Skirt Steak Tortas

I bought a "manager's special" skirt steak at Kroger recently for less than $3.00 and was exited about the great deal, but knew it was on special because it had to be cooked in the next 24 hours. "Manager's special" is the grocery store lingo for "cook this now because it's about to turn green."

I decided to tenderize the steak, grill it and make a Mexican torta sandwich for dinner. I had a chipotle lime mayo sauce leftover from a recipe I had documented the day before and thought it would be a great condiment for the sandwich.

To make the steak tender enough for the torta, I beat it until it was flat and falling apart – which was a nice stress relief. I knew the better I tenderized the steak, the better the sandwich would be, so it was an inspired beating. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and grilled it for a couple of minutes each side. After a small rest I diced up the steak and it was ready for the torta.

I used bollilo bread, which I sliced in half length-wise. I slathered the bottom with refried beans and layered a couple of slices of jack cheese on the top half. I stuck the bread in the oven to toast and melt the cheese. Once that was finished I added the steak, garnishes and the chipotle lime mayo sauce resulting in a great sandwich that I would eat again anytime.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Skirt Steak Torta

I hadn't planned on producing this recipe in print or on-line so I didn't document the process. After eating the sandwich (I made four) I was impressed and decided to take a few shots of the finished product for a simple post.

I hope to go all out on a torta here at Behind the Bites one day because it is one of my favorite types of sandwich. I was introduced to them at La bamba (a restaurant chain known for burritos as big as your head) when I was in college and have loved them every since. I better get to work though because a good torta has lots going on with it, much more than what I have going on here, although I must say, this torta was a tasty treat indeed.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Make 4 sandwiches
1 lb Skirt steak
1/4 C Refried beans
4 slices Monterrey jack cheese
2 Tbs Chipotle Lime Mayo
2 Bollilo buns
Lettuce, tomato and onion for garnish

Tenderize, grill steak
With a meat tenderizer, beat steak until flattened with slight tears throughout. season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill over high heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until medium rare, turning once during cooking. Remove from grill and rest for at least 5 minutes, then dice.

Toast, assemble sandwich
Slice bread in half, spread beans on bottom half and layer cheese on top half, place in 400° oven for 5 to 6 minute or until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Layer steak and garnishes on bottom half, drizzle with chipotle lime mayo and cover with top half of bun, cut in two, then serve.

Italian Grinder Fail

Originally I had planned to make a giant toasted sub, cut it into about 15 slices and present it as a Super Bowl Italian Grinder. I layered the meat and cheese, toasted it, threw on the fresh LTO and smothered it in Kraft's Green Goddess sauce. Once I closed it shut and sliced it I knew there was a problem – bread overload!

It was tasty, but I did eat it without the top portion of the bread.

Toast the bread, meat and cheeses

The loaf I had chosen was a large fresh baked french bread, the only problem was that I need 2 to 3 times the amount of meat on it to balance the sandwich. I should have went with a lighter, fluffier bread, or just made several individual sandwiches with sub buns. There was nothing wrong with it flavor wise, which is why I'm sharing it here.

Usually I would make a custom sauce for something like this but I wanted to give the Goddess Sauce a test, and I must say it passed with flying colors. It reminds me of a creamy Italian or Caesar dressing with a little extra pepper or spice.  It was a great compliment to the meats I had chosen and I'm going to try and keep this on hand to use as a special sandwich sauce when I'm in a pinch for something nice. It's not that expensive and an easy thing to keep in the pantry for the occasional saucy surprise.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Add the fresh LTO!

1/2 lb Smoked ham
1/4 lb Hard salami
1/4 lb Sandwich slice pepperoni
1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese
Lettuce, Tomato, Onion
Green Goddess Sauce
1 loaf Bread that can be halved length-wise, or 6 sub buns

Layer meats
Preheat oven to 400°
Cut bread in half length-wise. On bottom piece layer ham, salami, pepperoni and cheese. Place in oven with top half of bread along side and cook until cheese is melted and bread is toasted, 5 to 6 miniutes. Remove from oven.

Finish
Add lettuce, tomato, onion and Green Goddess sauce, and top with bun. Then serve, if using a larger loaf for bread, slice before serving.

Southwest Grilled Cheese

Printable version

I made this sandwich to go with my spicy chipotle tomato soup. It needed balance and a grilled cheese is perfect for that. The soup included poblano pepper in the mirepoix and I thought it would be nice to tie the sandwich to the soup by including poblano in a relish to go on the sandwich.

Along with the pepper, the relish also features caramelized onions, corn, lime and cilantro, which combine to provide the southwestern element to the grilled cheese. The relish would be a nice accompaniment to a steak or make a nice side dish in general. I use shredded Monterrey jack cheese rather than slices so that the relish and cheese would melt together like pizza toppings inside the sandwich. I’m sure slices would been just fine, but I knew the shredded cheese would guarantee the gooey binder I was looking for.

This was the first time I had tried a relish mixture inside of a grilled cheese. Overall it worked really well, adding flavor and giving extra texture to the sandwich. I dipped this into the soup and gobbled down two by myself, which probably suggests that I liked the final product.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Southwest Grilled Cheese

I have been reluctant to do sandwiches for the blog out of pure laziness. The layer by layer breakdown is a lot of work to create, so initially I tend to grimace when I think of creating a sandwich here, but in this case I absolutely had to. The tomato soup needed a grilled cheese to complete its culinary destiny. I could find a simpler way to present it, but to stay true to the overall style and presentation of my recipes, the layer by layer stack is the most effective to present a grilled cheese.

This is the best layer by layer presentation so far. My best effort before this was a patty melt back in April. After putting this together I realized it wasn’t as much work as I had thought, so I hope to do unique sandwiches here at the blog a little more often.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Southwest Grilled Cheese

Makes 8 sandwiches; 45 minutes
1 C Red onion diced
1 C Poblano pepper, seeded, diced
1 can Sweet corn, seeded, diced
Juice of 1 Lime
2 Tbs Fresh cilantro
1/2 C Mayo
16 slices Bread
4 C Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Make relish
In a sauté pan over medium heat cook onions in a little olive oil until soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Add corn and poblano pepper, cook until pepper is soft and corn is heated through, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Make sandwiches
Spread a thin layer of mayo on sides of bread to be grilled. Layer shredded cheese, scoop of relish, more shredded cheese and top piece of bread. Repeat 8 times. Grill sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, flipping half way through. Then serve.

Sweet Pickle Ranch Chicken Salad

Printable version

It’s official. Ranch seasoning mix is now a “staple” item in my pantry. Normally I don’t like seasoning packets because of the sodium and preservatives that they contain. The ranch seasoning has all that stuff but it’s a great way to take recipes to the next level.

Over the last couple months, I’ve made ranch coleslaw, 2 different sauces and now this chicken salad that utilizes the seasoning and it really makes the flavor pop! Maybe I should try and make a homemade version because I’m hooked and looking forward to trying it in more dishes.

For this recipe, I use the pickle-ranch combo that I used in a delicious sauce a couple weeks ago. The chicken salad also contains fresh tarragon which adds a hint of liquorice, which reminds me of fennel.

Overall, this chicken salad contained a ton of flavor, led by the zesty ranch and complimented by the sweet but tart pickle flavor. The tarragon comes to play at the end of the bite, but really makes it’s presence know. I think I could have swapped the pickle for bacon and taken this the smoky and salty route which would have been equally unique and delicious, but I think that is for another post.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Sweet Pickle Ranch Chicken Salad

I found mini bagels at Meijer while shopping for the ingredients in the chicken salad recipe and as soon as I saw them I knew I had to use them for the bread. I'm glad I picked them up because the photo seems to jump right out of the graphic.

I have worked really hard over the last two years to become a better food photographer and sandwiches and tacos are my favorite things to style and shoot. They stand alone on a white background really well – actually I like food that can be eaten by hand, that way there is no plate in the picture, it’s just what is going to be eaten. In the end, I love shooting all types of food, it just seems that the sandwiches and tacos are my favorite photographs to take. Ironically, they're also my favorite foods to eat!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Sweet Pickle Ranch Chicken Salad

Serves 6; 10 minutes active, 30 minutes resting
3 C Grilled chicken, diced
1 C Mayonnaise
1/2 C Celery, diced
1/2 C Bread and butter pickles, diced
1 pkg Ranch seasoning mix (1 oz)
1 Tbs Tarragon, minced
Juice of 1 Lemon
8 to 10 Mini bagels
Lettuce for garnish

Make chicken salad
In a large bowl mix together, chicken, mayonnaise, celery, pickles, ranch seasoning, tarragon and lemon juice. Store in refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Assemble sandwiches
Place a spoonful of chicken salad on a mini bagel, garnish with lettuce, then serve.

Bacon Chipotle Chicken Salad

Printable version

I used to eat chicken salad from a number delis when I lived in New York City. It was a reasonably inexpensive lunch item in a city were everything was expensive. The chicken was always fresh, never canned, which made for a much tastier salad and there was always a gourmet twist depending on which place you got it.

Chicken salad is really basic and it only takes an element or two to turn it into a unique delicious bite.

For this recipe, I used grilled chicken with chipotle and bacon to make a southwestern chicken salad pita. The basic elements of mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice and chicken make for a refreshing sandwich on their own. I enhance the flavors with the edition of bacon, chipotle and fresh tarragon. Any number of ingredients could have taken their place. The key is finding complimentary flavors that work together and adding them to the basic recipe. It’s a great way to enhance a classic, and for me, chicken salad always reminds me of lunches in Central Park.

BEHIND THIS BITE
Years ago, my Mom was visiting me in New York and made a batch of chicken salad from leftover chicken that I had grilled the night before. It tasted so good that I have preferred to make it with grilled chicken ever since. I won’t wait for left over chicken anymore though, I grill up a batch specifically for chicken salads.

I made this as part of a spread for a gathering of 15. It was served with mini bagels for sandwiches. As snack time was winding down I noticed a couple of guys eating it on tortilla chips, I decided to give it a try and I was amazed. I thought it would be good in a soft taco, but after trying the tortilla chips I think this would be great in a crunchy taco with a little lettuce and cheese.

Which ever way it’s eaten it doesn’t matter though, this is a tasty chicken salad that will make for a delicious lunch with or without bread, tortillas or bagels.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 6; 10 minutes active,
30 minutes resting
3 C Grilled chicken, diced
1 C Mayonnaise
1/2 C Celery diced
8 strips Bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/4 C Chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded, minced
1 Tbs Tarragon, minced
Juice of 1 Lemon
6 to 8 Pitas
Lettuce for garnish

Make chicken salad
In a large bowl mix together, chicken, mayonnaise, celery, bacon, chipotle, tarragon and lemon juice. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Assemble sandwiches
Place a spoonful of chicken salad in a pita, garnish with lettuce, then serve.

Grilled Ham and Colby-Jack Cheese

Printable version

What could be better than a grilled cheese? A grilled HAM and cheese! When I was in high school I worked near a small diner and I loved their grilled ham and cheese. I would have ordered them all the time if they served three per order. I could destroy one in about 20 seconds and I was always left wanting more. I would get them as a snack and they were one of my favorite items on the menu.

When I make them at home I usually make at least two. The first goes down in record time and then I can savor and enjoy the second. I don’t know what it is, but I just seem to devour these little guys like a hyena devouring a wildebeest on the Serenghetti plain.

Instead of going with American cheese I decided to get creative and I went with colby-jack, which added an extra flavor element to the final product and really just inspired me to eat the first one even quicker. Also, I use thin slices of ham, which is key - a slice too thick gets in the way of the creamy cheese. Maybe I should experiment with bigger slices of ham just to make them last longer than 30 seconds.

BEHIND THIS BITE

The first sami didn't last long enough for a photo.

Over the weekend the family was out at the campground for a Saturday afternoon dinner. I decided to make a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches to contribute. I have a new camp chef stove with a griddle attachment and I was itching to put it to use. Needless to say the grilled cheese went over like new toys on Christmas morning. Each one I made I cut into quarters turning them into finger food. The kids inhaled them and most of the adults grabbed a couple for a snack. I made some with cheddar cheese and some with a new cheese, chipotle pepper jack that was really tasty. I think the campground grilled cheese might become a tradition.

After dinner was over, the golden brown crust I had on the sandwiches became a topic of discussion. Most thought I had used butter and were surprised to learn I had used mayo. It’s the only way to toast your bread!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Divide for 4 sandwiches
1/4 C Mayonnaise
8 slices Bread
16 slices Colby-Jack cheese
12 slice Ham, cut thin

Spread a thin layer of mayo on side of bread to be grilled. Layer 2 slices of cheese, 3 ham slices, 2 more slice of cheese and top piece of bread. Repeat 4 times. Grill sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, flipping half way through. Then serve.

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Printable version

If you like pizza, you will like pizza grilled cheese.

Seriously, I was as impressed with this as I am with a hot slice of pepperoni pizza from a pizza joint. The pizza grilled cheese was a little more portable and finger food friendly though.

This will easily be your kids favorite lunch and it might replace pizza night every once in a while. The crispy toasted bread is an excellent replacement for traditional pizza crust and everything else is the same, so it’s not that far off from a real slice of pie.

Using mayo on the surface of the bread that will touch the hot griddle is an absolute must if your making grilled cheese. For years I used butter and then I read a tip in a magazine that said to use mayo. Hands down, the mayo is the best way to get that golden brown crispy bread, just like the diner. The mayo provides a little grease, but that grease is flavor and it’s the only way to make grilled cheese sandwiches on the griddle.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I had two of these left over (after eating two of them myself) and to my surprise my mom ate both. She had one for lunch on two different days - not two in one sitting. She wrapped one up and put it in the fridge for the next day after eating the first one while it was still warm.

I was surprised that she ate them.

She has been very dedicated to weight watchers for the last two years and has really slimmed down. Part of that is not eating things like pizza grilled cheese, but weight watchers does allow a little splurging. To stay true though, she needed to make up for it at another meal. She thought these were tasty enough to cut points else where.

I thought they were really good when I ate them, but the fact that she was willing to eat them TWICE really tells the true story of how tasty these are.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Divide for 4 sandwiches
1/4 C Mayonnaise
8 slices Bread
8 slices Mozzarella cheese
1/4 C Pizza sauce
36 slices Pepperoni

Assemble, grill
Spread a thin layer of mayo on side of bread to be grilled. Layer slice of cheese, 9 pepperoni slices, a tablespoon of pizza sauce, 1 more slice of cheese and top piece of bread. Repeat 4 times. Grill sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, flipping half way through. Then serve.

Italian Sausage Patty Melts

Printable version

My Mom has always been a big fan of patty melts and she is responsible for introducing me to these yummy delights. She has waited tables part-time for years and she has probably served about 37,000 of them. I was young when she introduced them to me and whenever I get hungry for one I think about being a kid at the local diner and Mom suggesting it for lunch to me for the first time.

I think of patty melts as grilled cheese sandwiches with a meat patty tucked inside.

I think they’re awesome.

I have some rules for patty melts:

• Never eat one at a fancy place, they have to be served at a typical mom and pop diner and should require lots of napkins.

• When the sandwich is touched, there should be an ultra-thin layer of grease left on the finger tips that will leave an annoying grease-fingerprint on any object touched.

• Grilled onions aren’t required but one without is like a salad without dressing.

• Finally, there must be lots of cheese, more than a typical cheeseburger. Almost a burger with double cheese – not a double cheeseburger – a double cheese single burger!

Those are my rules.

Instead of beef for this patty melt I used Italian sausage. Combined with the onions and provolone it was spectacular. I ate two of them myself. Had I not been feeding others, I might have destroyed another half sandwich, thank God more people were eating.

BEHIND THIS BITE

This is the first time I have designed a recipe with a black background and white text. Usually there is too much writing in a typical recipe to do this. There is only so much type a person can read in that style without it starting to mess with their eyes.

This, and the next recipe, are an exception and something new. I love the look and will try to incorporate it more. I think it will work best with sandwiches and pizza, or recipes that don’t include as much written instructions.

It’s always good to experiment when it comes to design and presentation, it might be the start of a new trend, or I may say to myself in a couple of weeks “What the hell was I thinking!” For now, I think it’s cool.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
4 sandwiches; 30 minutes
1/4 C Mayonnaise
8 slices Bread
16 slices Provolone cheese
1 C Caramelized onions
4 patties Cooked Italian sausage (1l4 lb each)

Spread a thin layer of mayo on sides of bread to be grilled. Layer 2 slices cheese, 1 sausage patty, a 1/4 of the onions, 2 more slices of cheese and top piece of bread. Grill sandwiches over medium heat until it's golden brown on each side and cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Then serve.

Simple Meatball Subs

Printable version

This is the perfect snack for a party. It makes 16 to 20 meatball subs and takes only minutes to get ready and two hours to warm in a slow cooker. Which allows time to prep for the party or have a few drinks to take off the edge before guests arrive.

I originally made this for a meeting at St. John Bosco Catholic Church that I attended last summer. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but a few months passed and another guy in the group made it to share at a similar gathering I attended. Once that happened, I figured it was worth creating a post for the recipe here.

It really is simple, it requires opening a couple bags, a jar and turning the crock pot on - if that’s to much then you probably have worse things to worry about than feeding others. I don’t generally promote stuff from the freezer isle without serious modification, but I have to admit the frozen Italian-style meatballs from Walmart are really tasty. They don’t compare to homemade, but they could give Subway a run for their money and I think that is why I liked these simple sandwiches so much.

BEHIND THIS BITE
When I was 19 years-old I went for freshmen orientation at Ball State University. I had been accepted to the school but had never set foot on campus. I went to tour the campus and sign up for classes. During my lunch break they let us roam the village - a little spot near campus for college kids to get food, go for drinks and get everyday supplies.

It’s a booming spot when school is in session. I decided to eat at the only familiar restaurant I recognized - Subway. I went there rather than the Flying Tomato - a pizza joint down the street. (which burned down a couple years later) I ordered a 6-inch meatball sub and, like every other meatball sub I have ordered from subway, it fell apart. This one in particular made a mess of my shirt, so everyone else at orientation knew what I had eaten for lunch just by looking at me clothes.

I don’t know why, but other than a few of the buildings I saw, that sandwich is what I remember most about that day. Ball State would change the course of my life and my first real memory is a messy sandwich for lunch. I should probably count my blessings though, because it could probably be much worse.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 16 to 20 subs; 2 hours
2 bags Meatballs (32 oz each)
1 jar Marinara (24 oz)
16 to 20 Hot dog buns
3 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat meatballs and sauce, assemble, serve
In a crock pot on high, cook meatballs and marinara until heated through, about 2 hours. On a hot dog bun, place a few meatballs, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Grilled Mushroom and Swiss Cheese

Printable version

In my house growing up, my Mom always referred to a grilled cheese sandwich as “cheese toasty.” It wasn’t until I was 23 years-old and living in New York City that I realized the rest of the world had a different name for them.

I was in the cafeteria at my first job when I ordered a cheese toasty and the cook had no idea what I was talking about. I described it and he realized I wanted a grilled cheese. I got my sandwich and a Mountain Dew. I went to the checkout lady and said, “just a cheese toasty and a pop.” On the East coast “pop” is “soda.” The young lady at the registered laughed at my hysterically. Then  she said, “You mean a soda and grilled cheese?” I agreed.     From that day forward, every time I went to the cafeteria and the young lady was working, she would say upon seeing me, “Hey Pops want a cheese toasty!” Then bust out in laughter.

For this recipe, I make a gourmet cheese toasty with mushrooms and swiss cheese,
a decadent reminder of my Midwestern roots.

BEHIND THIS BITE
The first couple of years living in New York were a huge learning experience for me. They would have been a learning experience anywhere in the world because I was learning how to be an adult in the real world, which is a change from being an adult on a college campus. New York was the ultimate test. I made it through and ended up spending 12 and a half years of my life there.

I still love the city and its energy and hope to spend more time there in the future. What they say is really true, “if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.” Because anywhere else seems to be easier, or slower paced – in America that is.

New York is one thing, I’m not sure if I have what it takes to make it in Kandahar, Afghanistan or Islamabad, Pakistan - If the local Taliban were to discover a Star Wars collection like mine they may throw me in prison for false idol worship.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 2 sandwiches; 15 minutes
2 Tbs Mayonnaise (spread thin on bread)
4 slices Bread
4 slices Swiss cheese
2 oz Mushrooms, cooked

Assemble sandwiches
Spread mayonnaise on bread. (side that will contact hot surface) On bottom slice stack swiss cheese, mushrooms, another slice of cheese and top piece of bread. Repeat.

Toast, serve
Place sandwiches on griddle over medium high heat and toast until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted, turning once. Remove from heat and serve.

Grilled Pork Sliders with Coleslaw

Printable version

Spring is just around the corner in Northern Indiana and soon the cold winds and snow will give way to warm breezes and the summer rain. It’s also the time of year that I really start to crave food cooked on a grill. I’m tired of the casseroles, pot roasts and other types of comfort food that I have been making indoors since the cold weather blew in.

Inspired by the approaching spring weather, and craving the flavor of seared animal flesh, I decided to break out my stove top grill and make a batch of mini-burgers to put my mind at ease. (I have actually been using the grill a lot lately.)

For this recipe, I make sliders from ground pork. To add to the warm weather ambiance, I top them with barbecue sauce and coleslaw, a summer party favorite that works great as a side but even better as a crunchy topping for this sandwich. Making these wasn’t as thrilling as an outdoor grill-a-thon in cargo shorts and a T-shirt, but it might be enough to get me through the rest of winter without going out of my mind.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I recently made a spicy Southwestern version of coleslaw and had some cabbage leftover. I decided to make a normal version so it didn’t go to waste and that’s when I thought it would be cool to use it as a topping for sliders. I often have a lot of leftovers and the cabbage is a perfect example.

Throwing away food is just throwing away money and I have made it my goal recently to cut down on what I toss in the garbage - much of which is leftover stuff I have made for the print column and this site. It’s not that it tastes bad, it’s more about buying to much initially and only part of it gets used. It seems as though I always buy one to many tomatoes or an extra jalapeno that ends up getting thrown away. The cabbage was extreme though - I only used half the bag initially - this time I put it to good use.

Eat will, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serve 4; 40 minutes
3 C Cabbage mix
1/3 C Mayo
1 Tbs Vinegar
1 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Vegetable oil
1/4 tsp Celery salt
1 lb Ground pork
8 Dinner rolls
1/2 C Barbecue sauce

Make slaw
In a bowl mix together cabbage, mayo, vinegar, sugar and celery salt. Refrigerate and let sit for at least half an hour.

Cook pork, assemble sliders
Form pork into 8 patties and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place on a medium-high grill and sear until cooked through 5 to 7 minutes per side. Remove, let rest at least ten minutes. Split bun and layer pork, barbecue sauce and coleslaw. Then serve.

The Meaty Italian Burger

Printable version

Recently I recreated an amazing toasted sub, or grinder, from Brevins restaurant in Churubusco, Indiana. After making the sandwich I had salami, pepperoni and ceaser dressing left over. I thought about getting more ham and french bread for another grinder but I did what any man would do - pile them on a cheeseburger!

I decided to add a layer of basil and the end result was what I call - The Meaty Italian Burger. It’s a bit heavy and not for the weak at heart (or people with cholesterol problems) but, to say the least, it’s an all-star man bite. I’m half tempted to call Carl Jr's. to see if they’ll try it as one of their six dollar man burgers. I would love to see a voluptuous super model chowing on this in something skimpy in one of their controversial commercials.

The ceasar dressing adds a ton of flavor and compliments the deli meats that adorn the thick burger patty. I could have went with pizza sauce and made this more of a meat lovers pizza burger but I’m glad I went the went this route, I'll try the pizza burger another day.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I made these in the afternoon and later in the day I had to watch my nephews. I made four burgers but I had only enough salami and pepperoni for two. I ate the first one and thought I would give the second to my nephews to split. Once they arrived the two played for a while and then it was time to warm the burgers so they could snack.

Like a stingy over-eater I grabbed the Meaty Italian burger for myself and left the plain burgers for the boys. I wasn’t really hungry, it's just that I had to have it. The burger was really tasty and I just couldn’t resist. I must have looked like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings. I gobbled up the burger as if I hadn't eaten weeks. They didn’t care though. A burger is a burger is a chicken nugget to those guys.

Some kids may appreciate fine cooking by my nephews usually want the special sauce left off or anything else added to make the meal gourmet – typical kids I guess.

Eat well, cook often ...

A Toasted Italian Sub, or Grinder

Printable version

I was half way through finishing lunch at Brevins Restaurant in Churubusco, Indiana and I was almost done dissecting my sandwich. I knew I could remake it – the mystery was the sauce. I thought it might be a special in-house recipe. To my surprise, I asked the waitress and she said it was ceaser dressing.

I should have known, it was a common, but not always utilized classic dressing.

Delicious.

For this recipe, I recreate the Brevin’s grinder, it may not be exact, but it’s pretty close. It has been on their menu for some time now, but as I ate there last week to escape the heat, I decided I had to try and make it. Here’s the catch. I made it a point to buy everything for this recipe at once. All together, it cost $22 to make this, and it will serve four. The same amount (2 orders) at Brevins will cost around $16 – and they make it, bring it to you and do the dishes!

The meat is the real expense here. A restaurant has the resources to buy in bulk and can make an item like this affordable to the public and still profit.

BEHIND THIS BITE
Since moving back to Indiana, I have eaten the grinder at Brevins a number of times. I have to say it is the king of toasted subs, which seem to be all the rage nowadays, with Jimmy Jones, Subway and all the other shops toasting up their samis.

I went to Brevins last week to get away from the scorching heat. The last few recipes have been influenced by the hot weather and this sandwich is a prime example. I wouldn't have stopped and ate Brevins for lunch had I not been craving an air conditioned seat at a place that would bring me food. Seriously, I am not inspired to cook in this weather. I still do it, but stopping at a sit-down restaurant was just the treat I needed. As I ate the yummy sandwich I knew what I wanted to get to work on for my next recipe ... recreating the lunch I was enjoying at the time!

What impresses me most about this sandwich is the ceasar dressing. I use a lot of ranch on things, sometimes Italian and blue cheese dressing, but I had never thought to use ceasar, generally because I don’t buy it. The dressing adds a creamy, savory flavor and it really compliments the salami and pepperoni here.

Since I made this, I have used ceasar on two other sandwiches I have made, one of which will be a post here in the near future. It’s my new secret sauce  – at least until the bottle runs out.

Eat well, cook often ...

Easy Philly Cheese Steaks

Printable version

I was recently at Walmart taking pictures in hopes of getting one published on thepeopleofwalmart.com, when I noticed Thin Sliced Beef in the freezer section. Since I was having no luck finding a human freak dressed like a hooker in the Bronx, I decided to buy a box and try it out.

The beef comes in thin patties that are shaped like ribeye steaks. They’re made to be cooked right out of the freezer, effectively steaming the meat as it thaws in the skillet. After cooking a couple of minutes on each side, all it takes is a spatula to separate the patties into the thinly slices pieces of beef.

I found that they need a bit of seasoning but all-in-all it’s a decent and quick lunch. I made this recipe using an entire box of Great Value (Walmart brand) thin sliced steak. Obviously, thin sliced ribeye from grass-fed organic beef would have made this sandwich superior, but for a tasty sandwich on a Friday night when budget is a factor, this stuff really does the trick.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I made this in the evening a few days ago. I had put off making it for 2 days because it was in the middle of the hottest four-day stretch in the recorded history of Fort Wayne’s weather. Four straight days over 100 degrees! When it is that hot, cooking is just not something I want to do – indoors or out.

My aspirations during that intense heat wave was to stay as cool and as motionless as possible. When the climate in northern Indiana feels like the inside of an Easy-bake oven, I’m prone to giving up all physical activity when the weather becomes that oppressive.

I can’t imagine what those poor souls digging ditches for $12 an hour were thinking.
If that were my job, I’m sure suicide would be part of what I’m contemplating at 2:30 p.m. when its 105°. Especially, if what I'm digging is an $8 million renovation for a well connected business owner who's perverse idea of "trickle-down" economics means you're digging a hole for chump change.

ANYWAY, I knew I had to get the recipe documented, so I declined an invite to eat with my Mom and Dad at an air conditioned restaurant and fired up the griddle out on the porch to cook it. It was all I could do to keep the sweat off the hot plate, but I got it done and enjoyed two of these samis in the cool air conditioning of my office as I reviewed the pictures from the shoot.

It might have been Walmart meat from a box - but it was tasty.

Eat well, cook often ...