Michelada ~ Cinco de Mayo 2K12

Yeah, so it’s pretty clear from the title of this post that I’m about a month late in getting around to it…

Garden & Gun

But it’s never too late for a beer-based beverage! Especially one that acts as a welcome substitute for a Bloody Mary when the summer is too sticky for tomato juice but you still need something to knock last night’s fog out.

The basic version of this drink is just lime juice and beer, but The Chef pointed me toward a Garden & Gun recipe that uses soy and Worcestershire, and my salt addiction rejoiced. (If you are not a sodium addict, you can control the amount by limiting the sauce additions.)

So if you like to drink anything bloody (Mary or Beer – this is not a vampire reference), try this out on Memorial Day. It’s an icy, refreshing change of pace. Ole!

1 beer (Mexican preferably, but anything without too strong a flavor will do)
2 limes, juiced
hot sauce
dash of soy sauce
dash of Worcestershire
dash of spices (like Tony’s)
Kosher salt

1. Run a lime wedge around your glass and rim with salt.
2. Fill halfway with ice.
3. Add all ingredients, saving beer for last.
4. Stir and slurrrrrrrp. Salty goodness.

Seriously Easy Hollandaise Sauce

simplyrecipes.com

When I told Dot that The Chef and I would be making Hollandaise for (the third) “Christmas morning” (in a row), she did not look convinced. And I’ll admit, I had some reservations.

Any time a cookbook directs me to a double-boiler, I have flashbacks of making those damn cake balls that everyone loves that are 100% NOT worth it. Trying to squish cake and icing into balls so you can dip them in rapidly hardening “melted” chocolate does not bring holiday joy; it brings profanity.

Anyway, The Chef directed me through the cheater technique for sauces (i.e. the blender), and I have no idea why anyone would go old school ever again. The consistency came out perfect, and the lemon juice provided just the right amount of acidity to cut through all the glorious buttah.

2 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted

1. 

   flavoreddelights.com

   Add egg yolks to blender with salt and lemon juice. Blend.

2. Blend on low, slowly adding melted butter. Sloooooowly. That’s the key.
3. Serve immediately. Or if you have to wait a few minutes, keep in a warm – but not hot – spot in your kitchen until you’re ready.

I’d bet you can put this on top of anything from ham to cardboard, but we used it on the Honeycomb Breakfast Casserole, and I can verify that goodness first-hand.

National Chocolate Chip Day- Chocolate with Fleur de Sel Bruschetta

According to CNN (and only CNN as I cannot find another source), today is National Chocolate Chip Day.  Click here to find a great site that features 100 chocolate chip recipes.  For this special food holiday I thought I would offer up an easy, no bake, summer time chocolate treat from the lovely Martha Stewart.  This recipe takes like 10 minutes tops.  – ts

Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
Thick crust bread
Fleur de Sel (if you can’t find this use coarse sea salt)

1. Place thick slices of bread on an ungreased grill or grill pan. Toast each side for 5 minutes over medium heat. (If you don’t have a grill pan, broil bread until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.)
   For perfect golden-brown hatch marks, maintain medium heat. High heat will create instant dark lines without toasting the bread; low heat will slow the toasting process, which can result in blackened grill marks.
2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and spoon over toasts. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Toast preparation tips:  How to Grill Bread for Bruschetta – Martha Stewart Recipes

Lexington Vinegar Sauce ~ BBQ Fest 2K11

So okay, I don’t want to be a traitor to my generation and all (Clueless quote intended), but currently the North Carolina BBQ tradition is what’s flooding my Inbox. And until you Memphians step up your game or relinquish your sauce secrets, we’ll publish what’s being pushed, ya hear?

This is the sauce that goes with Lexington Pork Shoulder, and while I’m usually a Memphis BBQ purist, it sounds pretty darn good. Get mixy.

2.5 cups of cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp hot sauce
4 tsp salt
4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1.5 tbsp rub reserved from Lexington Pork Shoulder

1. Mix all ingredients & serve. No heat required.

Mexican Corn ~ Cinco de Mayo 2K11: Part Dos

You had me at “chili powder and mayo.”

Claire has been talking up this recipe for some time now, and I have to say that Dr. Rhodes definitely earned her 9th degree or whatever with this suggestion.

We made this last night in honor of MexiMix 2K11, and even though we charred the corn a touch more than we might have desired, The Chef and Joe and I all got down on this in a very serious way. The richness of the cheese + the heat from the cayenne made this flat-out delectable. Muy Bueno.

4 ears fresh corn, shucked
mayo
chili powder
cayenne pepper
salt
parmesan cheese

1. Rub corn with a little bit of olive oil and wrap in foil.
2. Grill for 20 minutes or until tender. (You can also roast it as in yesterday’s recipe.)
3. Remove from foil and slather with mayo (sexy, no?) while still warm.
4. Sprinkle with chili powder, cayenne, salt and cheese to taste. Chow.

I went typically crazy with the cayenne last night, but I think that actually works to this recipe’s advantage, so don’t be skeered to get En Fuego.

I know. Overkill with the quasi-correct Spanish. Noted.

Blue Ribbon Margarita

Buenos Dias ‘rita lovers. Today I bring you a recipe that has been a long time coming. (I realize the typical Mardi Gras drink of choice is a Hurricane, but those are a tad sweet for my taste, so I’m sticking to what I know.) This fantastic concoction won the Margarita Contest at Sarah’s house last October, and it has been dancing around my brain ever since. If I recall correctly, people actually fought over who got to drink the last of it.

I, of course, was above such petty bickering. Possibly because I may have been tipped off about which chip I needed to pull from the bag in order to land a slot as a judge. And you know what? I’m not sorry. Margaritas and me go way back, and it would have been a crime against tequila for me not to have been involved.

Anyway, Sarah was kind enough to get this recipe for us from her friend Pete Young, so you don’t even have to lie and cheat to get your hands on one.

6 shots tequila
2 shots Grand Marnier (or Gran Gala as Meeks suggested)
4 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 shots simple syrup
Splenda
salt

1. Make the simple syrup. (This simple syrup is unique for 2 reasons: (1) you use Splenda rather than sugar to make it, and (2) it’s 2 parts Splenda to 1 part water, meaning it will be sweeter than traditional simple syrups.)
   To make this, simply boil water and add Splenda, stirring until dissolved and slightly thickened. (I’d probably do 2 cups Splenda and 1 cup water because you can hang on to the leftover syrup for a few weeks.)
2. Mix together simple syrup and rest of the ingredients. Pour into salt-rimmed glass and bask in the goodness. (These proportions should make about 3 margaritas.)

The most time-consuming (but also most crucial) part of this recipe is juicing the limes, so you may want to buy a juicer, hunker down and get some done in advance if you’re serving these at a party. People will want seconds, so it pays to be totally juiced. Like The-Situation-juiced. GTL MVP!

“Braised” Brisket Tacos with Spiced Coffee Sauce

We made these tacos last week for Barrett’s birthday, and they were  devoured so quickly that Mr. Robert-Pickles-Schmidt couldn’t even scrape together a taco when he arrived an hour late. Despite the concerns of Chavandra – the butcher at our friendly neighborhood Kroger – who asked me “gurrrl, are you sho’ brizkit tacos is somethin’ you wanna make?”, it definitely is.

The coffee rub gives it a deep, spicy richness. Top it with the Ridiculously Perfect Pickled Red Onions, Spicy Southwestern Slaw, and crumbled queso fresca and you’ve got a meal that will make yo’ mama proud. And Chavandra too.

Coffee Rub
1/2 cup paprika
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup black pepper
1/2 ground coffee

Brisket
1 5-pound brisket
water

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix together coffee rub ingredients and coat brisket liberally. (This can be done as far as 24 hours in advance.)
3. Put brisket in a roasting pan or deep baking tray and add 1.5 inches of water.
4. Cover and bake for 5.5 hours or until brisket falls apart easily.
5. Place brisket on cutting board and let stand for 10-15 minutes before chopping and serving.
6. Pour pan sauce into a serving dish and spoon over tacos. (Sauce will thicken and become concentrated and delicious while the brisket cooks.)
7. Enjoy the compliments. These make upscale taco shop fare look like child’s play.

Ridiculously Perfect Pickled Red Onions

I hate red onions. I love pickled things. By all accounts, this dish should break even at best. It does SO much more. These were without a doubt the highlight of The Chef’s birthday meal (and, of course, one of the parts he prepared himself).

They have the perfect crisp, salty, spicy bite, and I have no doubt they’re fantastic on everything. Barrett likes to use them on tacos, sandwiches, burgers or anything braised. I like to eat them straight.

2 red onions sliced very thin
12 oz of red wine vinegar
couple squirts of honey
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.
2. Once warm, pour over sliced red onions.
3. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

I think these are even better a few days later, so keep your hands off for a while. If you can.

Angie’s Salsa Fresca

I remember fondly stuffing my face with this salty-sweet goodness at MLSP on many a summer day. It is my former boss Angie’s recipe, and it is unstoppable. Meaning you literally won’t be able to stop eating it.

I used to make a batch and eat it on everything from quesadillas to breakfast wraps (it’s surprisingly good on eggs!), and I believe there was one day I even drank the juice straight due to an impending doctor’s appointment that required me not to eat all day. Yep, I did that. What of it?

4 large vine ripened tomatoes chopped
1/2 vidalia onion finely chopped
juice of one lime
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 cup finally chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and let them set for at least 15-20 minutes so the flavors will permeate the dish. (Longer is better in my opinion as it only gets more nummy.)
2. If you like a little heat, add one fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced. (I already included this in the directions as a MUST because it is gives this a great kick.)
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

Salty Dog Cocktail (a.k.a Greyhound with salt)

Après ski drankin’ is normally all about the hot stuff with booze added. Don’t get me wrong, it is my fav. However, there is something about having a nice summery type cocktail while looking out on snow covered mountains. I learned about this little treat of a cocktail last March while in Charleston with Nummy Num Num’s own RipleyPickles. -ts

1 ½ ounces vodka or gin
3-4 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (may need a little simple syrup if your is too sour)
Kosher salt to garnish rim

1. First, rim a rocks glass with salt (if you love your booze like Sandra Lee use more vodka to rim the glass). Add vodka (or gin) and grapefruit juice, then stir with a few cubes of ice.