BBQ’d Oysters with a Cheese Topping and Garlic Finishing Butter
Cheese Topping:
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
Garlic Finishing Butter:
1 stick butter
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce. I like Crystal
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
24 oysters, shucked on the half shell
1 loaf Italian bread, sliced and charred on the grill, for sopping
For the cheese topping: Mix the Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley in a bowl and set aside.
For the finishing butter: Place the butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, chopped garlic, granulated garlic and 1/2 cup water into a small pot on the stove. Slowly melt and whisk until blended.
Preheat your grill to 400 or build a good hot fire.
Top each oyster with a good amount of the cheese mixture. Place the oysters on the grill. Cook until the cheese is melted and the oysters are starting to get some color and curl up on the edges, 10 minutes or so.
Remove the oysters from the grill with tongs and place them onto a sheet pan or large platter.
Ladle some melted garlic butter over the oysters.
Serve with grilled bread to sop up the juices and butter!
Happy Labor Day Weekend! I hope you enjoy your weekend and eat well!
Roasted Chile Verde Tacos
4-6 lbs. bone in pork shoulder (pork butt)
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
2 poblano Chile peppers seeded, cut in half and roasted
1or 2 jalapenos seeded, cut in half and roasted
1 lb. tomatillos husks removed, quartered and roasted
1 yellow onion quartered and roasted
4 cloves garlic whole or 4 teaspoons jarred
Chili powder. About a palm full
ground cumin. About a palm full
Dried oregano. About a palm full
Fresh cilantro chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Corn or flour tortillas
Toppings:
Red onion finely diced or sliced into half-moons
Cilantro
Sliced radishes (pickled or not)
Thinly sliced red or green cabbage
Queso fresco or cotija cheese, crumbled
Lime wedges, for squeezing
Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
On a baking sheet, rub your vegetables with vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.
Season the pork with the salt and pepper and then add to the hot oil. Sear on all sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Place the browned pork into a slow cooker, with the poblano chiles, jalapeno, tomatillos, yellow onion, garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, cilantro, chicken broth/stock, and bay leaf.
Turn the heat to low and cook 6-7 hours, or until the pork is tender enough to be pulled apart with a fork. You can also cook in a pressure cooker, 60-90 minutes.
Remove the pork and shred using two forks or the bone of the pork butt (wait for it to cool a bit).
In the meantime, remove the bay leaf from the cooker and discard. Either using an immersion blender directly in the cooker bowl or by transferring the contents to a kitchen blender, puree the cooked peppers, onion, and chicken broth mixture until smooth. This is the Chile Verde sauce. If using a blender, let the sauce cool a bit and put a kitchen towel over the top of the blender and hold the lid on with your hand. Otherwise, it could explode on ya. If you Season to taste with salt as needed.
Heat and slightly char your tortillas over a gas flame or on your grill.
Top the tortillas with a mound of the shredded pork, followed by the pureed Chile Verde sauce. Also top with additional chopped cilantro, red onion, radish crumbled queso fresco. Feel free to squeeze some limes as well!
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1/2 cup of olive oil. Stir in the onion, garlic, serrano and jalapeno peppers and cook until soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the pork shoulder in a large heavy bottomed pot, coated with oil, over medium heat and sear until well browned on all sides. Deglaze with the chicken broth, and then add sauteed onions and peppers. Turn heat to low, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the Anaheim peppers on a sheet pan.
Peel the outer paper skins off the tomatillos, then coat with olive oil and place on another sheet pan. Place both pans in the preheated oven and roast until the peppers are nicely charred and the tomatillos are soft, about 20 minutes.
Remove pans from the oven and place the peppers in a plastic bag to let them steam for 5 minutes.
Peel and seed peppers, and then puree them with the tomatillos in a food processor or blender. Add the puree to the pork mixture, stir, and then let simmer on low heat.
Combine the garlic powder, black pepper, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, ground coriander and salt in a small bowl, then add to pork mixture and stir well.
In a small sauté pan, mix 1/2 cup olive oil with the corn flour, stirring over low heat for 2 minutes to make a masa roux.
Let the chili mixture simmer for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours on medium-low heat, or until pork is nice and tender. Then stir in masa roux and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve in bowls with tortillas and rice. Garnish with cilantro.
Mexican Rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 white onion, diced
1 jalapeño, minced
2 cups white rice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup (8 oz) tomato sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Juice of one lime
Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Let the rice drain for 5 minutes.
In a pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and jalapeno for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
Add the rice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and oregano and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often until the rice is toasted. Add the broth, tomato sauce, bouillon, bay leaf, and salt and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
After the 20 minutes, turn off the heat, leave the rice covered and let it rest for another 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, add chopped cilantro, and squeeze in lime juice.
Chicken-and-Cheese Enchiladas and Cilantro-Lime Avocado Salsa
Enchiladas:
1 small red onion, halved
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 serrano Chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt
Pinch of sugar
8 corn tortillas
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
Preheat the broiler. Slice half of the onion into thin rings and set aside.
Place the other onion half, tomatillos and serranos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until the vegetables are soft and slightly brown, 7 to 10 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the vegetables and any liquid to a blender, add the broth and puree. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar.
Meanwhile, stack the tortillas, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave just until warm and soft, 1 minute; keep covered. Toss the chicken with 2 cups shredded cheese in a bowl. Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla. Add a few cilantro leaves and roll up.
Place the enchiladas side by side in a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish and brush with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Broil until crisp and golden, 3 minutes.
Pour the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese. Return to the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with the onion rings, queso fresco and any remaining cilantro.
Cilantro-Lime Avocado Salsa:
6 tomatillos
1 jalapeño
2 avocados
A handful of fresh cilantro
1/2 cup crema mexicana
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
Kosher salt, to taste
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 of a white onion
About 1 cup of boiling water from the tomatillos and jalapeño
In a saucepan, boil the tomatillos and jalapeño (if using) for about 10 minutes until softened.
In a blender, combine the avocados, fresh cilantro, crema mexicana, minced garlic, chicken bouillon powder, salt, lime juice, and white onion.
Once the tomatillos and jalapeño are done boiling, add them to the blender along with approximately 1 cup of the boiling water to help blend.
Blend everything until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Serve this rich, zesty salsa as a topping for tacos, enchiladas, or enjoy it as a delicious dip with tortilla chips!
1lb raw medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
Vegetable oil
1 bag tortilla chips
Mexican cheese blend
Iceberg lettuce
Mexican crema
3 green onions, sliced
Lime wedges, for squeezing
In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients for the blackened seasoning. Mix well and set aside.
In a bowl combine tomato, onion, peppers, and cilantro. Add lime juice and salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Heat a little bit of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the shrimp in a bowl with the blackened seasoning. Add the shrimp and sauté for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until fully cooked.
Layout of the tortilla chips on a large baking sheet or 9X13 baking dish. Top the tortilla chips evenly with the shredded cheese. Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese has melted.
Top with Pico del Gallo, crema, lettuce, shrimp and green onion. Serve with lime wedges, for squeezing.
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.
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.
