Father's Day Mexican Grill

On Father's Day I chose to celebrate it by making one of my husband's favorites, Tasajo (Tesajo).  Depending on where you are from in Mexico, there are several versions of this meat.  My husband's family is from Cholula, Puebla, and this is the recipe my sister in law gave me years ago.  Traditionally, this meat is marinated in the chile mixture then hung to dry in the hot desert sun then grilled when ready to eat.  This dish will transport you to Mexico's countryside with your first bite.  Don't be afraid of the chile heat on this one.  Guajillo chiles are mild and don't have the heat that other chiles have.  Serve this with warm tortillas, Mexican Rice, beans, pico de gallo and guacamole.

Tasajo (or Tesajo depending on where you are from ;-)  )
(serves 4-6)

2-3 lbs pork, country-style ribs or thick pork chops or steaks
6-7 guajillo chiles (can be purchased at most supermarkets in the ethnic food section or latino stores)
2 T. roasted ground cumin (McCormick's)
4 cloves garlic
3 T. vinegar
salt to taste

Reconstitute the chiles by placing in bowl and add boiling water over the top and cover.  While chiles are softening, prepare the pork by cutting into long strips.  To make strips, cut in a spiral from the outside in to make long strips of meat.  Place strips in a large ziploc bag.

Once chiles have softened, reserve liquid.  Pull out and discard stems, seeds and inner membrane of chiles.  Place chiles in blender with remaining ingredients and puree for several minutes.  If mixture is too thick add reserved water from chiles to loosen.  Texture should be like thick ketchup consistency.  Taste to ensure enough salt has been added.  Add puree to ziploc bag, seal and make sure all meat strips are coated with marinade.  Marinate meat for up to 24 hours.

Heat grill to medium flame and cook until done.  Serve with warm corn tortillas.

Mexican Rice

2 T. corn or vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. long grain rice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Roma tomato, pureed
3 c. chicken broth

Optional substitution for chicken broth:
3 c. water
1 large cube chicken boullion or 2 small cubes or 1 T. chicken base (omit if using chicken broth)

In medium pot, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add rice and cook until it appears white, stirring constantly.  Add pureed tomato and garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds until liquid has absorbed.  Add chicken broth (or water and bouillon and stir until bouillon has dissolved).  Taste water to ensure that enough salt has been used.

Cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes over medium low heat until water has been absorbed.  Set aside and let rest for 5-10 minutes covered to ensure all remaining liquid is absorbed.   



Pico de Gallo

3 Roma tomatoes
1 large onion
2 jalapenos, seeded and white ribs removed or not, depending on how much heat you want
1 large handful of cilantro (1/2 c. chopped)
juice of half a lime
salt

Dice tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro and add to a bowl and combine.  Add lime juice and salt to taste.

Guacamole

3 avocados
4-5 large spoonfuls of pico de gallo
salt to taste

Cut avocados in half, remove seed and spoon out inner flesh into bowl.  Mash with a fork and mix in pico de gallo till combined.  Salt to taste.

Finger-licking goodness

I am so blessed to have a brother that is a foodie like me.  His area of expertise is barbeque.  Nothing says home to me like falling off the bone ribs with sauce dripping off your chin.  Jeremy has always been a great cook, however, he has mastered the art of the grill.  He has been competing professionally on the BBQ circuit competitions and have won a few.  And let me tell you, that is one tough crowd to beat.  Lucky for me, he has given me an all access backstage pass to his secrets that I will share with you.  Here are his secrets to perfect St. Louis-style ribs.  Get your bibs and napkins ready!

Jeremy's Spare Ribs

Step 1.  Watch this video on how to prepare your ribs.  Rib Video


Step 2.  Once you trim and prepare your ribs.  Season ribs on all sides with Rib Rub Seasoning.  Place on baking sheet and cover overnight in refrigerator.

Rib Rub Seasoning

2 T. kosher or sea salt
1 T. pepper
1 T. granulated garlic (not powder)
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder (if you can't find powder then take a  whole dried chipotle and grind it in a spice or coffee grinder)
3 T. McCormick's Grill Mate Pork Rub


Step 3.  Prep the smoker
I initially tried smoking on my gas grill.  Not such a great idea.  It does not allow the smoke to be trapped in the grill to properly penetrate the meat.  Use a kettle style grill like Weber or any type of regular smoker.

Soak Apple, Cherry or Pecan wood chips in water for 30 minutes.  Drain water and make a package out of heavy duty foil for your wood chips and vent top by making a few 2 inch slits with knife, or use smoker box if you have it.  Once your smoker is at temperature you will put this package directly on the coals or heat source.  Meanwhile, prepare your smoker by regulating the temperature to a steady 225-250 degrees.  IMPORTANT!!!  USE AN OVEN THERMOMETER TO REGULATE YOUR HEAT.  Grill and smoker thermometers are usually always off.  It is imperative that you get the right temp to ensure the best results.  If using a grill, make sure you are setting the coals to one side for indirect heat.

Step 4.  Place meat on smoker and relax
Do not put your meat directly over your heat source.  This will char your meat.  If you realize that you don't have enough grill space for your ribs you can use a grill rack that stands the ribs on the side to conserve grill space or form your ribs into a circle and secure with toothpicks and stand on their side.  Smoke your meat for 6-7 hours or until the meat starts to pull away from the bone, exposing the bare bone on the end.  Baste ribs during the last 30 minutes of cooking with a BBQ sauce such as Head Country.  For those of you who live up north and can't get this one, find a sauce that is mostly a tomato and vinegar base as the first 2 ingredients.  Sauces that use high-fructose corn syrup as the main ingredient will result in a gummy sauce once smoked.  I found that Dinosaur Original BBQ sauce worked well for me which was available at my local Walmart here in upstate NY.

Step 5.  Let your meat rest for about 15 minutes.
Once cooled, cut ribs into individual pieces, serve with your favorite BBQ sauce and enjoy!

I realize that this may seem like a lot of work but trust me, it is worth every minute when you sink your teeth into this finger-licking goodness.

Stay tuned for more BBQ recipes and sides to go with this.

Memorial Day

For the last 11 years I have had to work many holidays, including Memorial Day weekend.  Memories of times at the lake, BBQing, spending time with family and celebrating the holiday still linger in the back of my mind.  This weekend was no different than the previous ten years.  To celebrate at work, the team leads were asked to bring side dishes that went well with the typical BBQ fare.  This is what I brought and hope you all enjoy trying these recipes.  By the way, I am so looking forward to spending the entire 4th of July weekend off.  WHAT A TREAT!!!  Stay tuned for what comes next!

Corn Casserole

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 cups shredded Cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Thanks Paula Deen!

Patriotic Berry Trifle

1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 premade angel food cake, cut into 1-inch slices
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
2 pints blueberries
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced 

Heat 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.

Brush both sides of each slice of cake with the syrup. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.

Beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Add the cream and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and the consistency of whipped cream.


Arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a decorative pattern. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Thank Sunny Anderson

Vietnamese-style Bahn Mi Burgers

This is a spin on the favorite Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwiches.  They are packed with flavor and a great change up on the traditional burger.

Bun-Mi Vietnamese-style Burgers

For the Sauce:
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons Tamari sauce
2 tablespoons Siracha hot sauce
For the Slaw:
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into matchsticks
4 large radishes, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white wine or rice vinegar
1 round teaspoon sea salt
For the Burgers:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/4 pound bologna, chopped then finely ground in a food processor
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger root, peeled and grated
Salt and lots of black pepper
Drizzle of vegetable oil
Brioche or other burger rolls, split and lightly toasted
Buttery lettuce leaves, such as Bibb or Boston, etc.
Mint leaves and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Combine sauce ingredients in small pot and warm over low heat.

For the slaw, add carrots, cucumber and radishes to a bowl. Combine water, sugar, vinegar and salt in a saucepot and heat to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over slaw, toss salad and chill or reserve at room temp.

For the burgers, combine meats with garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Form 4 patties. Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook burgers 10-12 minutes, turning once. Bathe them in sauce during the last minute of cooking

Pile burgers on buns and top with lettuce, mint, cilantro and slaw.

Thanks Rachael Ray!

Chicken Marsala

An easy, elegant meal that tastes like you have spent hours making it.

Chicken Marsala

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Emeril's Essence
2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Marsala
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste.

Thank you Emeril!

Amy's Wedge Salad

I can never get enough of this salad and neither can my husband.  He requests this quite often and ALWAYS orders it when we go out to eat.  Yes the picture has a lot of dressing and a lot of balsamic reduction, but once you taste it, you will understand why.  YUM!

Wedge Salad

1 quarter wedge iceberg lettuce
2 slices Applewood smoked bacon, cooked
4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved
bleu cheese dressing (see recipe below)
balsamic reduction (see recipe below)

Assemble salad by placing wedge of lettuce on plate, topping with bleu cheese dressing, criss-crossing the bacon over the top and scattering tomatoes around plate.  Drizzle the balsamic reduction around plate.

Bleu Cheese Dressing


6 ounces bleu cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Mash softened cheese with fork in a bowl. Whisk in the cream, mayo and sour cream into cheese, the consistency should be smooth with an occasional small bit of blue. Mix in remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Balsamic Reduction

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Add balsamic vinegar to small saucepan and simmer until reduced by half.  Add in brown sugar and cook until it slightly thickens and lightly coats the back of a spoon.  Reduction will continue to thicken a bit once it has cooled.

Key Lime Pie

This is one of my summer dessert favorites.  This recipe is an easy one that will give you perfect results every time.

Key Lime Pie

2 cups sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup lime juice
1 graham cracker pie shell
whipping cream


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  With a hand-held mixer or whisk, combine condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice.  Pour into pie shell and bake in oven on middle rack for 20 minutes or until filling jiggles only slightly when shaken.  Cover pie and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.  Top with whipping cream.