Author: Dave Tappan

Real Deal Carne Asada Tacos with Salsa Verde

Carne Asada

2 pounds Skirt Steak

1/2 white onion

6 garlic cloves

3 dried ancho chilies, seeds and stem removed

3 dried guajillo chilies, seeds and stem removed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

chopped cilantro, for serving

chopped white onion, for serving

lime wedges for serving

corn tortillas, warmed or charred over a gas flame or on a grill

1 avocado, sliced for serving

Salsa Verde

3 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed

1 serrano pepper, seeds and stem removed

1/4 avocado, peeled

2 tablespoons minced white onion

1 garlic clove

2 limes, juiced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Carne Asada

Toast chilies in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. Fill a container with hot water from the tap and soak the chilies in the water for 15 minutes, or until soft.

Add chilies, onions, garlic, cumin, orange juice, vinegar, oil and salt to a blender. Blend until a paste forms, using the soaking liquid from the chilies as needed to loosen the mixture.

Place meat in a Ziploc bag or shallow pan and cover with marinade. Spend a few minutes massaging the marinade in, seal bag or cover pan, place in fridge and allow to marinate for 4 hours or overnight (overnight is better).

Preheat a grill over medium heat. Grill meat to medium rare. Rest on a tray tented with aluminum foil for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice thin, on the bias and serve on corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, sliced avocado and salsa Verde. Serve with lime wedges.

Salsa Verde

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth, add water if necessary to thin salsa.

Creamy Beef and Shells

8 ounces medium pasta shells

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups beef stock

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes

8 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, about 1 1/2 cups

Fresh parsley, chopped or fresh basil, torn, for garnish

In a large pot of boiling, salted (like the ocean) water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. Set aside.

Add onion and bell pepper to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Gradually whisk in beef stock, Worcestershire and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.

Stir in pasta, beef and heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cheese until melted, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Flour, for dredging

Olive oil

Dry white wine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons caper

Fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon

1 ½ cups chicken stock

⅓ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Angel hair pasta, cooked, for serving

Cut each breast in half lengthwise so you have 4 pieces of chicken. Lay a piece of parchment paper on top and pound to about ¼ inch thick. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.

Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Pour the wine into the pan and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.

Add the butter, garlic, and capers and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice and chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.

Stir in the cream, then return the chicken to the pan.

Sprinkle with the parsley and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.

Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly, then remove from the heat.

Serve the chicken and sauce over the pasta.

Buffalo-Blue Cheese Meatloaf

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 small onion, finely diced

1 rib celery, finely diced

1/3 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs

1/3 cup Buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 pound ground beef

1/2-pound Italian sausage

Topping:

1/3 cup Buffalo wing sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, from a wedge

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large bowl, combine egg, onion, celery, panko, wing sauce, oregano and salt & pepper, to taste. Add beef and sausage. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into a loaf in a greased baking dish or on a sheet pan.

Bake 20 minutes. Spread wing sauce over top; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until a digital probe thermometer reads 160°, 20-30 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Emily’s Taco Tuesday Taco Bake Casserole

Cooking spray

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup water

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix or homemade

1 (10 ounce) can refried beans (Optional)

1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives (Optional)

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

½ cup salsa

15 taco shells or tortilla chips, broken up, or more to taste

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack

Toppings: Sour cream, chopped tomato, cilantro, hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Cook ground beef and onions in a skillet over medium heat until beef is browned, 7 to 10 minutes; drain grease.

Stir in water and taco seasoning; cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add refried beans, olives, green chiles, and salsa; cook and stir until warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Arrange ½ broken taco shells or tortilla chips into the prepared baking dish; layer ½ ground beef mixture over broken taco shells.

Sprinkle ½ cheese over top. Repeat layers once more.

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with your favorite toppings. Serve hot and enjoy!

Huevos Rancheros

3 poblano chiles

2 Tbsp. canola oil

16 oz. fresh Mexican chorizo

1 white onion, thinly sliced (2 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tsp.)

1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15.25-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

8 large eggs

Crumbled queso fresco

Flour tortillas, cilantro, avocado, radishes and lime wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to broil with rack positioned 6 inches from heat source. Place poblanos on a baking sheet; broil until charred, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub off skins from poblanos. Discard skins, stems, and seeds. Slice and set aside.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add chorizo; cook, stirring often, until crumbled and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and poblanos; cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, salt, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium. Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Decrease heat to medium-low. Crack eggs into mixture in skillet about 1 inch apart. Cover and cook until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with pepper, queso fresco, and cilantro. Serve with flour tortillas, sliced avocado, cilantro, lime wedges and sliced radishes.

Carne Asada Tacos

1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup olive oil

juice of 1 orange (about 1/4 cup of juice)

juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons of juice)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chili powder

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

2 pounds flank steak or skirt steak, excess fat removed

For the tacos

16 corn tortillas, warmed (or flour tortillas)

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup crumbled cotija cheese

lime wedges, for serving

other optional toppings: guacamole, pico de gallo, red or green salsa, hot sauce, roasted tomato salsa

For the carne asada marinade

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except for the steak.

Place the steak in a large baking dish or gallon size Zip-Loc bag and pour the marinade on top. Turn the steak a few times until it’s completely coated with the marinade and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Do not marinate for longer than 8 hours because the meat will start to break down and get mushy due to the acidity in the marinade.

Remove steak from marinade and discard any excess marinade. Pat steak dry with paper towels and drizzle with a touch of olive oil, enough to coat each side. Season lightly with coarse salt and black pepper on both sides.

Preheat grill or griddle (Blackstone) to medium-high heat (400-450°F). Grill steaks with the lid closed for 4-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Skirt steak will be closer to 4 minutes per side and flank steak will be closer to 6-8 minutes per side.

Remove steaks and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice into bite-sized chunks for easy eating in tacos.

For the tacos

Place a heaping spoonful or two of carne asada onto warm tortillas.

Top with diced onions, chopped cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese and a spritz of fresh lime juice. Serve with more of your favorite toppings.

Grilled Asian Chicken Thighs with a Spicy Peanut Sauce

8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed

6 cups water

1/2 cup chili-garlic sauce

1 cup honey

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 Tablespoons Sriracha sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup minced ginger

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Toasted (in a dry skillet) sesame seeds, for garnish

Green onion, minced, for garnish

Peanut Sauce, for dipping, recipe follows

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs, but leave the skin on.

In a large glass bowl, combine water, salt, chili garlic sauce and the honey. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the thighs to a gallon size Ziploc bag then pour the marinade over the chicken and chill for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

To make the basting sauce, in a small bowl, combine the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, sriracha, honey, vinegar, and ginger and mix well.

Heat the grill to medium high. Pat dry the thighs with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper. Grill the thighs 15-25 minutes, turning as needed. Do not let them catch on fire and burn. Don’t walk away from the grill and watch them carefully. When the thighs reach a golden color, around 155 F, baste them with sauce, turning as needed until the thighs are glossy, well coated and reach 165 F.

Remove to a serving platter and garnish the thighs with the toasted sesame seeds, cilantro leaves and green onions. Serve with the peanut sauce, for dipping and the lime wedges, for squeezing.

Peanut Sauce

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

4 Tbsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp grated ginger

1–2 tsp Sriracha, or to taste

3 Tbsp light brown sugar

2–4 Tbsp warm water, for thinning, if needed

In a bowl add all of the ingredients, except the water and whisk to combine.

If the mixture needs to be thinned, add 2-4 Tbsp of warm water and stir to combine

Store the mixture in an air tight jar for up to 2 weeks. Does not need to be refrigerated.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

1 fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces or 4 legs and 4 thighs, which is what I like. (be sure and leave the skin on for a wonderful crispy crust)

2 cups buttermilk

A few dashes of hot sauce. I like Crystal Louisiana hot sauce.

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup flour, for dredging

vegetable oil, for frying

1. Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk and hot sauce.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Drain chicken in a colander.

4. Combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder onion powder, poultry seasoning and cayenne pepper.

5. Liberally season chicken with this mixture.

6. Then, dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess (by seasoning before you flour, you trap the seasoning under the flour coating, and you use a lot less seasoning than if you tried to put it in the flour and hope it catches on the chicken).

7. Use enough oil to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan.

8. Raise heat to 325 degrees F.

9. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

10. Place chicken skin side down into the pan.

11. Put thighs in the center (they take longer to cook and can use the extra center heat), and breast and legs around the edge of the pan.

12. The oil should come half way up the pan once the chicken is added.

13. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10-12 minutes per side.

14. The internal temperature should be right around 170-175 degrees for dark meat, 165 for breasts.

15. (Be careful to monitor temperature every few minutes).

16. Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan, NOT on paper towels or brown paper bags which just cause the chicken to soak in their own oil.

17. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it’s a gas oven, which is very moist and will ruin your beautiful chicken crust!

Beef Tips with Gravy over Noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion chopped

2 pounds cubed chuck, tri-tip or sirloin

10 ½ ounces beef broth

10 ½ ounces onion soup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Cooked egg noodles, for serving

To Thicken Gravy:

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup water

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and brown in small batches. Remove beef from the pot and set aside.

Turn heat down to medium, add remaining oil and onion. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add beef, broth, soup, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is fork tender.

To thicken gravy, combine cornstarch with 1/3 cup cold water. Pour into the beef a little at a time while stirring until it reaches desired consistency.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf and serve over cooked egg noodles.

You can also do this in a crock-pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.