Beef & Bacon Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Peel and finely dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Chop half the bacon (3 slices) into 1/2-inch pieces; leave the other half (3 slices) whole for crisping or garnish. Measure out seasonings, broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and parsley.

Render bacon

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon is browned and crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the crisped bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.

Sauté aromatics

If the skillet has more than about 1–2 tablespoons of bacon fat, spoon off excess leaving approximately 1 tbs for flavor. Add 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter to the skillet and heat until the butter foams. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat until translucent and starting to brown, about 5–6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the beef

Increase heat to medium-high. Push the onion and garlic to the edge of the pan, add the ground beef in an even layer. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Let the beef brown without disturbing for 2 minutes, then break it up with a spatula and continue cooking until no pink remains, about 4–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if more than 2 tbs remain, but keep the fond (brown bits) in the pan.

Combine and simmer

Stir the cooked chopped bacon back into the beef. Add 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 1 minute to cook out the raw tomato taste. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup beef broth, scraping up any browned bits. Add 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp brown sugar (optional). Bring to a gentle simmer, lower heat, and cook uncovered for 6–8 minutes until slightly reduced and saucy.

Finish and adjust seasoning

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Stir in 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley. If desired, crisp the remaining whole bacon slices in a separate skillet or under broiler and chop or serve whole as a garnish.

Serve

Serve warm as a topping for mashed potatoes, stuffed in buns, over rice, in tacos, or alongside roasted vegetables. Spoon any pan sauce over the beef for extra flavor. Garnish with the crispy bacon and an extra sprinkle of parsley.