Hope you had a good Memorial Day Weekend. God bless our fallen soldiers and their families. Beth and I saw the Little River Band at Seven Feathers in Canyonville on Saturday night. Great show! Highly recommend! Thanks Gary and Candis! Love you two!
Oven Braised Beer Brats with Caramelized Onions & Apples
6 bratwurst sausages
2 large yellow onions, sliced
2 apples (Honey-crisp or Gala), thinly sliced
1 bottle (12 oz) beer
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
Whole grain mustard and rolls, for serving
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking pan with foil for easy cleanup.
In a skillet, add olive oil over low-med heat. Add onions and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Stir in butter, brown sugar and apples; cook 4 more minutes.
Spread the onion-apple mixture in the foil-lined pan. Nestle bratwursts on top.
Pour beer evenly into the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, flipping brats once until browned and beer is mostly reduced.
16 oz fresh, small mozzarella balls, or cubed from a block
1 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 cup jarred, roasted red peppers drained and coarsely chopped
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish
Dressing, to taste
For the dressing:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese finely grated
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 garlic clove finely grated or pressed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
For the dressing:
Combine all of the ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the salad:
Cook the rotini in HEAVILY salted water to al dente. Drain and rinse under cool water.
Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the salad ingredients in separate piles on top of the pasta. Be sure to leave a “wedge” of pasta visible, for presentation. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Salad can be made up to 4 hours in advance.
Today is our 35th wedding anniversary and it’s Taco Tuesday. Coincidence? I think not.
Dave’s Street Tacos with Mexican Street Corn
1½ pounds lean ground beef
½ pound chorizo or ground pork
Yellow onion, diced
Fresh Cilantro
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
2 chipotles with adobo sauce
2 tablespoons Chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ cup chicken, beef or vegetable stock
Corn or flower street taco tortillas
Hot sauce, for topping
Lime wedges, for serving
For the meat:
In a large bowl, mix the beef and pork together with the spices, chopped chipotles and 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce. If using chorizo, just mix the beef with the spices, then mix in the chorizo. You can substitute all the spices with your favorite Mexican spice blend if you like.
In a large skillet, cook the meat until it’s completely done. I like mine a little on the overdone side with a little crisp on the meat. Add the stock as needed for desired consistency. I like to keep mine a little on the dry side. Turn the heat off and cover until serving.
Warm the tortillas in a skillet, on a grill or over a gas flame.
Build the tacos using two tortillas, the meat, chopped onion and cilantro. Top with hot sauce, a pinch of salt and a lime squeeze.
Mexican Street Corn
6 to 8 medium ears sweet corn, shucked and silk removed
1/2 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup minced cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Chile powder
2 teaspoons lime zest, from one lime
2 tablespoon lime juice, from one lime
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Lime wedges, for squeezing
Heat your grill to high.
In a bowl, whisk together the crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Taste and season the mixture with salt if needed. Set aside.
Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3 minutes, undisturbed, or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate.
Using a brush or a spoon, coat each ear of corn with the crema mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese. Top with more Chile powder, cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
When you’re REALLY in the mood for red meat and pasta!
Garlic Butter Steak & Noodles
16 oz. linguine, fettuccine or spaghetti
1 lb. sirloin steak
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Cook linguine: Boil the linguine in salted water according to package instructions. Drain, but do not rinse and set aside. Reserve a cup of the pasta water.
Sear steak: In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper, then sear for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove the steak from the skillet, let rest, and slice thinly.
Sauté garlic: In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
Make sauce: Add heavy cream, Parmesan, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Stir well and let simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Toss noodles: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat the noodles in the creamy sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water if you want to loosen up the sauce.
Serve: Plate the noodles and top with the sliced steak. Serve immediately.
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.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday! Happy Mother’s Day to every great mom reading this post. It takes some big (mozzarella) balls to be a mom! You deserve a great meal!
Porterhouse Steak
2 16-20 oz Porterhouse steaks
1 cup soy sauce 4 tbsp garlic
minced Juice from 2 lemons
Garlic salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
In a large Zip-Loc bag, add the soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and the salt and pepper. Place the steak in the bag to marinate. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat. Place in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Take the steak out of the bag & and lightly pat dry any excess marinade. Throw marinade away. Hit it with a little Kosher salt if you like. Fire your grill or BBQ and get it hot! Set up a hot zone and cool zone. Sear the steak for 3-5 minutes on both sides, then move it to the cool zone, top it with the blue cheese butter and cook it to your desired doneness. 130 degrees for medium rare. When done, remove the steak, top it with again with the blue cheese butter, tent with foil on your cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice the steak off the bone, then rearrange it around the bone (you’ll want to gnaw on that bone) serve & enjoy!
Blue Cheese Butter
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons blue cheese
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 small garlic glove, minced
Garlic salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Mix the butter, blue cheese, shallot, parsley, and garlic together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Italian Salad
½ cup olive oil
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 garlic clove, finely grated Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
1 small head of iceberg lettuce 1 small red onion, sliced into rings
4 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
2 cups drained small mozzarella balls, torn
10 pepperoncini peppers
Whisk oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, oregano, and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cut lettuce in half through stem end. Tear apart into large pieces. Arrange on a platter and scatter onion, provolone, mozzarella, and pepperoncini over the lettuce. Drizzle with dressing to coat to your liking (you’ll probably have some extra) and top with more black pepper.
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.
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.
