Category: Dave’s Blog

Happy Friday! This’ll keep ya busy this weekend.

Grilled Tri-Tip Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce

Tri-Tip Marinade:

3-4 lb. Tri-Tip or skirt steak

1 onion, chopped

Juice of 1 orange

Juice of 2 limes

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup olive oil

4 smashed, chopped garlic cloves (the jarred stuff works too)

Torn handful chopped cilantro (stems ok)

1 teaspoon Ground cumin

1 teaspoon Ground coriander

1 teaspoon Chile powder

Chimichurri Sauce:

1 bunch Cilantro (stems OK)

1 bunch Italian Parsley- about 1 cup packed (thin stems OK)

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup olive oil

¼ cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 jalapeno, chopped

Pico De Gallo:

4 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped

½ medium red onion, chopped

2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced

1 Serrano chile, finely minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Torn handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

Juice from 1 or 2 limes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Quick Pickles:

1 cup sliced radishes

1 cup red onion, thinly sliced into half moons

1 Serrano chile, finely minced

1 cup vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns or whole coriander seed

A few sprigs cilantro

Tortillas, slightly charred over a gas flame or on the grill

Garnish Ideas:

Lime wedges, avocado slices, grilled onions, cabbage slaw, queso fresco or cotija cheese, Tapatio hot sauce, Siracha, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro.

For the Tri-Tip Marinade: In a bowl, mix together ingredients for marinade. Place meat and onions in a gallon size Ziploc bag and pour marinade over, sealing and turning several times to coat well.

Refrigerate 1-3 hours, then bring to room temp before grilling.

Pre-heat grill and grill meat. Grill on med high heat to desired doneness. I usulally pull the meat at about 135-140 degrees. A little char is good. Let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice the across the grain.

For the Chimichurri: In a food processor, place jalapeno, garlic, onion, and pulse several times until chopped. Add cilantro (stems are fine) and Italian parsley (stems are fine), pulse again. Add oil, lime juice, cumin, coriander, and salt. Pulse until combined. Set aside in small serving bowl.

For the Pico: Finely dice tomato, onion, jalapeño, cumin and cilantro. Season with salt, pepper and lime. I like to add a dash or two of Tapatio. Place all in a bowl, mix and let sit in the fridge for 15 min to 1 hour.

For the Quick Pickles: In a small sauce pan, combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorns or coriander seeds. Add sliced radishes, sliced onions and serrano. Bring to a boil. Remove, let it rest a bit and place in the fridge until chilled. Remove and place in a serving bowl or jar. Top with a little fresh cilantro.

It’s day two of the Shasta District Fair! Besides a big ol’ fatty corn dog slathered with mustard; I like me a sausage sandwich. Have fun, but please, DON’T TAUNT THE CARNIES!

Italian Sausage Sandwich

Extra Virgin olive oil, for frying sausages

1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage links

2 red bell peppers, sliced

2 yellow onions, sliced

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

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

Pinch red pepper flakes

4 good quality hoagie rolls

8 slices provolone

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 Italian seasoning, 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 in half. 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 and sauce.

Top the sandwiches with two slices of cheese each and place on a baking sheet under your broiler for one minute or until cheese is melted.

Chicken quarters are on sale this week at R&R Quality Meats & Seafood for the stupid price of .79 cents a pound! Fire the air fryer!

Air-Fried BBQ Chicken Quarters

2 chicken leg quarters

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.

Pat the chicken leg quarters dry, coat them with olive oil, and set them aside.

In a small bowl, combine the spices, then sprinkle it over the chicken quarters and rub it in.

Place the chicken quarters in your air fryer basket skin side down and air fry at 400 degrees for 15-minutes. Then flip them over and air fry for an additional 10-minutes.

Brush the chicken with barbecue sauce and air fryer at 380 for 5-minutes until browned and crispy. The internal temp should register at least 165 degrees.

Allow to rest for ten minutes then serve warm.

Tappan Out Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1 packet Red Star instant yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 ½ cups high gluten bread flour (Power Flour at US Foods on Hartnell)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place warm water, yeast and sugar into bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment attached. Mix gently then let sit until doubled in size, about 5 minutes.

With mixer on low, add flour, olive oil, salt, garlic powder and garlic salt. Scrape sides of bowl and let mixer knead dough for 5 minutes. Dough should have the sides of the bowl cleaned. Add sprinkles of flour or water if needed to get the bowl cleaned while kneading.

After 5 minutes of kneading, remove dough from mixing bowl with floured hands (put a small amount of flour in your hands and rub together), and transfer to a floured countertop. Fold dough over itself a couple times then form into a round ball.

From here, you can use the dough to make pizza and calzones.

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!

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 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!