Spicy Bourbon Glazed Carrots

The Bull Mountains in haze. Three days of farrier work. Two ranches in the county. Eleven horses. The body is tired in the right way.

Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.

Cowboy beans on the fire Saturday. Pinto, bacon, onion, ancho. Slow simmer.

The week held. The work continues.

Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.

Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.

A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.

Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.

Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.

Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.

Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.

Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.

A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.

Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.

Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.

Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.

Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.

The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.

The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.

Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.

Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.

The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.

The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.

The beans were the main event Saturday, but the carrots came from the same instinct — something sweet against the heat of the ancho, something from the root cellar that could hold up next to a slow simmer. The bourbon was already on the shelf. Mr. Whelan was still on the porch. The fire was still going. It made sense to make one more thing while the coals were right.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch coins or oblique pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to finish
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh parsley or thyme, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Prep the carrots. Peel and slice carrots into evenly sized coins or oblique cuts so they cook at the same rate. Pat dry if needed.
Start the glaze base. In a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it begins to foam. Add the carrots in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden on one side.
Stir and season. Toss the carrots, then add the brown sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat evenly.
Add the bourbon. Pour in the bourbon carefully — it may sputter. Stir to combine and let it cook down for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping any browned bits from the pan.
Glaze and finish. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 18 minutes until carrots are tender and the glaze has thickened and coats them well. Taste and adjust salt or heat as needed.
Serve. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme if desired. Serve warm alongside beans, grilled meat, or anything else coming off the fire.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy Bourbon Glazed Carrots — A Side Dish Earned by a Long Week