Author: Dave Tappan

Happy Wing Wednesday!  

Easy Grilled Buffalo Wings  

1 1/2 cups hot sauce. I like Crystal or Frank’s.

1/2 cup buttermilk Hot wing rub (recipe follows)

3 pounds chicken wings, flats and drums separated, wing tips removed and discarded

Vegetable oil, for oiling the grill

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick),

melted Blue cheese dressing, for serving Celery sticks

Hot Wing Rub

1 T garlic powder

1 t cayenne

1/2 t ground mustard

3/4 t white pepper

3/4 t black pepper

1/2 t dried thyme

1/2 t dried oregano

1 T paprika

1 T kosher salt  

Place 1 cup of the hot sauce, the buttermilk, and hot wing rub in a large resealable plastic bag and stir to combine. Add the wings and seal the bag, pressing out any excess air. Turn the bag to coat the wings evenly. Let marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. Heat an outdoor grill to medium high. When the grill is ready, use tongs to rub the grate with several layers of paper towels dipped in vegetable oil. Remove the wings from the marinade, letting any excess drip off, and discard the marinade. Place the wings on the grate in a single layer, crowded so they are touching. This will steam them a bit and keep them moist. Cover the grill and cook, flipping the wings occasionally with tongs, until they’re no longer pink at the bone and the skin is slightly charred in spots, about 20 minutes total. Keep an eye on your wings. They’ll catch fire if you ignore them and that’s no Bueno. When the wings are almost ready, combine the remaining 1/2 cup hot sauce and the melted butter in a large stainless steel bowl and set aside. Add the cooked wings to the bowl and toss to coat. Put the sauced wings back on the grill and cook until crisp. Just a minute or two. Serve with the dip and celery sticks.  

Blue Cheese Dip

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons milk

4 ounces blue cheese

Crumbled Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste   In a bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice. Add in the milk, one tablespoon at a time until reaching desired consistency. Stir in the blue cheese and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Happy Wing Wednesday! 

Crispy Air Fryer Asian Wings 

3 pounds chicken wings, drums and flats

Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons chili garlic sauce

4 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ginger, minced

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 limes, zest and juice

2 tablespoon sesame oil

Lime wedges, for squeezing

Sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish 

Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture (this will help make sure they crisp up in the air fryer).Toss the wings in olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Preheat the air fryer to 375°FArrange the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they begin to turn golden brown. While the wings are cooking, whisk together chili garlic sauce, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, ginger, light brown sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and sesame oil in a small saucepan. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Once the wings are crispy and cooked through, toss them in the sauce until they are fully coated and place them back in the air fryer for 3 more minutes or until the sauce has caramelized. Garnish with sesame seeds, lime wedges and chopped green onions before serving.

Happy Taco Tuesday!

If you didn’t get enough Mexican cuisine on Cinco de Mayo, here’s another one for ya. 

Taqueria-Style Tacos

3 pounds flank steak

Marinade:

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup olive oil

⅓ cup white vinegar

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 limes, juiced

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika 

Onion Relish:

1 white onion, chopped

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, juiced 

Salsa:

4 dried New Mexico chile pods

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 white onion, quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste 

Tacos:

1 package regular size corn or flour tortillas

2 cups grated cotija cheese

2 limes

Cut into wedges Lay flank steak in a large glass baking dish.

Make the marinade: Whisk soy sauce, oil, vinegar, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and paprika together in a bowl until well blended; pour over steak, turning to coat both sides. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours. 

Make the relish: Stir onion, cilantro, and lime juice together in a small bowl. Set aside. 

Make the salsa: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chile pods and toast for a few minutes; transfer pods to a bowl of water and soak for 30 minutes. Place tomatoes, 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, and jalapeños onto a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven until vegetables are toasted, about 20 minutes. Transfer vegetables into a blender or food processor. Add soaked chiles, salt and pepper; puree until smooth. 

Remove steak from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook and stir until cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated. You can also grill the steak to a nice medium rare, then slice against the grain, or cut into cubes.

Warm tortillas in a dry skillet, or on your grill, over low heat for about a minute on each side.

Place some steak on each tortilla; top with relish and prepared salsa. Sprinkle with cotija cheese. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Happy Saturday! Happy Weekend! Fire the margarita machine, Cinco de Mayo is this Monday!

Birria tacos could be considered the Holy Grail of tacos. 

Birria Tacos on the Blackstone 

4 pounds Chuck Roast cut into pieces

2 pounds Short Ribs

2 Tablespoons Oil

2 Onions, quartered

2 can Crushed Tomatoes

15 oz can12 Guajillo chiles seeds removed and diced

4 tsp Chili powder

2 tsp Dried Oregano

2 tsp CuminKosher salt, to taste

8 Bay leaves

4 cups Beef broth

36 Corn Tortillas

6 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Limes, cut in wedges, for squeezing 

Preheat the Blackstone grill over medium high heat (approximately 400 degrees).Spread the oil out onto the Blackstone Grill. Place the diced roast and short ribs on the Blackstone Grill and brown each side for 4-5 minutes.

Remove the beef and short ribs and place them in a crock pot.

Add the onions, crushed tomatoes, chiles, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, bay leaves and beef broth to the crock pot.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Skim the grease from the top of the broth from the crock pot and reserve for frying the tortillas.

Remove the meat and bones. Shred the meat and return it to the crock pot. Build the tacos!

Heat the Blackstone Grill over medium high heat (approximately 400 degrees). Dip the tortilla in the reserved cooking liquid and place on the grill.

Add meat and cheese to one side of the tortilla. Then fold over to form taco shape and flatten out the tacos.

Continue cooking until the tortilla is crispy and browned, flip and continue cooking on the other side until crisp.

Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!

Cinco de Mayo is this Monday. It’s not too early to plan your menu. 

Coctel De Camaron (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail)

To cook the shrimp and make the broth

2 pounds raw medium or large shrimp in the shell

8 cups water1 medium yellow onion

1 small lemon, sliced

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in half (lengthwise)

2 large fresh garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half

4 bay leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

A bowl with ice and water to stop the cooking process 

For the Coctel

16 oz Clamato juice

1/2 cup ketchup

3 or 4 juicy limes, freshly squeezed

2 teaspoons Maggi seasoning

4 Tablespoons Your favorite hot sauce. I like Tapatio

4 cups reserved shrimp broth (this is to taste so add less or more according to personal liking.)

4 large cucumbers peeled, seeds removed and finely chopped.

2 small onions, finely chopped

4 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

4 large jalapeños, finely chopped

1 cup chopped cilantro, finely chopped

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 large avocados, diced

Fresh limes, tostadas or tortilla chips, for serving. 

Prepare and cook the shrimp:

Peel and de-vein (if needed) the shrimp. Reserve the shells.

Make the broth: In a medium pot, add the water, onion, garlic, bay leaf, lemon slices and salt. On medium high heat, bring to a soft boil. Add the shrimp shells, cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes.

Remove the shrimp shells from the broth and discard.

Add the shrimp to the hot liquid, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through and no longer translucent on the inside, 2 to 3 minutes (careful not to overcook! Shrimp turns rubbery when overdone).Transfer the shrimp into a bowl with ice and water to let it cool. Remove the broth from heat and allow it to cool. Reserve for later. 

Make the shrimp cocktail:

In a medium bowl mix the clamato juice, ketchup, lime juice, Maggi seasoning, hot sauce and shrimp broth.

In a large bowl, add the cooked shrimp, cucumber, onion, tomato, jalapeño, cilantro, salt & pepper. Add the broth & clamato mixture and mix. Add the diced avocado and mix gently.

Chill the Coctel for at least 30 minutes in. Serve in bowls or large glasses with tostadas or tortilla chips on the side. A wedge of lime, for squeezing is always a must too.

Come Monday, we’ll all have a little Mexican in us.  

Tequila-Chipotle Shrimp Tostadas with Mexican Slaw  

1/3 cup plus

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp. pure chipotle chile powder

Kosher salt, to taste

1 lb. extra-large (26 to 30 per lb.) shrimp, peeled and deveined

3/4 cup sour cream

2 medium limes,

1 finely grated to get

2 tsp. zest and squeezed to get 1 Tbs. juice; the other cut into 4 wedges

1/2 tsp. honey

1/4 cup white tequila

8 6-inch corn tortillas

1 large firm-ripe Hass avocado

diced Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Sliced radish, for garnish  

In a shallow baking dish, combine 1 Tbs. of the oil with the chipotle powder and salt. Add the shrimp and toss well to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, lime zest and juice, honey, and salt. Heat the remaining 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Fry the tortillas, one at a time, turning with tongs, until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes each. Transfer to paper towels and salt right away. Discard all but 1 Tbs. oil from the skillet. Add the shrimp and cook over medium-high heat on one side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Take the pan off the heat and add the tequila. Return to the heat and cook, tossing, until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Slather each tostada with about 1 Tbs. of the sour cream mixture. Divide the avocado, and shrimp over the tostadas, drizzle with the remaining sour cream mixture, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with the lime wedges and slaw.  

Mexican Slaw with Spicy Lime Dressing

4 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil Kosher salt, to taste

1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce

Thinly slice cabbage.

Slice green onions, and wash, dry and chop cilantro. Combine cabbage, green onions and cilantro in large salad bowl. Process lime juice and chipotle in adobo sauce in a blender until blended. Mix dressing into cabbage mixture. Season to taste with pepper and serve immediately, or chill for a few hours.

It’s a Wing Wednesday! Wednesdays were made for wings. I suggest you get your wings at R&R Quality Meats & Seafood. The drums and flats are split and they are huge! 

Air-Fried Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

For the wings:

3 pounds chicken wings, drums & flats split, tips removed

Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon fresh-grated Parmesan cheese 

Parmesan Garlic Butter Sauce:

1 stick salted butter1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder Red pepper flakes, to taste

Fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese 

Remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator and pat dry. Place onto a wire rack. Let rest for 30 minutes. Preheat your air-fryer at 390 degrees. Whisk together the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, mix in a bowl. Add the chicken wings to the seasoning mix and toss to coat each wing. Place the seasoned wings on a flat layer in the preheated air-fryer basket. Cook the garlic wings, in batches for 20 minutes, flipping the wings with tongs half way through cooking. 

Make the Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the stick of butter, and mix in garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and parsley. Stir together for a minute until butter is fully melted, then add the grated Parmesan cheese. Once the chicken wings are finished cooking, toss them in a clean, large mixing bowl with the wing sauce. Serve hot.