Chef Isaac Toups' Grilled Garden Veggies with Bacon Vinaigrette
A favorite from the menu at Toups Meatery, in time for the Fourth of July.
Method
Preheat the grill to high (about 500°F). Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the bacon slices on a rimmed baking sheet and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve the baking sheet with the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
In a blender, combine the garlic, anchovies, and vinegar and put the lid on. Turn the blender on and slowly drizzle in the canola oil. This is never going to be a fully emulsified vinaigrette, so don’t fret if it looks like it’s breaking. Add the reserved bacon fat (about 1 tablespoons, but if you have more from cooking your bacon, just toss it all in) and keep the blender buzzing for 5 seconds to combine all the ingredients. Keep warm. I like to put it in a metal container, like a mixing bowl, and keep it by the grill while I cook the vegetables. The vinaigrette doesn’t need to be hot, just not too cold because the bacon fat will congeal if you let it.
In a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the vegetables with the salt, pepper, pepper flakes, and olive oil. Place the vegetables on the hot grill in a single layer and cook on each side for about 2 minutes. They should char on the outside while keeping the crunch or snap of fresh crudites. They should be really crispy and charred, not all wimpy and overcooked; high heat is key here. Remove the vegetables from the grill and put in a nonreactive bowl.
Toss the grilled vegetables in the bacon vinaigrette. Top with the crumbled bacon. Serve.
Find Chef Isaac Toups' recipe for double-cut pork chops with cane syrup gastrique here.