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CHORIZO, BLACK BEAN & CORN SALSA in TORTILLA SCOOP
This recipe is courtesy of executive chef Christopher Daigler at Encore Restaurant, Buffalo, NY.
1lb fresh Spar's chorizo sausage, uncased
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh shallots
3 ears fresh corn (husked & kernels removed)
1/2 large red onion, finely diced
1 can Goya premium black beans
1/4 c. chopped fresh green onions
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 bag of Tostitos tortilla scoops
Render sausage in a pan on medium heat. Add olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, shallot, corn and red onion.
Once sausage is fully cooked and vegetables are translucent, remove from heat and place in mixing bowl. Drain and rinse black beans and add to the sausage mixture. Add green onions and cilantro.
Mix thoroughly and place into the tortilla scoops.
1lb Stew Beef 1 c. dry white wine
1/4 lb Spar's double smoked bacon 1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 medium onion 1/4 lb. mushrooms
1 tbsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika 1 tbsp. lard or vegetable oil
1/2 c. water 1 c. sour cream
a pinch freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
a pinch caraway seeds
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram, crumbled
Make sure that beef is cut int 1/2 inch cubes. Finely chop separately bacon and onion. In a 4-quart heavy kettle cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring until crisp. Add onion and cook until softened. Stir in paprika and water and simmer 5 minutes. Add beef, pepper, caraway seeds, marjoram and 1/2 cup wine and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Cut pork into 1/2 cubes. Add pork, remaining 1/2 cup wine and salt to taste and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
Quarter mushrooms. In a skillet cook mushrooms in lard or oil over moderate heat, stirring, until just tender, about 5 minutes and add to stew.
Just before serving, in a bowl whisk together sour cream and flour until smooth and stir into stew. Simmer stew, stirring 5 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
BRAZILIAN-STYLE BLACK BEAN STEW
2 1/2 quarts water 1/2 c. long-grain rice
2 lb. (about 4 cups) dried black beans, picked over, 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh coriander
soaked in water to cover by 2 inches overnight 1/3 c. fresh orange juice
and drained well) Warm flour tortillas as an accompaniment
6 slices of double smoked bacon, chopped fine if desired.
1 lb lean stew beef, cut into 1"pieces
1 lb double smoked Spar's Chorizo, cut into 1-inch
thick pieces.
1/2 lb Spar's Tasso Ham, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
a 28 oz. can tomatoes, drained well & chopped
2 tbsp. minced seeded fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers,
or to taste (wear rubber gloves!)
Tabasco to taste
1/2 lb. fresh kale, coarse stems discarded and the
leaves washed well and chopped fine
In a large heavy kettle bring the water to a boil and stir in the beans and the lean bacon. Bring the mixture to a boil, skimming the mixture to a boil, skimming the froth, and simmer it, covered, for 45 minutes. Stir in the beef and simmer the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally and skimming the fat for 45 minutes. Stir in the smoked Chorizo and the Tasso ham, simmer the mixture, covered for 30 minutes or until the beans are tender and skim the fat from the surface.
In a large skillet cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, stir in the tomatoes, the jalapeno peppers, the Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Transfer 2 cups of the beans with a slotted spoon from the kettle to the skillet and mash them thoroughly into the onion mixture, adding 2 cups of the bean liquid gradually.. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until it is thickened and transfer it to the kettle. Stir in the kale and the rice, simmer the mixture. stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and stir in the coriander, the orange juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve the stew with the tortillas. Serves 8.
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PORK MEDALLIONS WITH SPICED TOMATO PAN GRAVY |
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pork tenderloin (about 3/4#), cut crosswise into 1-inch thick medallions
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. canned tomato juice
1/2 c. water
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Buttered broad noodles as an accompaniment
In a large heavy skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it brown the pork, patted dry, transferring it as it is browned to a plate. In the fat remaining in the skillet cook the onion and the garlic over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is golden, add the tomato puree, the water, the nutmeg, the coriander and the cloves, and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes. Stir in the pork and any juices that have accumulated on the plate and simmer the mixture, covered for 5 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through. Season the pan gravy with salt and pepper and serve it with the pork over the noodles
Serves 2 (can be doubled)
SMOKED TURKEY SANDWICHES WITH GERMAN BLEU CHEESE
2 large red onions, cut into 1/3 - inch thick slices
Olive oil
(to make things easier, use raw onions)
1 cup crumbled German bleu cheese
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
8 slices of bread (your choice)
8 racicchio leaves
3/4 pound sliced smoked Spar's turkey breast
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Prepare barbecue ( medium-high heat) or preheat griddle pan over medium high heat. Brush onion with olive oil. Grill until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper; cool.
Mix cheese, sour cream and thyme in small bowl to blend. Season generously with pepper. Spread cheese mixture oer 4 bread slices. Top cheese with grilled onions, radicchio then turkey. Spread mustard on remaining 4 bread slices; place atop turkey. Press sandwiches lightly to compact. Cut sandwiches in half, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Serve with Spar's German Potato salad, or a fruit salad. Enjoy- makes 4 sandwiches.
Bon Appetit’s 10 Best Tips for a Perfectly Grilled
Steak
Commit to these rules and you won’t need to rely on
your watch or even a recipe.
1. LET IT WARM UP – Take
the steak out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature about an hour
before you cook it. If you skip
this point you’re likely to have a charred piece of what was once a beautiful
piece of meat, whose inside is mostly grey and a touch red in the middle. Yuck.
2. CONSIDER THE THICKNESS –
One and-a-half to two inches is not some arbitrary measurement when it comes to
hefty cuts like rib eye or New York strip. Rather, this thickness ensures that your steak will achieve
the perfect char on the outside just as the interior reaches the ideal
temperature.
3. SALT, SALT AND SALT
AGAIN – A few hours before you grill, lightly sprinkle both sides of the steak
with salt; put it on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. The salt helps the cells retain water,
guaranteeing juicy meat. Before
placing it on the grill, pat dry with paper towels, and generously salt the
meat again. (Use kosher salt, the
bigger grains make for a superior crust.)
Finally, pass some fleur de sel at the table to sprinkle over the sliced
steak for more flavor.
4. CRACK YOUR OWN PEPPER –
Pepper not only adds an element of spice to steak, it also adds crunch. You want a combination of fine, medium
and big pieces. To achieve this,
pour whole peppercorns in a resealable plastic bag and crush them with a heavy
skillet. (Work out some
frustrations!)
5. BUILD A TWO-ZONE FIRE -
You want a not-so-hot side to finish the cooking. If you’ve got a gas grill, that’s easy: Keep one burner on low while the others
go full blast. If you’re cooking
over coals, use your tongs to build a ramp of embers climbing up to one side of
the grill to create high-low control.
6. FEEL THE HEAT – How do
you know when the coals are ready? Once the flames have died down and the coals
are glowing orange, use the 2-2 rule: Put your hand two inches above the
hottest part of the coals. If you
can hold it there for two seconds—no more, no less—you’re good to grill.
7. CONTROL FLARE UPS –
Dripping fat plus hot coals = scorched, carcinogenic steak. Don’t use a spritz bottle of water t
douse the flames; you’ll kick up ash.
And putting the lid on the frill won’t smother the fire fast
enough. To get that rib eye out of
harm’s way, gently slide it to a flare-free area with tongs until the fire
subsides. (If you throw the meat around, you’ll shake out more fat and start
another fire.)
8. USE REAL CHARCOAL –
Hardwood lump charcoal burns hotter and faster than manufactured
briquettes. It doesn’t matter if
you use oak or mesquite, as long as it looks like it came from a tree and not
construction scraps. You want your
steak to taste faintly of smoke, not chemicals.
9. END THE GUESSING – A temperature
of 125 degrees means medium rare.
Instant-read thermometers guarantee you’ll get it right.
10. LET THE MEAT REST – Ten
minutes of calm does wonders for a steak – no foil tent needed. Fibers relax. Juices spread.
Colors are recalibrated and flavors retained. Think of it as a disco nap for protein. Remember: Patience is a virtue and your
perfectly grilled steak will be your reward.
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