The Cheesy Verde Burger

The cheesy verde burger

I bought a 3 lb package of ground chuck on sale and decided I would make it into my weekly bargain buy and turn into several meals for myself — but it could just as easily feed a family on one or two occasions.

First thing I wanted to make was burgers. So I divided it in half.

Half would become 4 patties, the other half ... that will be my next post!

I took the half and split it into quarters, then formed each into nice round patties. I seasoned both sides with salt and pepper and preheated the grill. Once I threw them on I let the first side sear for 5 minutes then flipped. The second side I let go two minutes before adding a slice of cheddar jack cheese, which melted all over the patty during the final 3 minute cook. I pulled the burgers and rested 10 minutes before assembling a sandwich.

During the 10 minute rest, I sliced some fresh tomato and tore up some cilantro. Once properly rested, I stacked the burger on a bun, topped with the tomato and cilantro and slathered on some salsa verde I had made the night before with fresh tomatillos.

The burger was juicy and perfectly cooked.

The tomato, cilantro and salsa verde added a level of homemade pizazz that can only be found with fresh ingredients cooked perfectly to ones own personal preference. Nothing on this burger was squeezed from a can or squirted from a bottle —  It did have store-bought bread — but I can assure, the burger, with all these fresh toppings was a culinary experience. A painting of flavors that excites the taste buds rather than the retina.

This burger was the best single thing I had eaten in a while.

I made enough to make four sandwiches. Which means that the other three were stored and will become meals over the next few days. Two lunches and one more dinner most likely. The leftovers won't be as good as the fresh-off-the grill burger, but it will be better than McDonald on any day — and a hole hell of a lot cheaper!

Eat well, cook often ...

CHEESY VERDE BURGERS
Serves 4, 30 minutes
1.5 lbs ground chuck, divided into 4 patties (1/2 inch thick)
4 slices cheddar jack cheese
4 slices fresh tomato
1/2 C of fresh cilantro, chopped
Salsa verde for topping (recipe follows)
4 toasted hamburger buns

Season patties with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat grill to high. Sear patties for 5 minutes on one side, with lid of grill closed. Flip. Sear two minutes more, lid on. Add cheese, close lid, cook three minutes more. Remove from grill. Let rest 10 minutes.

Top each burger with tomato slice, salsa verde and fresh cilantro. Then serve.

SALSA VERDE
Makes 2 cups, 1 hour 30 minutes
1 lb tomatillos, quartered
1 red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, chopped
3/4 pineapple juice
1/2 C cilantro
3 limes, zest and juice

In a little oil over medium heat cook onion and jalapeno until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more or until fragrant. Add pineapple juice. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Let liquid reduce by 3/4ths. Add tomatillos and cook 4 minutes more stirring occasionally. Add water, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduce by 2/3rds, approximately 1 hour. Let mixture cool a little and pour into a bender, add cilantro, zest and juice of limes. Blend into a smooth sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve on tacos or burgers.

Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob

Perfectly cooked corn on the cob

Sometimes nature provides the most delicious flavors. All you have to do is cook it right.

To me, the greatest sauce on a burger is an egg yolk. There is nothing more delicious than biting into a perfectly cooked burger and piercing the yolk of a fried egg that adorns the sandwich. The natural flavor and richness of the beef and yolk together just can't be beat.

Another gift from mother nature: Sweet Corn!

Pick it from the garden, buy it from the store or just steal it from the neighbors. All you have to do is place it on a hot grill, husks and all, for half an hour and you have a festival of pleasure ready for your taste buds. Add a little salt and butter - It might convince you that grilled corn on the cob could be considered an option for your final meal if given the choice.

The natural casing of the husks provide the perfect steaming packet to cook the corn in. All you have to do is peel it back and clean off the silk and its ready to go.

In the last two weeks I have made grilled corn on the cob at least 5 times. Last weekend, I was out at the family campground and I made it on two different nights. My niece and nephews would grab a cob and walk around with it to snack on just as they would an ice cream cone. They would even come back for seconds with corn covering their faces and lodged in their teeth, but they didnt care, they just couldn't get enough. Same goes for myself.

It's that time of year in the Midwest when sweet corn is plentiful - get some!

Eat well, cook often ...

GRILLED CORN ON THE COB

Sweet corn hot off the grill!

40 minutes, serves 2 to 4
4 ears of sweet corn, husks on
butter
salt for seasoning

On a hot grill pre-heated to medium high place corn, and cook 30 minutes, turning once half way through cooking. Remove from grill and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Peel off husks and wipe away any silk. Coat with butter and sprinkle with salt. Eat off the cob.

Caribbean Style Chicken Wings

Printable version

This is a past post, but I decided to share it again. It's one of my favorite preparations for wings and I can't wait to make a batch of these to devour now that the warm weather is starting to roll in. These are a must try ...

When I first moved to New York in the fall of 1997 my new neighbors from the apartment above invited me over for dinner with their family and friends. They were from the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, a small republic off the northern coast of South America.

They made a spicy curried chicken with a number of sides inspired by their native country for the meal. At one point, I was asked to sample a peppery paste that went with the chicken. I took a small taste which made me cough and my eyes water. The entire group let out a big chuckle, because right before I sampled it I was bragging about how I could handle spicy food.

For this recipe, I make a dry rub for chicken wings with Caribbean flavors. It features ginger, coriander, allspice. It’s nothing like the pepper paste I tried at that dinner in New York, but it has many of the tropical island flavors I tasted for the first time as my new neighbors welcomed the “white boy from Indiana” into their community.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I lived in my first apartment in New York for five years. The couple who invited me to dinner moved out after the third year and I ended up getting to take-over the backyard, which I landscaped and turned into a small paradise in the middle of Queens. As soon as I moved in they let me put a charcoal grill back there, so getting to take it over for myself was the icing on the cake. It was a real luxury to have a backyard and it was there that I discovered my passion for cooking.

I would make entire meals over charcoal and way more food than I could possible eat in one sitting. It was nothing for me to buy three or four cuts of meat on a warm Saturday night and grill all of it for later in the week. I loved hanging out in my backyard with the grill blazing and the beer chilling.

That's where my culinary journey really took off - on a little patio in the middle of Long Island City, Queens.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 1 hour
3 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Brown sugar
2 Tbs Ground ginger
2 Tbs Ground coriander
2 Tbs Black pepper
1 Tbs Onion powder
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
4 to 5 lbs Chicken wings

Make rub
In a bowl mix together salt, brown sugar, ginger, coriander, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, allspice and cayenne pepper.

Marinate wings
Sprinkle seasoning over both sides of wings and rub in with hands. Let marinate for 30 minutes in refrigerator. While wings marinate, prepare charcoal for grill.

Cook wings
Over medium high heat cook wings on grill until cooked through and juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes, turning every 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and let rest at least 5 minutes, then serve

Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

Printable version

There is something awesome about food on a stick. I’m not sure what makes it so awesome – all I know is no matter how old I get, I’m still a sucker for corn dogs and popcycles.

One of my favorite stick foods is kabobs cooked on the grill. I make them differently depending on the meat I’m using. When I opt for chicken or pork, I separate the veggies from the protein so that I can cook the meat all the way through and not over-cook the veggies in the process. I don’t worry about that when I make beef kabobs. I like my steak rare to medium-rare which is the perfect amount of time to make the veggies al denté, or a little bit crunchy.

For this recipe, I use a New York Strip steak for the meat along with red peppers, red onion and mushrooms. I brush on teriyaki sauce for a marinade and season it with salt and pepper. After a nice sear on the grill, the end result is juicy chunks of steak with a nice variety of vegetables – served all together on a stick!

BEHIND THIS BITE

Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

In my 12-plus years living in New York City I devoured a lot of street cart food – it’s as convenient as fast food is in the Midwest. My first apartment was near the 36th Ave. Stop on the N train in Astoria. Right underneath the stop (the N train is elevated in Queens) was a small Irish bar named McGrath's that was in business for more than 80 years, but closed in the summer of 2001.

I used to stop there for beers on my way home before it closed its doors. Every Friday and Saturday night an Eastern European man would set up his Kabob cart just outside the bar near the stairs to the train. He didn’t have much variety. Just an all-beef kabob with a piece of toasted bread, which really hit the spot after a few cold ones.

I’ll never forget being at McGraths one night when I noticed one of the regular patrons facing the corner and crunched over. She was a rather large lady and her body language seem to indicate something was wrong and she didn't want anyone to notice. I approached her to see if everything was ok, when she turned from her hidden spot in the corner I noticed she was chewing a mouthful of something with an empty kabob stick in one hand and a toasted piece of bread in the other. She nodded to indicate everything was ok and seemed a little embarrassed.

I had interrupted her clandestine swaray with a beef kabob from the snack peddler beneath the train stop!

I felt as though I had accidentally walked in on a roomate having sex — Which is comparable to the rush one would get from a grilled beef kabob after a few pints of beer near the 36th street stop in Astoria.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

Serves 2; 30 minutes
1 lb New York Strip, steak cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz Baby bella mushrooms
1/2 Red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 C Tyriaki sauce
8 Skewers

Assemble and grill
Alternately place onion, peppers, mushroom and steak on skewers. Brush with teriyaki sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate 20 minutes then cook to desired doneness on a prepared grill. Rest 10 minutes, then serve.

Skirt Steak with Smoked Cumin

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I was shopping recently and came across a spice rack in the produce section. All the spices were sold in small sealed bags rather than bottles. There was a large variety and a few wild cards, one of which really caught my attention: Smoked Cumin.

First of all, I love cumin, it’s probably my favorite seasoning beyond salt and pepper. I had never heard of smoked cumin so I had to buy some and try it. From the spice rack in produce I made a b-line to the meat counter. I love to grill steak with salt and pepper and a little cumin. It's very simple, the beef is the star and the cumin is a background note, I picked up a skirt steak and decided this was the canvas to try my new culinary paint.

The steak was delicious, which is what I expected, the smoked cumin was good, but the smoked flavor took away from the natural flavor of the cumin, which is kind of smoky anyway. I’ll need to try it again before I eliminate it, but if I had this to do again I would have used regular cumin, it seems to have a much better natural flavor than the smoked version. It was worth the try and I’ll experiment with it again. It won’t be a substitute for cumin in my pantry though. I’ll have to find something new that it works in.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Skirt Steak with Smoked Cumin

This was the steak component of a steak and potato dinner. You can find the potatoes here.  I have done it in two posts, because each can stand alone on their own. These recipes are simple, which is how I cook most of the time when I'm not photographing every element for a visual recipe.

I always try to add a little more to a dish I’m documenting. It takes time to create these and I feel obligated to go the extra mile most of the time. These two recipes are just the basic-I’m hungry-lets eat-kind of meal.

I’m glad I documented them.

I’m pleased with their look, especially the shot of the final dish that anchors the potato recipe. I should do this a little more.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Skirt Steak with Smoked Cumin

Serves 4; 45 minutes
1 1/2 lbs Skirt steak
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Smoked cumin

Season, grill and rest steak
Preheat and prepare a grill to medium high. Season steak with salt, pepper and smoked cumin on both sides and let steak rest for 20 to 25 minutes. Place steak on grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes for medium doneness, turning once during cooking. Remove steak from grill and let rest for 10 minutes to redistribute juices. Slice across the grain, then serve.

Grilled Tomato Poblano Salsa

Printable version

The garden vegetable frenzy has begun. Last week my Dad canned a dozen and a half quarts of green beans – the first bounty taken from the garden in 2013. Cucumbers, peppers, corn, tomatoes and a number of homegrown treats will soon follow. It won’t be long before enough has been canned for the winter and there is plenty of fresh vegetables for every meal.

Huge bowls of tomatoes will sit on the counters attracting little black flying bugs. Spoiled vegetables will start to litter the garden floor and then the inevitable: Teenagers will find the rotten leftovers and start chucking them at passing vehicles and unsuspecting bystanders. It’s my annual duty to produce recipes to help rid the garden of these potential hazards.

For this recipe, I grill up a mess of fresh veggies from the garden. I then blitz them in a food processor, creating a fire roasted salsa. It’s perfect for an August snack and an easy way to keep the garden floor clear of any would-be projectiles.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Yummy grilled salsa!

This is the first garden-centric recipe this summer. For the next couple of months I’ll do a bunch of these from ingredients that is grown in either my Dad’s garden or some other relative or neighbor who has more bounty than they can handle.

It starts with tomatoes, beans and cucumbers and will end with the winter squash. It’s hard to believe it’s August already and the gardens are producing. Before you know it, the leaves will be changing and football will be in full swing - and so will the tailgating!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Salsa nestled in tortilla chips

Makes 2 cups; 45 minutes
5 Roma tomatoes whole
2 Poblano peppers whole
1 Onion quartered
4 cloves Garlic
1/2 C Cilantro
2 Tbs White vinegar
1 Tbs Sugar
1 bag Tortilla chips
for dipping

Grill vegetables, clean
On a grill over medium heat cook tomato, poblano, onion and garlic for 10 to 12 minutes, turning to sear on all sides. Remove vegetables and let cool for handling. Remove skins from tomato, stems and seeds from poblano peppers.

Process
In a food processor place tomatoes, poblano, onion, garlic, vinegar, sugar and cilantro. Pulse to combine and chop to desired consistency. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spicy Molasses Barbecue Wings

Printable version

I recently made sauce for ribs and one of the featured ingredients was molasses. I thought it provided a great flavor and decided to incorporate it into a sauce for chicken wings.

Here, I take a traditional wing sauce and fold it into a basic barbecue sauce. It starts by sauteing onion and garlic in a
quarter cup of butter. I use butter because that is what I use to thin out Frank’s Redhot when I make traditional wings. Next, I add all the barbecue sauce elements plus the Frank’s Redhot. The molasses is the sweet that cuts the heat and balances the vinegar. It also has a distinct flavor that is really the signature here. The Redhot is present in the flavor, but the molasses adds depth and really brings the whole thing together.

The sauce is delicious but if I were to make it again I would add either two tablespoons of honey or brown sugar. The molasses has a slightly bitter aftertaste and I think an extra sweetener would eliminate that. That is just me being really critical of my work though, this sauce works and will be a hit at the dinner table.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is my second wing recipe in a row. I have been grilling like a madman lately and really enjoying some summer cuisine. Last year we had record heat in March and by April summer was in full swing. By this time a year ago I was already burned out on summer grilling. This year, it seemed as though summer would never get here. I got a late start, but I’m in full-swing now.

I’m going grill crazy because it won’t be long and all the home gardens in our area will be churning out fresh veggies. Then I'll have enough tomatoes and cucumbers to feed a small city and grill crazy will turn to garden crazy.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4 to 6; 45 minutes
1/4 C Butter
1/4 C Red onion diced
1 Tbs Garlic minced
1 C Ketchup
1 C Frank’s Redhot sauce
1/2 C Molasses
1/4 C Cider vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

Make sauce
In a sauce pan over medium heat melt butter. Add onion and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in ketchup, hot sauce, molasses, vinegar, worcestershire and dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 6 to 8 minutes, remove from heat.

Make wings
Prepare charcoal grill. Season wings with salt and pepper to taste. When coals are ready grill wings over medium-high heat for 7 to 8 minutes per side. Baste with sauce and grill 10 to 12 minutes more or until cooked through turning 2 or 3 more times. After each turn, baste with more sauce. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes, then serve.

Baby Back Ribs

Printable version

Ribs are not easy to cook on the grill. I spent an entire summer two years ago trying my best to figure out the perfect method.

What I learned: bake them in the oven first!

For the grill flavor, all that is needed is to finish them off over some charcoal, just a few minutes to caramelize the sauce and soak up the smoke does the trick. I was able to get good ribs on the grill but they weren’t fall-off-the-bone. I accomplished that starting them in the oven wrapped in foil then finishing over the coals.

This recipe features an original rub and sauce.

The rub features paprika and ground mustard with a little cayenne thrown in for some kick. The spice mix provided a great flavor foundation and alone would have made the ribs really tasty.

The sauce featured molasses and dijon mustard and was a sweet and mildly spice compliment to the rub. The molasses provided a sweet balance to the spice of the dijon and was the real star of the sauce.

Overall, these ribs were absolutely delicious. The cooking process, rub and sauce worked as planned and made for a restaurant quality rib.

I dug into these like a maniac.

If your looking for a rib recipe - this is it.

BEHIND THIS BITE
Every time I eat ribs I think of my 9-month stint working at the Texas Roadhouse. One of their selling points is fall-off-the-bone ribs. (As a server, they expected us to say that to customers.) The Roadhouse ribs are delicious but what I remember most about them is the mess that customers would make eating them, especially teenagers. Hands, faces, seats, tables, ketchup bottles - everything would be covered with rib sauce.

I remember one kid on his 13th or 14th birthday. He had sauce covering his face and I won’t ever forget him looking at me and telling me how great they were as the sauce literally dripped from his cheeks. It was comical.

Even when I’m alone I don’t like to get anywhere near that kind of messy when I eat. It amazed me that people would actually do that, or let their kids do that in public. As amazed as I was at the messes, it was often a great laugh or a highlight of a shift, which would sometimes be a grueling marathon of slinging steaks and ribs at customers for hours on end.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 3 hours
THE RUB
3 Tbs Paprika
3 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Pepper
2 Tbs Ground mustard
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs Onion powder
1 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 - 4 to 5 lb slab Baby back ribs

THE SAUCE
1/4 C Onion, diced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
1 C Ketchup
1/2 C Molasses
1/4 C Vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp Liquid smoke
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

Make rub, prepare ribs
In a bowl mix together paprika, salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Remove membrane from bone-side of ribs. Liberally rub the seasoning over both sides of the ribs, wrap in aluminum foil and let marinate in fridge at least 25 minutes or up to overnight.

Bake ribs
Place ribs in a preheated 325° oven and cook until meat is tender and has receded from the bones, Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes.

Make sauce While ribs bake, in a sauce pan over medium heat sauté onion in a little olive oil until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste. Add garlic cook 1 minutes more. Add ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.

Finish ribs
Slather ribs on both sides with sauce. Place on a prepared charcoal or gas grill for a few minutes on each side to caramelize sauce. Slather more sauce on ribs after each turn. Total time on grill 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, slice and serve.

Homemade Chili Dogs

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When it comes to hot dogs there is one item that stands alone as the best topping – chili. Chili dogs are my favorite guilty pleasure, I don’t indulge in them very often, but when I do – I go crazy.

Years ago, I used to eat chili dogs after a late night out on the town. There was something comforting and hangover-curing about a hot dog smothered in Hormel chili that seemed to get the day going for me. Not sure if the dogs contained a little magic or it was just what a 20-something guy living in New York City needed to get his ass off the coach after a late night of beer swilling.

For this recipe, I make my own chili sauce for the dogs. I started by browning the ground beef. While it cooked I made sure to completely break it up into fine little bits. When it was finished I draining most of the fat away. The aromatics were next and when ready I mixed in a little tomato paste to help thicken the final product. I returned the meat, stirred in the spices and beef broth then brought it to a simmer. I cooked the mixture until most of the liquid had evaporated and was thickened into a nice sauce to coat the meat.

The end result is a meaty chili, loaded with flavor and perfect on top of a frank. I finish the dog with a little cheese and raw red onion. Then it was time to devour a couple or 6!

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is the second dog inspired by a hot dog bar I created recently for a gathering that I attended. No hot dog bar could be complete without chili for chili dogs, it wouldn’t be a hot dog bar without it. The last time I made chili for chili dogs I went with a Cincinnati-style chili which included cinnamon and clove. This time I stuck with a more traditional chili flavor and made a meatier sauce than usual. The chili reminded my of a Mexican bolognese. It had that fine textured meaty quality to it. I thought it held the flavor well and made a nice topping for the dog.

If I were to do this same sauce again I may add a half cup of crushed tomato or tomato puree just to make it more saucy. That’s all I would change though because this really packed a great chili flavor and was perfect for dogs. It wasn’t bad eating alone either - I ate about a third of it just snacking on the chili while I took pictures of the dogs for the blog.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 16 hot dogs; 45 minutes
2 lbs Ground beef
1/2 C Onion, diced
1/4 C Jalapeño seeded, diced
2 Tbs Tomato paste
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
1 C Beef broth
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs Cumin
2 tsp Mexican oregano
16 Hot dogs
16 Hot dog bun

FOR GARNISH
1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C Onion diced

Brown beef
In a pot over medium heat brown ground beef, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings.

Create chili base
Add onion and jalapeño to pot and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cook 2 minutes more.

Make chili
Return ground beef to pot, add chili powder, cumin, oregano and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook 35 minutes or until thickened slightly. Adjust seasoning if necessary and remove from heat.

Cook and assemble dogs
While chili simmers, cook hot dogs on a grill over medium heat until cooked through, turning often, 6 to 8 minutes. On a bun layer hot dog, chili, cheddar cheese and diced onion. Then serve.

Ranch Coleslaw Bacon Dogs

Printable version

Hot Dogs are a summertime staple. I couldn’t imagine going an entire summer without having at least one at either a family gathering or a cookout. I think they’re as American as apple pie. I will eat a hot dog with just ketchup and mustard, but I love to dress them up with everything from chili to lettuce and tomato.

For this recipe, I adorn my hot dogs with one of my favorite flavor combos of all-time - bacon and ranch. The creamy coleslaw is really a vehicle for the ranch flavor in this and acts as a relish and condiment all-in-one. When I assemble it I place a full strip of bacon right beside the dog before topping with the slaw.

The two combine to give this summer classic a great flavor that will have you going back for seconds and possibly thirds.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I recently put together a hot dog bar for a church gathering that included chili, cheese, sauerkraut and a few other toppings usually found on hot dogs. This inspired me to create a couple of new ones here at the blog.

The hot dog bar that I made for the church was put together with all store-bought items for convenience and cost effectiveness. I couldn’t believe how well it went over. I was worried that people would be turned off by the dogs and their reputation for being unhealthy, but to my surprise they were a huge hit and everyone was able to make a dog the way they wanted it to be.

I hope that I get the opportunity one day to go all out and cater an event that requires a gourmet hot dog bar. It would be a fun way to feed a crowd, and a great way to come up with some outstanding new dogs to gobble down for those mid-summer cookouts.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 8 dogs; 20 minutes active; 50 minutes total
3 C Coleslaw mix
1/3 C Mayo
1 Tbs Vinegar
1 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Vegetable oil
1 1/2 Tbs Ranch seasoning mix
8 strips Bacon
8 hot dogs
8 hot dog buns

Make slaw
In a bowl mix together cabbage, mayo, vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar and ranch seasoning. Refrigerate and let sit for at least half an hour.

Cook bacon, dogs
On a broiler pan in a preheated 425° oven, cook the bacon until crisp, 15 minutes. On a prepared grill cook hot dogs until cooked through, turning periodically. 6 to 8 minutes.

Assemble dogs
Place a dog and strip of bacon in a hot dog bun and top with coleslaw, then serve.

Asian Beef Skewers

Printable version

Ginger was introduced to China by way of India more than two thousand years ago and is believed to have originated in the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia, according to The Practical Encyclopedia of Asian Cooking. It has a very distinct aroma and sharp flavor and is widely used in Eastern cuisine, not just for its flavors, but for its medicinal value also. It’s thought that ginger helps digestion, soothes coughs and eases nausea.

Fresh ginger root is sold in most super markets. It has a light brown skin that is easy to removed and the flesh is diced or grated before being added to a dish. It’s also available in dried, ground and pickled form.

For this recipe, I make an Asian sauce featuring fresh ginger, hoisin sauce and orange. I apply it to the beef at the end of cooking and serve it on the side of the finished plate. It has a sweet, citrus flavor with a ginger and garlic base, perfect for a warm summer night in the backyard with a hot grill to cook on and cold drinks to go around.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I love using ginger. During the first winter I was in Fort Wayne I made a Christmas dish for the family that featured ginger and hoisin sauce, two of the ingredients here. It was a vegetable medley with cauliflower, broccoli and red peppers. I thought it was really tasty and complimented the roasted chicken it was served along side of.

Dad ate a little and he didn’t seem all that happy. I asked him what was wrong, he said very frankly “Vegetables taste like soap!” He obviously wasn’t a fan of the ginger.

I really don’t think the dish had enough in it to really taste like soup, but that’s what Dad thought of the dish. I have since made many recipes that have featured ginger and shared with Mom and Dad and he has either gotten used to the taste or he just doesn’t say anything about it any more.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 3 to 4 servings; 40 minutes
1 lb Sirloin, thin sliced
10 to 15 Bamboo skewers
1 Tbs Ginger, minced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
1/2 C Hoisin sauce
1/4 C Plum sauce
1/4 C Orange juice
1 Tbs Orange zest
1 Tbs Sesame oil

Soak skewers, season beef
Soak skewers for at least 30 minutes. Cut beef into 1-inch strips and place on skewers. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Start coals, make sauce
Start charcoal. In a sauce pan over medium heat sauté ginger and garlic in a little olive oil until soft. 1 to 2 minutes. Add hoisin sauce, plum sauce, orange zest, orange juice and sesame oil. Simmer and remove from heat.

Grill, baste skewers
Place skewers on medium-high charcoal grill, baste with sauce, cook 2 minutes. Flip skewers, baste with more sauce and cook another 2 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove and serve with more sauce if desired.

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail

Printable version

The land-locked seafood monster has struck again.

The product: Jumbo raw frozen shrimp with tails and shells removed.

Location: Kroger, Fort Wayne (Dupont & Coldwater Road)

I wanted large shrimp that I could skewer and grill. I decided to splurge and get jumbo shrimp – the bag cost $10.99.

The dish started out awesome. The cocktail sauce was fantastic! The sriracha was just the right touch. It added a little heat along with the horseradish. It was then balanced out by the acid of the lemon juice and the sweetness of the ketchup. If you need a cocktail sauce, this is the recipe. The quality of the sauce got me really excited about the shrimp.

I used running cold water to thaw them and the process took just a few minutes. Once the thawing was nearing the end I could tell there was something weird, the shrimp was partially cured or cooked, maybe even freezer burnt. It was not translucent like raw shrimp should be. I’ve worked with raw shrimp many times and something was amiss with this batch. It didn’t smell bad, but there was a hint of bleach.

Skeptically, I kept going, skewering and seasoning the shrimp. I grilled them to just cooked through. I took one of the bigger pieces, dipped it in the sauce and took a big bite.

Like I said, the sauce was off the hook, but the shrimp had a brined solution-soaked taste. Either something had been done to these before they were frozen to slow the spoiling process, or they were freezer burnt. I’m leaning to the toward the former because of the peculiar taste. What a let-down. The recipe is great, but my product was suspect!

I’m so tired of getting ripped off here in the Midwest with bullshit seafood that smells fishy (because is starting to spoil), or, like this shrimp – had been soaked in a preservative or frozen for way to long. I only ate two out of 16! That's $11 down the drain. This would have been so awesome had I been working with quality product.

I need fresh seafood!

BEHIND THIS BITE
As disappointed as I am with the shrimp, I’m equally as impressed with the sauce. I want to try this with some quality seafood. I think the secret was the sriracha, as I mentioned before, the garlicky heat that it added really put this sauce over the top and I can’t wait to make it again.

I think it’s about time for a visit to my old neighborhood in Queens to see some old friends. I know I can get fresh seafood there and this sauce will be as big a hit as perfectly cooked shrimp right out of the ocean!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Serves 2; 30 minutes
1/2 C Ketchup
1 Tbs Horseradish
2 tsp Sriracha sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
8 Bambo skewers
1 lb Jumbo or large shrimp

Soak skewers, make cocktail sauce
Submerge skewers in cold water and soak for at least 20 minutes. In a small bowl mix together ketchup, horseradish, sriracha, worcestershire and lemon juice. Stir until well combine and refrigerate for thirty minutes for flavors to meld.

Skewer and grill shrimp, serve
Double skewer shrimp. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill over high heat until cooked through and opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from skewers and serve with cocktail sauce.

Spice Rubbed Wings

Printable version

These spice rubbed chicken wings are the second of two recipes intended for the same snack.

Find a complimentary sauce to these savory spiced wings here.

Clove is a spice native to Indonesia and used all over the world in cooking. It’s difficult to harvest, making it more expensive than other spices. The Chinese used it as early as the 3rd century B.C. and Marco Polo mentioned clove plantations in his travels through the East Indies in 13th century.

In the United States it has many culinary purposes including use as a pickling spice or an ingredient in mulled wine and apple pie. Clove can be used in both savory and sweet dishes. Its distinctive aroma comes from eugenol which is also present in cinnamon and makes the two a natural pair that work well together.

Here, I incorporate clove into a rub for chicken wings. I add a tiny amount along with cinnamon for just a hint of flavor – too much will overpower the recipe and therefore must be used judiciously. The two impart an aromatic and fragrant taste to the wings and are just noticeable along with the flavor of smoky charcoal, making this recipe a must-try gourmet treat.

BEHIND THIS BITE
After destroying a couple of chilis and a steak or two I have finally gotten the clove thing right!

The secret - use just a tiny amount.

Although there is only a quarter teaspoon in this recipe it still makes its presence known in the rub - in the best of ways. It provides an aroma and a hint of flavor (along with the cinnamon) and it’s just enough to be noticed – but hard to identify. Both of the testers I served it to ended up asking what the secret flavor was.

This is the first time I had accomplished this with clove. Like I said, I have destroyed a couple of other recipes with it. (One was a chili that was ruined with a full teaspoon of the stuff, which is really enough for about two gallons of chilli – not 2 quarts.) I can’t wait to use my smoker this summer at the family campground - just to use a rub like this one on a couple of whole chickens I plan to smoke!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 6; 1 hour
2 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs Cumin
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Clove
4 to 5 lbs Chicken wings

Make rub
In a bowl mix together salt, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and clove. Season wings on each side, first sprinkle on then rub in with hands. Let chicken marinate 30 minutes.

Grill wings
Prepare charcoal grill, let brickets burn until mostly covered with ash, 20 to 25 minutes, then spread evenly on bottom of grill. Place wings on grate, put cover on grill and cook 15 to 20 minutes, turning once half way. Remove when cooked through. Let rest 8 to 10 minutes then serve.

Rosemary Grilled Loin Chops

Printable version

This is a simple and elegant meal, flavorful enough for a special occasion and easy to create while chatting up guests. It starts with mini-red potatoes tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper, then roasted in the oven - super simple! As always the potatoes need to be pierced with a knife or fork a few times so that they don’t become little potato bombs while cooking.

The loin chops feature fresh rosemary and is the only extra ingredient used here. The rosemary’s pine-esque flavor helps give the chop a gourmet taste. I place the seasoned chops on the grill and left them alone for the first 7 minutes. This helped create the deep colored grill marks which adds to the presentation of the final dish. After one flip and a few more minutes the chops were done on the heat but I allowed them to rest for another ten minutes before serving, which helps keep all of the yummy goodness locked inside.

When finished, it’s all presented family style on a large plater that shouts “Time to eat.”

BEHIND THE BITES
I was surprised when this meal was finished. I was just creating a simple dinner and it turned out really elegant in flavor and presentation. One of the keys here is the grill marks on the chops. I oiled the grill before throwing them on and I think that really aided in giving them their golden-brown marks that made them look like they had been prepared in a restaurant. That, and the fact that I let them sit without moving or touching them for the first few minutes while they seared.

I love to use rosemary.

Once while I lived in New York I was visiting home and I made a batch of chops for a little party we were having for a late night snack. (Chops for a snack? yep, it was quite a party!) I used rosemary to flavor them and left the little leaves whole instead of mincing them up. I grilled the chops and put them out to everyone’s delight.

At one point my Aunt Roxie took a good look at the chop she was going to eating and yelled out with a sense of urgency “What the hell is this grass shit on the pork chop!”

Everyone stop pigging out and looked at me. I assured them that it was ok, and that it wasn’t grass, but rosemary, which was responsible for the wonderful flavor that the chops had. All was well after my explanation and everyone went back to their snack. Aunt Roxie did pick the little rosemary leaves from her chop before she ate it though.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 1 hour
2 lb Small red potatoes
2 lb Loin chops, boneless
2 Tbs Rosemary
fresh, minced
Olive oil, salt and pepper for seasoning

Bake Potatoes
In a roasting pan, toss potatoes in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork or knife. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes, or until cooked through.

Season, grill chops
Season pork chops with salt and pepper and sprinkle with rosemary. Sear on an oiled hot grill for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.

Finish
Place chops on a plater surrounded by potatoes and serve.