Author: Dave Tappan

Arguably, the most important day of the year is this Sunday. So, get down to R&R Quality Meats & Seafood, whip out the plastic and buy dad lobster. Pair it with a nice steak and he might put you back in his will!

Grilled Lobster with Melted Herb Butter

1 stick melted butter

Juice from 1 lemon, no seeds

Zest from 1 lemon, no pith

2 tbsp. freshly chopped chives, plus more for garnish

2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

4 (8-oz.) lobster tails

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat a grill or BBQ to medium heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, lemon juice, zest, chives, parsley, garlic, and salt.

Using kitchen shears, cut top of lobster shell from meaty portion of tail. Using a knife, cut halfway through meat down the center, without cutting all the way through. Insert a skewer lengthwise through the lobster to keep lobster from curling up when cooked.

Brush all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill flesh side down until lightly charred, about 6 minutes. Flip lobster and spoon butter mixture on flesh side. Grill until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Remove lobster from grill and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Father’s Day is this Sunday. So, fire the Blackstone for dear ol’ Dad.

Oklahoma Onion Smash Burgers

2 pounds ground beef

2 medium yellow onions peeled, halved and sliced into half-moons

Kosher salt

Fresh-ground pepper

6-8 hamburger buns

6-8 slices American cheese (optional)

Montreal Steak Seasoning

condiments of choice (I simply like pickles, maybe mustard)

vegetable oil

Using a mandolin or knife, slice onion into paper-thin slices, place into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt, mix and cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap, and place into the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Form 6-8 equal-sized ground beef balls and place the balls onto a parchment lined pan.

Preheat your Blackstone or flat top grill for high heat.

Drain onions of excess liquid. Place them into a clean dish towel and squeeze out any additional moisture. Transfer to a clean dish and season the onions with pepper.

Lightly oil griddle surface and set down about 1/4 cup of sliced onions with a ground beef ball on top. Using a spatula or press, smash the ball into the onion, creating a burger patty. Season the patty with the Montreal Steak Seasoning. Cook for 3-4 minutes, gently turn and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the patties reaches 165 degrees.

Once cooked, assemble the burgers with cheese and your chosen condiments and enjoy!

Happy Taco Tuesday! I went out of my wheelhouse last night and made Asian Garlic-Beef Noodles. I didn’t like it. I think I’ll just stick to what I know best.

Slow Cooker Short Rib Tacos

4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and ribs discarded

1 medium onion, quartered

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

6 pounds beef short ribs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Warm corn tortillas

Mexican crema or sour cream

Fresh cilantro

Yellow or white onion, chopped

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Make the cooking sauce: Soak the ancho chiles in boiling water until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid. Transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add the onion, garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, beef broth, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Puree until smooth.

Pat ribs dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the ribs in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned ribs to a slow cooker.

Pour the sauce over the ribs

cover and cook for 7 hours on high until very tender. Allow the ribs to cool slightly in the sauce.

Remove the ribs from the sauce. Discard the bones and shred the meat into a large bowl. Skim the fat from the surface and discard. Mix the sauce into the meat and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the meat and sauce into warm corn tortillas and serve with Mexican crema, chopped onion, lime wedges and chopped cilantro.

Dave’s Note: The ribs improve in flavor if cooked 2 days ahead. Cool completely, uncovered, then chill, cover and refrigerate. Remove any solidified fat before reheating.

These ribs can also be cooked in a 350 degree F oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Come hell or high water, I’m gonna make tacos sometime this weekend. I haven’t had my homemade tacos lately. Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend!

Dave’s Carne Asada Street Tacos

2 lbs. carne asada (skirt steak or tri-tip)

1 tablespoon cumin

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 Serrano pepper, sliced

1 Roma tomato, diced

1 small white or yellow onion, finely diced

1 bottle Mexican beer

32 street taco corn tortillas

White or yellow onion diced, for garnish

Fresh cilantro roughly chopped, for garnish

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Hot sauce, for serving

Guacamole, for serving

Mix the cumin, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and coat the carne asada with it.

Slice into strips, then dice.

Add it to a large plastic bag or bowl with a cover, and mix the meat with the Serrano pepper, tomato, onion, and beer.

Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, but up to 1 hour.

Heat a large skillet or griddle with the canola oil over medium high heat, then pour in the entire marinated mixture and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and the meat is cooked through, around 20 minutes.

Build your tacos with the meat and your choice of toppings.

Enjoy!!

Tomorrow night is my poker night. I usually make deviled eggs for the guys, but I think I’ll go a different route and if they don’t like them…f**k ’em!

Dave’s Not So Famous Pickled Eggs

8 large eggs

1 (15 ounce) can sliced beets with liquid

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup white sugar

½ cup water

1 small jalapeno or serrano chile, stems cut off

1 small onion, halved and sliced into half-moons

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, and peel. Place eggs in a glass or plastic container.

Combine beets, vinegar, sugar, water, pepper and onion in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved. Place eggs, peppers and onions in a quart canning jar and pour liquid over eggs. Cover with the lid and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.

Today is National Cheese Day. So, I grabbed something from my annals that is served with cheese.

Authentic Italian Sunday Gravy

Meat:

2 pounds pork spareribs, pork shoulder or beef short ribs

1-pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1-pound meatballs (homemade or store-bought)

Tomatoes:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (28 oz each) crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Seasonings:

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)

1/4 cup red wine

Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (for garnish)

Cooked spaghetti

Fresh grated Parmesan

Brown the Meat:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat and sausage in batches until nicely browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Add meatballs to the pot and brown lightly.

Sauté Onions and Garlic:

In the same pot, add chopped onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add Tomatoes and Meat:

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir well.

Return the browned meat to the pot. Add the wine to the sauce.

Simmer:

Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Let it cook for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich and thick.

Serve over spaghetti and a generous portion of the grated Parmesan.

Today is the last day to get chicken quarters for .79 cents a pound at R&R Quality Meats & Seafood! Jerk your chicken, then shred the meat off the bone for great tacos.

Jerk Chicken

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup dark rum

3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

2 tablespoons Pickapeppa sauce (see the note below)

1 tablespoon freshly grated peeled ginger

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 chicken halves or 8 quarters (about 6 pounds)

Pulse the vinegar, soy sauce, rum, brown sugar, scallions, garlic, chile, Pickapeppa sauce, ginger, allspice and pumpkin pie spice in a food processor to make a slightly chunky sauce. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring, until the oil is absorbed and the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Cool.

Rub the jerk paste all over the chicken halves, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

Prepare an outdoor grill with a medium-high fire for both direct and indirect grilling. Position a drip pan under the grate on indirect side. Place the chicken, skin side down, over direct heat and cook until skin crisps and has definite grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Move to indirect heat over the drip pan and cook skin side up, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let the chicken rest about 5 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.

Pickapeppa — the celebrated Jamaican bottled sauce — is a blend of tomatoes, onions, sugar, cane vinegar, mangoes, raisins, tamarind, peppers, and spices. Fans use this “Jamaican ketchup” on all manner of grilled foods. It adds a distinct punch to this version of the island’s spicy jerk marinade.

It’s a Big, Beautiful, Back at it Monday! Welcome to June!

Smoked, Sweet and Sticky Riblets

4lbs pork rib-lets

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ rub

½ cup light brown sugar

1 stick cold, salted butter cut into thin pats

6 ounces vinegar sauce

¼ cup honey

Heat your smoker to 275. If you have a pellet smoker, use something sweet, like pecan, apple or cherry, or a combination of two of the three. If you are using a BBQ, start with lump charcoal and add some pellets or chunks of wood to the fire. I use my Ninja smoker. It works great for this.

Season the riblets with salt and pepper and your BBQ rub. Let the riblets set at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Arrange the riblets on the cooking grate and smoke for 90 minutes.

Place the smoked riblets in an aluminum pan and add the brown sugar, pats of butter, vinegar sauce and drizzle them with honey.

Cover the pan with foil and place back on the smoker for one hour.

After an hour, remove the foil and dredge the riblets in the pan juice and place directly on the cooking grate of your BBQ or smoker. Leave the lid open so the fire flares up and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Remove the charred riblets, place on a cutting board and cut them into 2 bone portions. Pile them high on your platter and let ‘er buck!

I literally wrote this recipe a long time ago during a Long Set of Today’s Country. It worked out pretty well.