Author: Dave Tappan

Surf n’ Turf Tacos with Chimichurri

1 lb flank steak or skirt steak

1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined & tail off

Hot sauce, as a binder for shrimp

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

For the Steak Marinade:

8 oz beer Mexican beer

1 orange, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

4 garlic cloves minced

1/2 white onion, halved & sliced into half-moons

Kosher salt, to taste

2 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

For the Chimichurri Sauce:

1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp red pepper, or to taste

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Juice of 1 lime

For the Tacos:

Corn or flour tortillas, warmed or charred

1 small red onion, halved & sliced into half-moons

1 avocado, sliced or diced

Fresh cilantro leaves

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Hot sauce

In a small bowl, combine parsley, cilantro, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, lime juice, salt, and pepper to make the chimichurri sauce. Stir well and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together beer, orange juice, lemon juice, minced garlic, sliced onion, kosher salt, chili powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cumin. Place the steak in the marinade and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, preferably up to 1 hour.

Heat a grill or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove steak from the marinade and grill for 4-6 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temperature of 130° for medium-rare. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.

Meanwhile, season shrimp with hot sauce as a binder, then add salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a little olive oil and cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until pink and cooked through.

Warm tortillas on a dry skillet or on the grill for about 30 seconds per side. Assemble tacos by layering steak and shrimp on each tortilla. Top with red onion, avocado, fresh cilantro, and a generous spoonful of chimichurri sauce.

Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing.

Sausage-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

1-pound mild, or hot Italian sausage (casings removed)

16-24 slices bacon

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup of your favorite cheeses, grated

¼ cup chives, finely diced

15-20 jalapeños, sliced in half, lengthwise and de-seeded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a skillet over medium heat, break up the sausage and cook until browned. Drain the fat from the sausage completely.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sausage, cream cheese, and shredded cheeses.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the amount into each of the jalapeño’s halves.

Garnish the top of each pepper with a pinch of chives

Wrap each jalapeno with a strip of bacon, trimming off any excess to use for another pepper.

Place on the rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Braised Squid Stuffed with Chorizo

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces fresh chorizo, peeled and crumbled

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 1/2 pounds whole squid with tentacles

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

4 strips lemon zest

1 cup white wine

2 cups fish or chicken stock

1 (32 ounce) can whole tomatoes, in juice

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

In a large heavy pot heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. Cook the chorizo, stirring, until browned about 4 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the fat in the pot. Toss the bread crumbs with the chorizo.

Stuff the squid bodies with the chorizo mixture and seal each with a wooden toothpick.

Heat the fat in the pot over medium high heat and stir in the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and zest and cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the wine, stock, tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Nestle the squid bodies and tentacles in the liquid and simmer, covered, until the squid is very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the squid to a serving bowl, then boil the liquid until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Pour the cooking liquid over the squid and serve.

Davey’s Triple Play Grilled Cheese

4 Tbs. apple butter

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tsp. honey

Kosher salt

4 thick slices of bread

8 oz. aged white Cheddar, grated

1 lb. thinly sliced pastrami

6 to 10 very thin slices of apple (use a mandolin, if you have one)

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Combine the apple butter, mustard, honey, and a good pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl. Spread evenly on two slices of bread and top with half of the cheese and the pastrami. Top that with a layer of sliced apple, overlapping the slices slightly, and the remaining cheese. Top with the other slices of bread to make two sandwiches.

Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat until lightly browned. Add the sandwiches and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary, until golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter, and cook, lifting the edges of the bread to allow the butter to run under and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the cheese has melted and the other side is golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes. Slice in half and serve.

Cabbage and Sausage Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-pound Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 medium yellow onion diced

2 medium carrots peeled and diced

1 stalk celery diced

1 small head green cabbage core removed and diced, about

4 cloves garlic minced

6 cups chicken stock

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Parsley, chopped for garnish

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and brown the sausage.

Season the sausage with Italian seasoning as you brown it. Then add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is tender.

Add the diced cabbage and continue to cook for 3 more minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the chicken stock/broth, diced tomatoes, and a bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer cover, and cook for 30 minutes. The soup is ready when the cabbage is tender.

Discard the bay leaf, and taste the soup to adjust the seasonings to your preference.

Garnish with chopped parsley for some color, and serve with crusty bread.

Grilled Tri-Tip and Rib-Eye Chili

4 pounds steak (I use a combination of tri-tip and rib-eye)
2 pounds hot Italian sausage, casings removed
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 large onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced
4 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I like Crystal)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 package of Shelby’s
1 carton of beef stock, as needed
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles

Optional toppings: avocado slices, sliced jalapenos, sliced radishes, shredded cheese, diced scallions, sour cream, Siracha or hot sauce, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges for squeezing.

Heat your grill to high. Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear the steak on both sides, about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. You’re not cooking the meat at this point, just getting some good color on the steak.
Remove the steak and let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
Cut the steak, across the grain, into ½ inch chunks and transfer to your slow cooker or large stock pot, cover and let rest.
To a large skillet, add sausage (break up the links into crumbles) and cook for 5 minutes. Add onions, garlic and jalapeños. Cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat. Cook until softened. Transfer to your slow cooker or large pot with the meat. Add half of the beef stock and then more as needed. Stir in chili powder, sugar, Worcestershire, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, tomatoes, beans (optional) and canned green chiles.
Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours in a large stock pot (stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn on the bottom) or 6-8 hours on low in a slow cooker.
Serve and garnish with optional toppings.

Marinated Flank Steak With Blue Cheese Schmear

Marinade

1 1/2-2 lbs flank steak

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

Fresh-ground pepper, to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

Schmear

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled from a wedge

1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temp

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp. dry

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dry

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Trim steak of any excess fat or silver skin.

Place steak in large zip lock bag.

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over steak.

Close bag and move steak around in the bag to marinate. Press out any air. Use a vacuum sealer, if you have one.

Refrigerate over night, or at least six hours.

Mix schmear ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.

Refrigerate schmear.

Bring schmear to room temperature one hour before serving.

Prior to cooking, remove steak from marinade and pat dry.

Grill steak over a HOT fire, about 6 minutes a side for medium rare.

Place steak on a cutting board and IMMEDIATELY spread the top of the steak with the schmear.

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Thinly slice on the bias across the grain.

Spoon sauce and juices back over the meat when serving.

Dave’s Asian Wings

1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. chili garlic sauce

Juice of 1 lime

4 green onions, finely minced, plus more for garnish

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced

2 lb. chicken wings

If you buy whole wings, separate the drum and the flat at the joint. Remove the wing tips and discard.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, soy sauce, honey, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, garlic, green onions and ginger. Set aside ½ cup of mixture. Add chicken wings to remaining marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400° and place a wire rack on a baking sheet.

Remove wings from marinade and place on wire rack. Bake until golden and crispy, 45 to 60 minutes, turning wings halfway through.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add reserved marinade. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Turn oven to broil. Brush sauce over wings and broil until caramelized, about 2 minutes.

Plate the wings and garnish with green onions.

Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Crema

2 pounds large peeled tails removed and deveined shrimp

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

Kosher salt and fresh ground-pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest, or to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper

20 (6 inch) corn tortillas, charred or warmed

Avocados, thinly sliced

Red onion, diced

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Jalapeno, diced

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Rinse shrimp under cold water, drain, and pat dry.

Combine shrimp, chili powder, garlic, paprika, cumin, onion powder, salt, pepper and orange zest in a bowl. Mix well.

Heat olive oil in nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque, 4 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the shrimp.

While shrimp cooks, prepare crema by whisking together sour cream, zest and juice of 1 lime, cilantro, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

Heat tortillas on a grill pan or char over gas flame.

Build the tacos by spreading crema across each tortilla, 3 or 4 shrimp, slices of avocado, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. Serve with sliced limes to squeeze on top and extra crema on the side.

Beef Chow Fun

1 pound wide rice noodles

8 ounces beef flank steak, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup sliced bell peppers (any color)

1 cup sliced green onions

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak the wide rice noodles in hot water for about 30 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine the sliced beef, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well and let it marinate for 15 minutes.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside.

4. In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the minced garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

5. Add the bell peppers and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly tender.

6. Add the drained rice noodles and cooked beef back into the skillet. Toss everything together gently.

7. Add the bean sprouts, green onions, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes until everything is heated through and well combined.

8. Serve hot and enjoy your Beef Chow Fun!