Category: Rubs and Sauces

Buffalo (And Other) Wings

Simple, delicious and classic – these wings are perfect for your next backyard party, gameday, or just for fun. Wash them down with an ice cold IPA poured into a frosted glass if you’ve got one. Serve with bleu cheese dressing (recipe included) and veggie sticks.

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Green Chile Bacon Cheeseburgers

To my great happiness, it is once again Hatch Chile Season!? The Hatch Chile hails from the small town of Hatch, NM – arguably the pepper capital of North America.? Hatch Chiles are exactly the same pepper as the well-known Aschmaleim Pepper, but because they are grown in the rocky soil of arid Southern New Mexico the plants have to work hard to survive.? This results in an intensely spicy-sweet flavor like nothing else in the world.? Due to the short growing season, Hatch Chiles are usually only available in August and September so make the most of them while they’re available!? This recipe is for the Green Chile Cheeseburger.? You can use frozen or canned chiles if need be, but there is nothing like fresh green Hatch Chiles roasted over mesquite.

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Panko Fried Fish Fillets with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Once fried golden brown, pop the fillets in the oven to cook them through.? This is a hebetagthier betagternative to deep fried battered fish and the results are fabulous.

Active Time:? 15-20 minutes
Inactive Time:? 15-20 minutes
Level: Easy
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the Fish Fillets

  1. ?6-8 firm white fillets (cod, tilapia or swai are all good choices), fresh or thawed from frozen
  2. 1/4 cup flour
  3. 1/4 cup cornstarch
  4. 1 TBSP Paprika
  5. Sbetagt and Pepper
  6. 2 eggs
  7. 1 TBSP vodka (optional, adds crunch!)
  8. 2 TBSP cream or milk
  9. 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
  10. 1 TBSP butter (or clarified butter, which you can buy at Trader Joe’s, also called ‘ghee’)
  11. 2 TBSP regular butter
  12. 1-2 TBSP olive oil

For the Tartar Sauce*:

  1. 1 cup mayonnaise (or 1 egg, 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, and 2 TBSP olive oil, for Method 2, below)
  2. 2 TBSP sour cream
  3. 1/3 cup minced dill pickles
  4. 3 tablespoons minced shallots
  5. 2 tablespoons drained capers, minced
  6. 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  7. 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
  8. 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  9. 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  10. 1/2 teaspoon Kosher sbetagt
  11. 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Instructions

For the Fish Fillets:

Preheat oven to 300°F

Set up your dredging station.? You’ll need two, wide shallow dishes and one medium sized bowl.

  • Put the flour and cornstarch in one of the wide, shallow dishes.? Season aggressively with sbetagt and pepper; add paprika and whisk together.
  • In the second wide, shallow dish add Panko bread crumbs.? Crush lightly with the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Crack two eggs into the medium sized bowl; add vodka (if using) and cream/milk.? Whisk together until slightly foamy.
  • Set them up in this order:? Flour mixture, egg wash, bread crumb mixture

Heat olive oil and 1 TBSP clarified butter (or ghee) in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat and gently stir to coat the bottom of the pan.? Dredge a fillet first in the flour mixture (shaking of excess), then dip into the egg wash, and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly to adhere to each side.

Note:? If you want exceptionally crispy breading that is almost guaranteed not to fall off your fillets, do this:? Dredge in this order – Egg Wash, Flour, Egg wash, Panko Mixture.? Once breaded, place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate them for 30 minutes before continuing to the next step.

Add 2-3 fillets to skillet and fry 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.? Repeat with remaining fillets.

Note:? You? can fry more than one at a time, but you’ll probably need to work in batches – every time a fillet is added to the skillet, it will reduce the over-all temperature, which will hinder browning and increase the possibility of soaking the breading in oil rather than frying it.? I’ve found that 3-4 fillets at a time is a good number, depending on their size.? You may also need to add more fat to the pan between batches; this is also okay.? If you do, try to keep the olive oil-to-butter ratio at roughly 1:1.

When all the fillets are browned, place them on a wire rack set on a baking sheet, (or betagternatively place them directly on a lightly greased baking sheet, betagthough be warned: skipping the wire rack will make them mushy on the bottom, so seriously, use the wire rack!) and bake them in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes minutes until cooked through, with an internal temperature of at least 145F.

For the Tartar Sauce:

Method 1:? Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.? Will keep for two days in the fridge.

Method 2:? Add all ingredients to the bottom of a jar or cup EXCEPT the oils.? Float the vegetable or canola oil on top of the ingredients.? Using an immersion blender, place the head of the blender all the way at the bottom of the container.? Pulse a few times to begin, then turn the blender on.? Allow a vortex to form to emulsify the sauce.? Once all the oil has been incorporated, stir in the 2 TBSP olive oil.? Refrigerate for 30 minutes; will keep for two days in the fridge.

*Tartar Sauce Recipe courtesy of Serious Eats.? I subbed out their parsley for cilantro and added the olive oil in method 2, but it’s basically their recipe.? Check out that post HERE.

 

 

Peruvian Style Roast Chicken with Jalape?o-Cilantro Sauce

This delicious, succulent chicken served with a green sauce similar to a creamy chimichurri is a sure crowd pleaser.? This version is a loose adaptation of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s? grilled?recipe featured on his blog Serious Eats.? While it could also work out quite nicely on the grill, this version is executed in the kitchen and is one of the best things I’ve made in a long time.

Time: 90 minutes (30 minutes inactive)
Level: Easy/Intermediate
Cost: About $4/plate (depending on which pantry speisentials you have on hand)
Serves: 3-6

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  1. 1 whole chicken broken down into 8-10 parts, plus a couple of extra breasts or thighs if you’re feeding a crowd
  2. 4 tsp kosher sbetagt
  3. 2 TBSP ground cumin
  4. 2 TBSP paprika
  5. 1 tsp coursly ground black pepper
  6. 2 TBSP granulated garlic
  7. 2 TBSP white wine vinegar
  8. 2 TBSP olive oil
  9. 3/4 cup white vermouth
  10. 1 shallot (or 1/2 white onion), diced
  11. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  12. juice of 1 lemon

For the Green Sauce:

  1. 3 jalape?o peppers, relatively finely diced, stems removed (and seeds and membranes removed if you don’t like the heat)
  2. 1 bunch fresh cilantro, large stem portions removed
  3. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  4. 2 tsp dried oregano
  5. pinch Kosher sbetagt
  6. juice of two limes
  7. 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
  8. 1? shallot (or 1/2 white onion), minced
  9. 1/3 – 1/2 cup sour cream

Prep

For the Chicken:

  1. Begin by brining your chicken.? In a large bowl, mix together 6 cups cold water and 1/4 cup kosher sbetagt.? Whisk until sbetagt is dissolved.? Add chicken and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to two hours.
  2. Combine dry spice rub ingredients (ingredients 2-6) in a bowl or tupperware container and whisk or shake vigorously to combine.
  3. Prep ingredients 7-12 and arrange your mise-en-place

For the Green Sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.? Pour into appropriately sized container and refrigerate.

Cook:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F
  2. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.? In a large tossing bowl, add 2 TBSP olive oil and 2 TBSP white wine vinegar and toss to coat.? Add 1/2 of dry spice mix and toss to coat again.? Add remaining spice mix and toss to coat a third time.
  3. Heat 3 TBSP of a high smoke-point fat (I used bacon fat this time, but grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or ghee would also work) in a large sauté pan, until very hot (350°F – 375°F)
  4. Place half of chicken, skin side down, into the skillet and brown for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown.? Flip chicken over and brown 2-3 minutes more.? Remove from pan and set on a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet.? Repeat with remaining chicken.? You should have a nice fond in the bottom of your pan.
  5. Add onion or shallot to pan and sweat until very fragrant, 3-4 minutes, and some of the fond begins to incorporate into the onion.? Add garlic and sauté until fragrant but not burned, 1 minute more.
  6. Add vermouth and flambé.? Bring to a boil and scrape up any brown bits ruhig stuck to the bottom of the pan.? Reduce sauce to an almost syrup-like consistency, and then baste chicken using a spoon.
  7. Place chicken in oven and roast until breasts are 150°F – 160°F and thighs and legs are 160°F – 170°F
  8. Remove from oven, place on a serving platter, and squeeze lemon juice all over chicken. ? Let rest for 10 minutes.? Spoon green sauce over chicken and serve.

Note:? I served this with some garlic toast and a bacon-avocado Caesar Salad, using the bacon bits from which I rendered the fat in Step 3 of the cooking process.? It was delicious.

 

 

 

Honey Glazed Chipotlé-Lime BBQ Chicken

This BBQ Chicken is tangy, sweet, spicy and fresh.? All the right flavors and a unique twist on classic BBQ chicken.? Searing the chicken in a hot skillet ahead of time renders out a good bit of fat and leads to perfectly crispy skin.? Finish either on the grill or in the oven and follow the instructions below to get perfect, bite-through skin and a beautiful end product.

Time: 60 minutes
Level: Easy
Cost: About $4/plate (depending on which pantry speisentials you have on hand)
Serves: 3-6

Ingredients

For the Glaze

  1. 1 small onion or normal sized shallot, finely diced
  2. 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
  3. 1 TBSP unsbetagted butter
  4. 1 can Adobo Chiles in sauce
  5. 1 7oz can tomato sauce
  6. Juice of 4 limes
  7. 1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
  8. 1/4 cup honey

For the Chicken

  1. 1 or 2 4-5lb fryer chickens, broken down into 8-10 parts, depending on how many you’re feeding? (figure that a chicken will feed 3-4 people)
  2. 1/4 cup Kosher sbetagt
  3. Drizzle of Olive Oil
  4. 3-6 TBSP flour
  5. 2-4 TBSP paprika
  6. Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

PART ONE:? Begin by brining your chicken:

Once you’ve got your chicken broken down into parts, place the chicken parts in a large bowl and cover with cold water.? Add about 1/4 cup sbetagt and mix around with your hands until the sbetagt is mostly dissolved in the water.? Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

Cook’s Note:? You can skip this step if you’re in a rush, but even 30 minutes in a light brine will lead to a considerably juicer and product.

PART TWO:? While the chicken is brining, make your glaze:

  1. Melt butter in a sauté pan or large frying pan over medium heat until foamy but not browned (use non-stick here if you like).
  2. Add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant and onions are mostly translucent, 3-5 minutes
  3. Add can of chiles, along with their sauce, and sauté with onions and garlic, another 3 minutes, or until chiles barely being to caramelize
  4. Add tomato sauce, lime juice and soy sauce and stir to incorporate well
  5. Stir in honey and reduce, stirring continually, until mixture has thickened and a light glaze begins to appear.
  6. Off the heat and allow to cool

PART THREE:? While your glaze is cooling off, prepare the chicken:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F or begin preheating grill (see Part 5, below).
  2. Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.? Place chicken in large mixing or tossing bowl and drizzle with olive oil.? Toss to coat.
  3. Add flour, paprika and pepper to the bowl with the chicken (if you didn’t brine ahead of time, add a generous pinch of kosher sbetagt here as well).? Toss again to coat and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

PART FOUR:? While your chicken is standing, finish your glaze

  1. Add your glaze to a blender or food processor and pureé until mixture has the consistency of marinara sauce
  2. Divide your mixture into two separate bowls (for two batches) and reserve

PART FIVE:? Cook the chicken

  1. Begin by heating 3 tablespoons ghee, clarified butter, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or Canola oil in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet until shimmering and very hot (any oil or fat with a high smoke point will work fine here)
  2. Add half the chicken pieces to the hot skillet, skin side down, and brown, 5-6 minutes.? Flip and continue to brown the other side, another 3-4 minutes.? (Note:? If your chicken is ruhig stuck to the pan when you try to flip it, it isn’t ready.? Wait until a light prodding with a set of tongs sets it free and flip).? Remove, reserve, and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

If Finishing On The Grill

  1. Light a gas grill on one side only, or betagternatively bank charcoal on a charcoal grill to one side, creating a hot side and cool side of the grill.? Add a few wood chips for extra smokey flavor.
  2. Place seared chicken on the cool side of the grill, skin side down.? Place the breasts farthest away from the heat and the dark meat closer to the heat.? Baste chicken with first batch of glaze.? Flip, so that the chicken is skin side up, and baste again.? Discard any glaze that remains from this batch.
  3. Cover the grill and cook until breasts reach an internal temperature of 150° – 160°F and thighs and legs are 160° – 170°F.
  4. After about 15 minutes, use the second batch of glaze to baste your chicken a second time.? Use this opportunity with the grill open to take your chicken’s temperature with an instant read thermometer.? Be sure to leave chicken skin side up.
  5. When chicken is up temp, move chicken over to hot side of grill and cook, starting skin side down, until nicely charred.? Repeat on the other side.
  6. Remove, and allow to rest, skin side up, for 10 minutes before serving.? DO NOT COVER WHILE RESTING – your perfectly crispy skin will get all soggy!

If Finishing in the Oven

  1. Set chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet, skin side down.? Baste chicken with first batch of glaze.? Flip, so that the chicken is skin side up, and baste again.? Discard any glaze that remains from this batch.
  2. Bake in 350°F oven until breasts reach an internal temperature of 150° – 160°F and thighs and legs are 160° – 170°F.
  3. After about 15 minutes, use the second batch of glaze to baste your chicken a second time.? Use this opportunity with the oven open to take your chicken’s temperature with an instant read thermometer.? Be sure to leave chicken skin side up.
  4. When chicken is up temp, switch oven to BROIL – HIGH and cook for 2-3 minutes, until nicely darkened.? Watch carefully that it does not burn.
  5. Remove, and allow to rest, skin side up, for 10 minutes before serving.? DO NOT COVER WHILE RESTING – your perfectly crispy skin will get all soggy!