of crusts)
8 to 12 slices cooked bacon

Melt butter and add flour, stirring with a whisk or spoon to make a thick roux. Add milk gradually and whisk to blend completely before adding more. As the sauce thins you can add milk more quickly. Bring to a boil. Beat a little of the hot mixture with the egg. Remove sauce from heat and beat in the egg mixture. Add cheese and stir. Fold in whipped cream. Season to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place 2 slices of toast on a flameproof dish. Cover with a liberal amount of turkey. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the turkey and broil about 6 inches from the heat until the cheese sauce begins to bubble. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Place dish under broiler until sauce is speckled brown and bubbly. Remove from broiler and top with a 2 pieces of bacon. Garnish with tomato slices, if desired. Serves 4 to 6.

Horse Race Pie

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons bourbon or 2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Whipped cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs briefly. Add sugar, butter, bourbon and cornstarch until well blended but not foamy. Pour nuts and morsels into pie shell. Pour egg mixture over the top. Bake 45 minutes. Cool 1 hour. Best if served warm with whipped cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Kentucky Burgoo, Waters Fashion

1-2 beef marrow bones (2 1/2-3 lbs)
2 pounds chuck roast (or venison)
2 pounds breast of lamb
2 pounds breast of veal
1 (4-5 lb.) chicken
1 tender, young rabbit, ready to cook
2 onions
2 bay leaves
1 whole pod red pepper
a handful of parsley
8-10 quarts water
4 1/2 cups chopped onions (about 1 1/2 lbs)
4 1/2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 bunch carrots (peeled and diced)
2 green bell peppers (cored, seeded, and slivered)
2 red bell peppers (cored, seeded, and slivered)
2 cups fresh (or frozen) lima beans
kernels cut from and milk scraped from 4-6 ears of corn (about 2 cups)
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 medium turnip, diced
2 quarts tomatoes, pureed in their own juice
2 cups fresh okra,sliced
1/2 lemon, seeded
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup 100 proof KENTUCKY bourbon
1 cup diced fresh parsley

The Day Before

Put the meats, whole onion, bay leaves, handful of parsley, red pepper, and water in a large kettle. Boil for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken and rabbit, and cook rest for another 4 hours or until meat pulls easily from the bones. Bone and reserve meat in refrigerator. Remove onion, bay leaves, and pepper. Refrigerate stock overnight.

Early the next day, remove congealed fat from the top of stock and discard fat. Add chopped onions, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, lima beans, corn, celery, cabbage, turnip, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours until vegetables are tender.

Add okra, lemon, worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, whiskey, and pepper. Simmer uncovered in a 300 degree oven for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard lemon, add reserved meat and simmer in oven for another hour, stirring occasionally. Burgoo should be very thick. Stir in 1 cup diced fresh parsley and serve with cornbread and cole slaw. Serves 10-15