Category: Dave’s Blog

Tacos al Pastor

5 dried guajillo chilies

5 dried ancho chilies

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup white vinegar, plus more to thin the marinade if necessary

2 tbsp. achiote paste, WinCo has a good Mexican food section

Kosher salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons finely minced white onions

1/4 cup water

4 lbs. country-style boneless pork ribs or 4 lbs pork shoulder

1 ripe pineapple

TO SERVE

corn tortilla, warmed

diced white onion

sliced radish

fresh cilantro leaves

Salsa

At least 6 hours before cooking, make the marinade: Heat a heavy griddle or frying pan over medium heat and gently toast the chiles, pressing them down quickly with a spatula. Turn and repeat on the other side. Be very careful not to scorch the chiles or they will have an off taste. Cool and then remove the stems, seeds, and stringy ribs.

Tear the chiles into small pieces and pulse in a spice grinder until they are as finely ground as possible.

In a blender, combine the garlic, vinegar, achiote, salt, cumin, and cloves. Puree until well combined. Add the ground chiles and blend for several minutes, or until the sauce is very smooth; if necessary, add a tablespoon or so of vinegar to make a thick paste.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the Chile paste; use the water to swish out the blender and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until thickened. Scrape onto a plate and cool completely.

Cut the pork into lengthwise slices about 3/4 inch thick and smear a layer of the Chile paste on each side (thick enough to draw a line in). Stack the slices in a shallow container, cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.

Cut the crown off the pineapple and cut a slice off the bottom. Carve off the prickly skin, slicing from top to bottom, then cut the flesh into slices 1/2 inch thick; set aside.

Grill Method: Half an hour before cooking, clean the grill thoroughly with a brush and wipe it down with an oil-dampened rag. Preheat the grill on high. Remove any thick blobs of chile paste from the meat, as these will burn. Grill the meat and pineapple for 7 minutes on each side, directly over the flame (if your grill is hot as heck — medium is ok). Watch carefully to make sure the chile paste is not burning; if needed, turn down the heat or move the meat to a cooler part of the grill. The pineapple should be given a half-turn partway through cooking to make nice crosshatch marks. When the meat is cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees (don’t overcook) remove to a warm plate.

Oven method: Preheat the oven to 375°F Spread the meat out in one layer in a shallow, lightly oiled baking dish or a rimmed cookie sheet. There should be some open space between the pieces; it’s better to use several baking dishes than crowd the meat. Cut half of the pineapple slices into quarters and scatter over the top. Reserve the rest for another use. Roast the meat and pineapple for 30 to 40 minutes, or until well browned and crisp; there should be some caramelized juices in the bottom of the dish. Remove from the oven, cover the cooked meat and pineapple loosely with foil, and let stand 5 minutes while you heat the tortillas.

To Serve: Heat the tortillas’ keep them warm in a cloth napkin or a tortilla warmer. Dice the meat into small bits, mix with the juices on the plate or in the baking dish, and fill the tortillas. The pineapple can be chopped up or cut into quarters. Serve with the onion, radishes, cilantro, and your choice of salsa or hot sauce.

Crunchy Tuna Casserole

1 lb. bow tie pasta

2 tbsp. butter

1 onion, chopped

6 oz. canned white tuna (packed in oil), drained and flaked, reserve 2 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. flour

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 c. white wine

2 c. chicken stock

1 c. frozen peas

1 tomato, diced

2 c. mozzarella, diced

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook onion until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons reserved oil from tuna, flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and stir until flour turns golden, about 3 minutes.

3. Add wine and stir until smooth, then add chicken stock and continuously stir until incorporated. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until sauce begins to thicken, 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta, frozen peas, tomato, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, and tuna.

4. In a small bowl, stir together panko, olive oil, and parsley. In a large baking dish, layer pasta mixture and top with remaining cup of mozzarella and breadcrumb mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper.

5. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 minutes. Serve with parsley.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3-4 pounds beef chuck roast

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 packages Lipton dry onion soup mix

2 cups water

2 (14.5-ounce) cans beef broth

1 (14.5 ounce) can french onion soup

24 slices Swiss or provolone cheese

8 crusty rolls (I like ciabatta)

Prepared horseradish, for serving (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, generously season all sides of the chuck roast with salt and pepper.

When the oil starts to shimmer, carefully place the roast in the hot pan and sear it on all sides by letting it sit without moving for a minute or two on each side before flipping it. Searing won’t take very long – you just want to quickly brown the roast to add flavor and seal in the juices.

Transfer the roast and the pan juices to your slow cooker. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the roast and add water, soup and beef broth. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.

When the meat is so tender that it shreds easily with a fork, remove the roast from the slow cooker and shred. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, the ladle into individual ramekins. This will be your au jus.

Serve by piling the shredded meat onto sliced, crusty rolls with a few slices of cheese. Toast the cheese and top bun under the broiler until the cheese melts and the bun starts toasting. Serve with the au jus for dipping. Also, serve with horseradish, if you like. Enjoy!

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Thighs

The Meat and Marinade:

Boneless skinless Chicken Thighs

1 C. packed light brown sugar

1 C. soy sauce

6 cloves of garlic, chopped

1-2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 onion halved and sliced into half moons

1 stick salted butter

In a bowl, mix the brown sugar and soy sauce together. Keep mixing until almost all the sugar is dissolved in the soy sauce.

Add in the garlic, ginger and onion and mix.

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes.

Put meat into a zip lock bag and pour mixture over it. Depending on how much meat you have you may need to make more marinade and split this into 2 different bags. Let this marinade for at least 4 hours.

For the Grill:

13×9 Pyrex dish or smaller depending on the amount of meat you have

1 stick of butter

4-5 green onions sliced small

Place Pyrex dish on the hot grill if you have room otherwise you can put it in the oven.

Add the butter to the Pyrex so it starts to melt.

Add the meat to the grill and cook to perfection.

When the pieces of meat are done place them in the Pyrex to let swim in buttery goodness until all are done and add the green onions.

Chicken Taquitos

3 cups cooked chicken shredded, or rotisserie chicken, skin & bones removed.

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

Kosher salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crushed

Juice from 1 lime

1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese

20 corn tortillas

2 cups vegetable oil

Toppings:

Iceberg lettuce, shredded

Mexican crema

Hot sauce

Chopped tomato

Diced onion

Pico de Gallo

Cotija cheese, crumbled

Guacamole

Your favorite salsa

Fresh cilantro

Lime wedges, for squeezing

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken with the spices and lime juice. Stir until chicken is coated thoroughly.

2. Wrap the tortillas in a tortilla warmer or damp paper towel. Heat them in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

3. Working with one at a time (keeping others warm), take a warmed tortilla and place on a clean surface. Take a heaping spoonful of the chicken (about the same size as your index finger) and place on tortilla. Top with some cheese. Roll up tightly and secure seam with toothpick. Place on a tray and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

4. Pour oil in deep skillet and heat to 350°F. Prepare a baking tray with wire rack or line a plate with paper towels. Set aside.

5. Cook in batches of 5 (to not drop the temperature and more easily turn taquitos), fry 1-2 minutes until golden brown, turning to get both sides. Transfer to tray or plate and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining.

6. Remove toothpicks before serving. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Sausage, Peppers and Onions on Italian Roll with Garlic Aioli

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1-pound sweet Italian sausage links

2 red bell peppers, sliced

2 yellow onions, sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup Marsala wine

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls

Roasted Garlic Aioli…recipe follows

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.

Roasted Garlic Aioli

2 to 3 whole heads garlic

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Take the whole heads of garlic and cut the tops off to expose the garlic cloves. Place on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap up the foil into a tight pouch, and then place in the oven and roast for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Squeeze the pulp from the skins (you’ll need 1/3 cup).

In a food processor, combine the roasted garlic, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce and some salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined. Refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld together. Garnish with parsley.

Baked Italian Sausage Ziti

1 lb. dry Ziti pasta

2 lbs. sweet or spicy Italian sausage (casings removed)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes

Kosher salt, to taste

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/3 cup torn fresh basil, plus more for serving

8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to the package directions to al dente, about 7 minutes. Under cook it a bit, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain, but don’t rinse and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 and set the oven rack in the middle position.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don’t have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute.

Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add the heavy cream, 1/3 cup of the Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, cooked sausage, and basil to the pan; stir until evenly combined. Carefully pour the contents of the pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the remaining Pecorino Romano.

Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino Romano. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil and serve.

Ruthie’s Sunday Salisbury Steak

THE GRAVY

2 tablespoons oil ( more as needed)

2 onions, halved and thinly sliced into half moons

12 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

6-7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

A pinch of cayenne pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

3 cups beef broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder

THE PATTIES

2 lbs ground beef

2 tablespoon Christopher Ranch jarred minced garlic

2 eggs

2 packages Lipton soup mix

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

In a bowl, combine the patty mixture until combined. Shape into 6 oval patties.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a cast iron skillet, if you have one.

Add the patties, cook until browned on each side (about 3-4 minutes per side, the patties do not have to be cooked all the way through as they will finish cooking in the gravy) remove to a plate.

To the same skillet, add sliced onion and mushrooms; cook stirring and scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the skillet; cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the onions are softened. Add flour and cayenne pepper or pepper flakes; stir for 2 minutes.

Add in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper; bring to a simmer stirring continuously until bubbly and thickened (at this point, add the beef bouillon powder).

Add the patties back to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes turning the patties over once halfway through cooking. Serve right away.

Fried Oyster Po-Boy with Remoulade Sauce

For the remoulade sauce

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup Creole mustard

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or Old Bay

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish

For the oysters

1 cup self-rising cornmeal mix

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or Old Bay

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

2 to 3 quarts canola or vegetable oil, for frying

40 fresh-shucked or jarred oysters, in liquid

For serving

French bread

Shredded lettuce

Bread & Butter pickles

Sliced tomatoes

Red onions, halved and sliced into half-moons

I’ve got shrimp. I’ve got rolls. So let the games begin.

Louisiana Shrimp Po Boy with Rémoulade

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Vegetable oil for frying

2 pounds medium shrimp (16/20), peeled, tails removed and deveined

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

4 8”-long French rolls, split horizontally

Rémoulade (recipe follows)

Shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, dill pickles, sliced red onion, Crystal hot sauce or Pick A Peppa

Whisk first 7 ingredients in a small bowl to blend.

Attach a deep-fry thermometer to side of a heavy wide pot. Add enough oil to measure 2” or use a deep fryer. Heat oil to 350°. You can also air fry the shrimp.

Meanwhile, place shrimp and 2 Tbsp. spice mix in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Pour buttermilk into another medium bowl. Whisk flour and cornmeal in another medium bowl.

Dip seasoned shrimp briefly in buttermilk, then coat with flour mixture. Working in batches, fry shrimp, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Open rolls and spread cut sides with rémoulade. Top with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and shrimp. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

Rémoulade

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup mustard (Creole mustard if possible)

1 Tbsp sweet paprika

1-2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon pickle juice (dill or sweet)

1 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce

1 large clove garlic, minced and smashed

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. The remoulade is better if left for a few hours to let the flavors meld. Keep refrigerated.