Friday Night, Taco Night

Fresh corn tortilla, steak, cilantro and onion with chipotle ranch sauce.

Friday dinner is reserved for tacos.

When I first moved to Austin I set aside Friday nights to hit new taco joints in search of the ultimate taco. I didn't find the ultimate, but I did find the elements to creating one. I'm still searching and creating on my own for that perfect bite, but here is what I learned so far:

Fresh made tortillas are a must!

The protein or meat element must be perfectly cooked and if its seasoned, the seasoning must compliment the sauce.

I'm partial to limited garnish: just a little cilantro and onion go along way. Lettuce, tomato and maybe a little cheese are good, but also in limited quantities and I reserve the latter for just crunchy style tacos. For me it about the tortilla, meat and sauce ...

THE SAUCE -  it makes the taco! Different sauces make for entirely different meals. Mixing and matching the right sauce with the perfect protein is the secret to a great taco experience.

As I write this I can feel the slight burn of the chipotle ranch sauce that adorns the steak taco above. It helped this simple treat become a savory, smoky bite. Its creaminess meshed perfectly with warm tortilla - which I can still feel the masa in the ridges of my finger prints from making them fresh. Call me crazy - but I love that feeling!

The ultimate taco? No. But, a tasty treat indeed.

Eat, well cook often ...

Find the recipe for the chipolte ranch sauce here.

Smoky Chipotle Spice Rub

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Now that grill season is in full swing I like to make new spice rub combinations to flavor my food. Salt, pepper and the taste from a well seasoned grill is actually pretty good on its own, but the right combination of flavors in a spice rub can take food to another level of delicious or even transport a meal to different regions of the world.

I build my spice rubs much like I do a soup or a sauce. I start with base flavors like onion and garlic in their powder form, and salt and pepper is always present to enhance other flavors. Once I have the base I move onto the spices that will be more prominent and work together, like rosemary and thyme for example.

For this recipe, I have an onion and garlic base and use Chipotle chili powder as the star with cumin and oregano as compliments. Chipotle is much hotter than regular chili powder so brown sugar is added to balance the heat. In the end, this rub will add a spicy, smoky Mexican flavor to anything cooked over a fire.

BEHIND THIS BITE

A lettuce wrap disaster photo!

I used this recipe for my print column but it is only part of what I intended the recipe to be. The rub was used on chicken tenders that I grilled, topped with sauteed onions and red pepper then drizzled with a creamy lime sauce. I wrapped everything in a lettuce leaf and it tasted great. I was really happy with the results.

The only problem was the pictures.

The lettuce was out of control! I tried everything to get a good shot that looked like a delicious lettuce wrap. It’s just that the lettuce was like curly hair on a humid day. I just wasn't able to get it to look the way I wanted it. It ended up being a good learning experience. I went to plan B and made a salad-looking dish with all the ingredients, which turned out ok, but in the end, the best overall shots were focused on the rub.

I have found that lettuce is one of the hardest things to get right when styling food and photographing it. I’m sure there are many stylist and photographers that would agree. Thank god I took a few styled shots of the rub, otherwise, I might not have even had this to publish!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Smoky Chipotle Spice Rub

Makes 1/2 cup; 5 minutes
2 Tbs Chipotle chili powder
2 Tbs Brown sugar
1 Tbs + 1 tsp Cumin
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Pepper
2 tsp Onion powder
2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Oregano

Make rub
In a bowl mix together chipotle powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Liberally sprinkle on meat and rub in with fingers before grilling. Store in a tightly sealed jar.

FOR LESS HEAT
Replace the chipotle powder with regular chili powder for a less spicy and smoky rub that tastes more like a traditional Mexican seasoning.

Prime Rib

Printable version

Prime rib is my favorite centerpiece for special meals. With an average income like myself, it’s an expensive cut of meat, so it’s reserved for Christmas, weddings or important occasions. I consider it the best of the beef world. First of all, it’s a giant steak, so when cooked right it is tender and juicy, but because it is so large it is cooked slow like a roast. Unlike a chuck or round roast which must be broken down by the heat to become tender, the rib roast needs only to be brought to the desired temperature of doneness.

There is nothing more satisfying than grabbing a hunk of prime rib and sinking your teeth in. It’s almost primal or animalistic, but I have to say, it’s one of my favorite culinary experiences.

The rib roast I make for this post is very basic as far as the seasoning, it’s easy to make a special seasoning for the crust, but it's such a little part of the overall meal that it isn’t really necessary. All that is needed is a proper coat of salt and pepper. The natural flavor of the prime rib needs no help - it’s spectacular with just the enhancement of some good ol' S&P.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Prime Rib

I ordered this prime rib from Egolf's IGA in Churubusco Indiana. I grew up in this small Indiana town and I actually worked at Egolf’s during high school and summer breaks in college. The little grocery store that serves a town of only 2,000 has one of the best meat departments in all of Northern Indiana. The customers walk up to the meat case and choose the cut they like, an employee then weighs, prices, and wraps it in butcher paper. Any cut can be ordered and the meat cutter will prepare it properly for you.

The store and it’s service is a throwback to a time where customer service mattered and quality meat products were a focus. You will never find a one pound tube of ground beef at Egolf's, or a pile of steaks wrapped in plastic on styrofoam trays. The ground beef is ground fresh daily and the steaks are hand cut and hand picked by the customer. It’s a real blessing for a foodie like me to have such a quality place to buy food just a short drive down the road.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Prime Rib

Serves 12 to 14; 5 hours
6 to 7 lb Rib roast, boneless, tied
Salt and pepper, enough to coat entire surface of roast

Season, rest
Remove rib roast from package and liberally season with salt and pepper, cover and let rest until it reaches room temperature,  2 to 3 hours.

Sear and roast
Preheat oven to 325°. In a large pan over high sear the roast on all sides so that a nice crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a roasting pan with a rack. Place in oven and cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of roast reaches 125° for medium rare. 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove and let rest for at least 15 minutes, internal temperature will rise at least 10° while resting. Slice and serve.

Five Pepper Steak Tacos

Printable version

I was reading about Creole and Caribbean cooking recently which inspired me to invent a peppery rub. I went to my pantry and was able to find a number of different pepper spices. I chose five, with two of them smoked. I use white pepper, cayenne pepper and black pepper to cover different areas of the tongue and chipotle and smoked paprika to provide the smoky flavoring. (Paprika is made from dried red pepper, hence the fifth pepper of the rub.) I add onion and garlic powder for depth and salt because, well, everything needs salt.

The end result is a spicy rub that I would label XXX on a store shelf. This rub is hot and when it’s used in a dish there should be something else on the plate to balance it. In my world, mild spice is most people’s hell fire, so when I say hot, please beware.

I use a sweet pineapple salsa to balance the heat of the rub. The salsa contains red pepper to compliment the paprika. The pepper could also be roasted to bring out more sweetness if so desired.

Overall, I really enjoyed this taco, it's not for the faint of heart and it is made for a spice lover like myself.

BEHIND THIS BITE
When I made this rub I knew it would be hot but I was surprised at how hot it actually was. I think this could be one of the dry rubs at Buffalo Wild Wings or a secret weapon for extra kick in a pot of chili.

I was planning this as two posts, but the rub was so hot that I was kind of obligated to include a tasty balance to the heat, so I decided to combine everything which culminated in a delicious taco and one of the biggest recipe graphics I have ever made. The step-by-step graphic contains 23 photographs, 6 major steps and 16 ingredients. That’s way bigger than what I usually do but I think it's necessary. If you like fiery food, this is the recipe for you, but if spice isn’t your thing - Use this rub as a substitute.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 12 to 15 tacos; 1 hour
THE RUB
3 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Smoked paprika
2 Tbs Chipotle chili powder
1 Tbs Black pepper
1 Tbs White pepper
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs Onion powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 1/2 lb Skirt steak

THE SALSA
1 1/2 C Tomato diced
1 C Pineapple diced
1 C Red pepper diced
1/2 C Red onion diced
1/2 C Cilantro chopped
Juice from 1 Lime

12 to 15 Flour tortillas

Make rub
In a bowl mix together salt, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, black pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Season, marinate steak
Season and rub spice mixture over surface of skirt steak. Let steak rest for 25 minutes to marinate in spices.

Make Salsa
In a bowl mix together tomato, pineapple, red pepper, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Refrigerate and let mixture rest at least 30 minutes for flavors to meld.

Grill steak
On a prepared grill over medium-high heat cook meat for 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare, turning once during cooking. Let rest at least ten minutes before slicing.

Prepare tortillas
Toast tortillas on grill or microwave on high, wrapped in paper towel for 1 minute.

Assemble tacos
On tortillas place steak and a spoonful of salsa, roll and serve.

Spicy Ramen Pepper Steak

Printable version

I bought a bundle of ramen noodles recently at the Dollar Tree as an impulse buy. I thought it would be fun to incorporate them into a tasty soup or salad. When I was in college I loved ramen noodles, not just because they were cheap, but for their flavor. When I worked at Bloomberg News they offered them for free at the snack bar and it seemed like I  ate a bowl or two a week for the three plus years that I worked there.

I wanted to take these noodles to a new level though. I decided to go with a pepper steak theme.

I started by browning the steak. Once it was just barely cooked through I remove it from the pot and started the aromatics – red pepper, onion, jalapeno, fresh ginger and garlic. Once they were soft I returned the steak to the pot with 5 cups of chicken broth and two tablespoons of sriracha sauce. Yup, TWO tablespoons! I brought it to a simmer, then added three packages of noodles. I threw away the little flavor packets that come with each bundle of noodles. After a few minutes they  were ready to eat, just as if I were making them between classes or returning home for a snack after a night of debauchery back in college.

I couldn’t get enough of this dish. I absolutely destroyed two bowls before I could even get the pictures for this blog done. It was a great beef and noodle dish with a hint of Asian flavor from the ginger. The sriracha added enough heat to give it an addictive quality.

I think this is a great dish for a party and really shows how delicious ramen noodles can be – rather than just a cheap meal for college students.

BEHIND THIS BITE

I learned something about ramen noodles when I made this dish – they don’t stop absorbing liquid. The first bowl of this recipe I consumed was like a soup. The second was more like noodles with a little broth - the next day it was just noodles! All the flavor was there, so nothing was lost - except the heat.
As the noodles soaked up the broth it also soaked up the spice and made it less potent. The first couple of bowls really packed a nice punch with the sriracha, but the next day, with the liquid gone, the heat was really tame. My mom tried a spoonful when it was fresh off the stove and she complained that it was too spicy. She took a container to one of her friends who likes hot stuff. She ate it the next day and had the same experience as me - the heat disappeared with the broth! There was some spice but not like in the beginning. Even I thought it was spicy when I first tried it, and as my family knows, my mild is usually another man’s hellfire - so needless to say, it really had some kick at the start.

I can’t wait to make this dish again, the recipe makes a large amount, so I think it will be a good dish to make for our first get together at the family camp ground – which should be opening in the next few weeks – weather permitting.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Serves 4 to 6; 30 minutes
1 lb Sirloin, sliced thin
2 C Red pepper, chopped
1 C Red onion, diced
1 Jalapeño, seeded, sliced
2 tsp Ginger, minced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
5 C Beef broth
2 Tbs Sriracha
3 packages Ramen noodle, seasoning discarded

Brown steak; Sauté vegetables
In a large pot over medium heat sear steak until just cook through, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove and set aside. Add a little olive oil to pan and sauté onion, red pepper, jalapeno and ginger until soft. 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

Add broth, steak; finish
Add broth, sriracha and return steak to pot. Bring mixture to a simmer. Stir in noodles, break up if desired, return to simmer and cook 3 minutes or until noodles are soft. Remove from heat. Spoon into a bowl, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Steakhouse Pizza

Printable version

A little over a year ago, Carl's Jr and Hardee’s presented their Steakhouse Thickburger to the world, complete with an ad that featured a hamburger god and scantily clad goddesses. It followed a tradition in advertising for the fast food restaurant chain that is designed to attract guys 18 to 34 years old - or guys that like to see hot chicks in skimpy outfits - which is most guys in general.

After speeding to Hardee’s and trying the sandwich, I recreated it here at Behind the Bites. I thought it was a real home run for man burgers.

The burger featured lots of complimentary flavors that could easily be transferred to a pizza, and that is what I have done here.

I use A1 as the sauce which goes well with the steak, but it’s the perfect compliment to the tangy blue cheese. For texture and a slightly sweet flavor, french fried onions are added and everything is bound together with mozzarella cheese.

For the steak, I diced up some thin-sliced sirloin tip before cooking it. This helped tenderize the little chunks and help retain all their moisture after being cooked – none was lost do to slicing. With all of the great flavors working together the steak still shines through as the star of this pie.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I have cooked this pizza a few times in the last year and each time something went wrong which prevented me from being able to document and post what I cooked.

The first time I did this I was using a new camera, the exposures were all completely different and could have been classified as a food-photography disaster.

The second time, which I did a few months later I piled on the ingredients and it really ruined it. I used ground beef instead of steak and it made the pie greasy. Not only was there to much ground beef but there was to much everything. The thin crust I used didn’t hold up and the entire pie could have been classified as a pizza-making disaster.

All this lead to my third attempt, which is what is contained in this post. I got the exposure right, switched to actual steak and was happy with the ingredient amounts. The pizza was delicious and I couldn’t stop eating it. Before I knew it I had eat all but one slice of an entire pie which could have been classified as a healthy-eating disaster.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Make 2 12” pizzas; 30 minutes
2 12” pizza crusts
Divide over crusts
3 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Reserve small amount for final layer
1/2 lb Sirloin steak, cooked, diced
1/2 C French fried onions
1/4 C Blue cheese crumbled
Remaining cheese

Assemble and bake pizza
On pizza crust layer A1, most of the mozzarella, steak, onions, blue cheese and then the remaining mozzarella. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cast Iron New York Strip Dinner

Printable version

The casting of iron started in China in the year 513 B.C. but the technology did not make it to Europe until 1100 A.D. Years later, large cast iron cauldrons began to appear that could be hung over a fire or in a hearth and used for cooking. By the 1800s stoves, pans, and all sorts of cast iron cookware was being produced. Large cast iron pots were essential to pioneers settling the western United States because of their versatility and ease of travel.

For this recipe, I make a steak dinner using one of my cast iron skillets. Five years ago, my last remaining grand parent passed away and I was given her collection of cast iron skillets. The set had been passed to her from her mother. Their exact age is not known but they are my prize kitchen possessions.

Cast iron is an ideal choice for cooking steaks. They distribute heat evenly over their surfaces and are great for searing, which creates a flavorful crust on the surface and seals in juices. This helps make every bite a delicious and succulent treat.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This recipe is not so much about the food as it is about using my cast iron. As I mention in the introduction, they are my prized kitchen possessions, I've been looking forward to the cool weather and cooking more indoors - using the cast iron is one of the reasons. They always remind my of my Grandma Frieda, she was a smart lady who loved her gandkids. I hope that I can one day pass these pots on to some of my own. (Finding a wife to have kids with might be a good start to that though.)

This meal is really simple, I use fresh herbs in the side dishes to punch up flavor. The steak is as minimal as it gets, and that is how I prefer a tender cut - salt, pepper and cooked perfectly. A great cut of steak needs no rub or marinade.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Dinner for 2; 40 minutes
2 (6 to 8 oz) New York strip steaks
1/2 lb Baby bella mushrooms, halved
1 tsp Fresh thyme
Juice from half a Lemon
1 1/2 lb Red potatoes, quartered
1 tsp Fresh rosemary, minced
1 Tbs Olive oil

Season and roast potatoes
In a bowl, toss potatoes in olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400° oven until golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and plate with steaks.

Sear steaks
While potatoes roast, heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until very hot. Season steaks with salt and pepper to taste. Place steaks in pan and sear 4 to 6 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Remove and let rest at least ten minutes.

Cook mushrooms, serve
Reduce heat to medium. While steaks rest, sauté mushrooms until liquid releases 5 to 6 minutes. Add thyme and lemon juice. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes more. On a plate, place steak, top with mushroom and add potatoes on the side.   

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 ...