Enlightenment on sumac


Any time you mention sumac you think of poison sumac also known as poison oak. Sumac while related to poison oak is related to the sumac spice. Sumac is the berry from a shrubby little plant growing in the middle east and parts of Italy. The spice looks black, but the berries when fresh are a brick red. You can buy them ground or whole dried berries. The leaves and bark of the plant was used for tanning leather. It is tart rather astringent and has been used as a souring agent. The spice is rather delicious on grilled meats, fish, ligumes, veggies and even rice. If you’d like to try using it, it can be found in any well stocked middle eastern market place.

Middle eastern grilled monkfish with flat bread dip

2 monkfish filet (about 2 pounds)
4 Tablespoons ground sumac
8 Teaspoons toasted sesame seed
8 Tablespoons thyme
2 Teaspoon fine pink himilayan salt
olive oil to coat fish filets

Wash the monkfish filets under cold water. Find and trim off the blue membrain as it’s inedible. Coat monkfish in olive oil and dredge in the remaining spices. Place on grill of a medium heat (it is ready when you hold your hand 1 inch off the grate and count 1 mississippi, 2 mississippi, 3 mississippi, ouch). Allow to cook 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Flat bread dip

1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sumac

whisk together and enjoy with a bread of your choosing.

The don of meatloaf


One thing I realized my site does not have is my meatloaf recipe. It is the don of meatloaves. There’s lots of goodies in it. Bits of bacon mixed in, there’s chunks of feta, olives, onions and garlic.

 

Soak the sliced italian bread in the milk for several minutes in a large mixing bowl. While it is soaking turn the oven onto 200 degrees F.  Place the ground meat, garlic bacon, eggs, salts, pepper, parsley, cheeses, olives, and onions into the soaked bread. Mix by hand until it all comes together and is well mixed. Turn out onto pan and shape into 4 loaves. (I have a cooling rack that is nothing more then a chunk of 1/4 inch thick steel with 1/3 inch holds drilled in it. I place it over a turkey roasting pan 1/2 full of water. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS.) Place into oven and let cook 8-12 hours. After the 8-12 hours has passed apply your favorite sauce ontop of meatloaves and turn to 350 degrees F and allow to bake for another 15 to 30 minutes.

When it is done it will be sticky on the outside, and so moist and tender inside that you can microwave it the next day and not have it dry out on you which most meat loaves others have made for me tend to do. The onions will be clear, the garlic soft and delicious, the bacon flimsy yet delicious. The best thing of all, it’s a great meal that one can cook all day. No longer do you have to rush to get a meatloaf done, you can set it, and forget it.

Typically I use a apple bbq sauce with burbon in it.

Red Eye Santa Maria tri-tip or steak rub


I love my meat expecially for labor day.  Delicious on tri tips or steaks. Tri-tip comes from the bottom sirloin. Absolutely delicious. If one cannot find a tri-tip  then look for a 2 inch thick or greater well marbled sirloin steak, or london broil.

Throw the above into a bowl and whisk it togther with a wire whisk.  Place the meat on a flat pan and rub the seasoning on all sides until well covered. I like to sear the tri-tip on all sides then put it on a red oak fire indirect heat with an aluminum pan under it to catch the drippings.  I try to keep the grill at 250 for 20-40 minutes. I check the internal temp with a meat thermometer to make sure it’s at that 120 degrees (rare), 140 for medium.  I then remove from the grill tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. I do not trim the tri-tip at all and tend to cook with the fat side up so it bastes it’s self in it’s own juices. I then gather the juices and make a gravy. Absolutely delicious and tender, you can do the same thing with a steak on the grill or go even further with chicken.

To the dads, grilled mac and cheese


Well father’s day is upon us. With this in mind I thought of a simple yet delicious recipe that dads would love. I’m thinking  grilled mac and cheese with chorizo, fire roasted onions, chiles and corn, maybe some left over on some grilled bread for a great sandwich!
Father’s day grilled mac and cheese

Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
2 cups (about 8 ounces) elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 ears sweet corn, shucked
1 medium red onion, peeled and quartered
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 New Mexican green chiles or Anaheim or California peppers, or
2 to 4 poblano peppers
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half-and-half, light cream, or milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated smoked cheese, preferably smoked Cheddar, smoked pepperjack, or equal amounts of both
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (preferably homemade)
6 ounces crumbled spanish chorizo

A cast iron skillet, aluminum foil roasting pan or drip pan, or grill-proof baking dish (about 9 by 12 inches), sprayed or brushed with oil; 2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory); soaked for 1 hour in mock burbon/water to cover (1 cup water to 1 tablespoon vanilla makes 1 cup mock burbon), then drained

Bring 8 quarts of lightly salted water to a rapid boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the macaroni in a large colander, rinse with cold water until cool, and drain again. Toss the macaroni with the oil to prevent sticking.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.

When ready to cook, lightly brush the corn and onion with half of the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Place chorizo in a small metal pan and brown after putting the corn and onion on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side (8 to 12 minutes in all) for the corn, and 3 to 4 minutes per side (9 to 12 minutes in all) for the onion, turning with tongs as needed. Add the chiles and peppers to the hot grate and grill until the skins are charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side (6 to 10 minutes in all) for the New Mexican chiles, or 3 to 5 minutes per side (12 to 20 minutes in all) for the poblano peppers, and 4 to 6 minutes per side (16 to 24 minutes in all) for the bell peppers. Transfer the corn, chorizo and onion to a cutting board and let cool.

Transfer the grilled chiles and bell peppers to a baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes (the steam trapped by the plastic wrap helps loosen the skin from the peppers). Scrape the skin off the cooled peppers, then core and seed them.

Cut the corn kernels off the cobs using lengthwise strokes of a sharp butcher knife. Thinly slice the onion quarters crosswise. Cut the chiles and peppers into 1/4-inch dice.

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until soft but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and grilled onion, chorizo, chiles, and bell peppers. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the half-and-half and increase the heat to high. Let the mixture boil for 3 minutes, stirring well; it should thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mustard and cooked macaroni, followed by the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; the mixture should be highly seasoned. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into the cast iron skillet or oiled aluminum foil pan. Sprinkle the top of the macaroni with the bread crumbs and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter over the bread crumbs.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium-high. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium-high, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks, if desired, on the coals.

When ready to cook, place the macaroni and cheese in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat, and cover the grill. Cook the macaroni and cheese until the sauce is bubbly and the top is crusty and brown, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with dad’s favorite beer, a grilled meat that he likes, and some grilled potatoes with gravy. What better way to say we love you dad then a whole meal made on the grill for him?

Maybe slap some on some nice toasted garlic bread for a sandwich.

Amish style potato salad


Well I’m sorry I haven’t been posting much. Life has been getting into the way. I’ve also been sleeping really odd hours. So going to try to bang out a few recipes a week now rather then every day till things become normal.

 

2 beaten egg
1 cup honey
2 tbsp. corn flour
1 cup water
1 cup apple vinegar
4 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Combine in the order given, stirring after each addition. Boil until thick. Cool before adding to the potatoes to make Amish potato salad.

Grilled salmon with lemon mint butter


I love lemon, I love mint, and I love butter on my grilled salmon. It’s just lovely.

 

  • 6 (6-oz) pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest
  • 6 tablespoons lemon mint butter (recipe below)

Lemon mint butter

  • 1 1/2 teaspons lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon mint diced
  • 6 tablespoons butter

To make lemon mint butter, slowly melt butter add mint and lemon juice and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Shut off heat and keep warm.

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Season salmon all over with salt and pepper, then grill, flesh sides down, on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using gas grill) 4 minutes. Check for grill marks, then turn fillets over and grill indirect heat (covered only if using gas grill) until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Once done remove from grill leaving skin behind, sprinkle with lemon mint butter and your ready to enjoy.

Porcellum Assum Tractomelinum


Roast Suckling Pig with a Pastry and Honey Stuffing Or Porcellum Assum Tractomelinum in latin.

1 whole suckling pig
3 tbsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup honey
2 1/2 cups red wine
2 bayleaves
1.5 lb dried pastry, flaked (They used some stale danishs)

Clean and gut the suckling pig through the neck then set aside. Combine the black pepper, honey, wine and bayleaves in a pan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then take off the heat and remove the bayleaf. Work in the crumbled pastry, stirring until the mixture is thick and the blend is smooth. Pour the mixture through the neck of the suckling pig then bind closed with skewers and cover with foil. Sit on a rack in a roasting tin then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 430°F and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 320°F and continue roasting for 50 minutes per kg, or until the skin is crisp and the meat is thoroughly cooked (check that the meat juices run clear by piercing in the thickest part of the roast). Remove the pig from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, carve and serve.

It was very delicious. It was served to me by a greek couple in the neighborhood who invited my babes and I to dinner to thank me for turning a few of their hogs into sausage for them. It was very very good. So good I had to share. It was moist, tender, the stuffing was flavorful and also decently moist.

Porchetta di ariccia


Porchetta stuffed with cracked pepper at Cafe ...

Porchetta stuffed with black pepper via wikipedia

Freshly translated from italian to english, and ready to share. (Translated from Atlante Dei Prodotti Tipici, Isalumi, Insor – Istituto Nazionale Di Soialogica Rurale by Prefazione Di Camillo De Fabritiis and Introduzione di Corrado Barberis )

Porchetta is a roast of a kind. It is a very savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast. The body of the pig is gutted, deboned, arranged carefully with layers of stuffing, meat, fat, and skin, then rolled, spitted, and roasted, traditionally over wood. The Porchetta is usually heavily salted in addition to being stuffed with garlic, rosemary, fennel, or other herbs, usually wild.

Porchetta originated in ariccia. It is nestled in the alban hills in latium or lazio in central italy. So this is a recipe of ariccia for it’s porchetta.

Technology of preparation – pig weighing between 70-80 kg fully boned and emptied to be filled and served. It is then tied with twine and put on a steel pole to be cooked in the electric oven at 200-300 degrees celsius for 3 hours. After the shutter is made to cool slightly and serve warm or cold as required by law. (Yes it is a law in italy, similar to german purity laws when it comes to certain beers.) 200-300 celsius is 392-572 F. 70 kg-80 kg is 154.323584 lb to 176.36981 lbs.

composition
a) Raw material – whole hog, excluding legs, the farms at home and abroad.
b) Aids – garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, wild fennel.

aging – once seasoned, the pork is cooked immediately.

period of maturation – immediate consumption.

Notes – old food, the pork, that are already laden under the name of the banquet of Trimalchio Porcus Troianus and so called because filled with sausage, birds and other surprises in the same way that the famous Trojan horse was full of armed men. More recently, the porchetta was rediscovered in 1249 in Bologna to celebrate the victory of which he was imprisoned Fossalta King Enzo, son of Emperor Frederick 2. Others postpone the cup. From the pork of the town hall was thrown to the people below that squabbling tear you to pieces on the great pleasure of telling cronahe popoloasieme thrown on the hot broth to the meat for the greater amusement of lords. Then grind it prevailed until 1796 quantradizionale the Feast of St. Bartholomew on August 24. See S. Ciner, The history of the pork, the flamingo, Bologna sid (but 1998). It is assumed that the spread of pork was I’area than today, much more shifted towards the north: tetimonia as also the fact that, in Treviso, a popular cafe in the Piazza dei Signori continues to sell under this name a ham, but cooked in a certain way.

It was really a pork roast the pig that Platina was little and poorly nutritious, heavy on the stomach, harmful to the head, the eye and liver, a propitiatory Oppilo and calculations? The confusion between pig and pork filling, which is a recipe in Apicius, dominates the literature gastronomic favored by different tonnage of pigs, reduced the current. Against this recurring misunderstanding goes comumque reiterated that pork is not the stuff of piglets. Its social utility is required to treble – bnche a bit ungrammatical – Tanara observers such as: “in the province of Umbria and the Marches Piazzedi appeared on the town or lands every Sunday morning many, well cooked roast, to be sold with very useful for the poor, such as ence to the pot, the dinner all’hora they buy a piece and enjoy with his family. ” (P. 174). In a society pretechnological pignatti needed to heat the wood and the wood was dear. So much so that even in Rome, and even the nobles did not shy away from mandates to buy food from a host, an agreement. See Rita Fiorvanti, “the CRIBI the agri-food in Rome and Lazio from the beginning of the eighteenth century Napoleonic occupation” in the kitchen of the MBCA Memory, New York 1993, p. 89.

Ariccia the tradition of pork would have been invented by Prince Chigi, nephew of Pope Alexander VII (1655/67). To get rid of too many animals who “lived” the garden of the palace, I organize a party and the banquet was served for the first time a pig cooked in the oven. Most mythical origins claimed by Poggio Bustone. At the beginning of modern times his traveler, or an immigrant antelettera, that Moretto, was present in India, the burning of a herd of swine. Having touched the back of a scorched, they would get back a little sunburn, but putting his hand on the pin for pain relief, a great sensory satisfaction. Hence the idea of becoming the incident in the program. In MG Truini Palomba, The kitchen Abina, Muzzio, Padova, 1991, p. 189. The practice sets at 50-60 kg ment ideal of a lean mix of pork. At Viterbo until you get a ton. Also in Viterbo, and particularly in Bagnaia and onsuetudine to leave in the belly of the pig liver alone. The other organ, together with the trotters, are placed in a pan below the belly dell’arrostito so fat, oozing with the other smells, good flavor to well. It is clear from the so-called “Piattelli”, frequent return of gourmet butcher. See I. Rams, Tuscia at the table, Primaprint, 1996 Viterbo, P. 148. A flint (RI) and also allowed the use of pepper. Gioahino Belli (Safe Care, 1608 Edition Vigolo) fixed six pounds, or two pounds a binge of historic Roman people. And Iannattoni Livy (Roman cuisine of Lazio, Newton Compton, Rome 1998, p 270) rightly shows the beautiful page of Gadda That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana limbonitore Ariccini which promises “the beautiful woods of rosemary porcaco de in the belly. ” Unfortunately the roast pig of civilization in danger of being compromised by magromania. The artifacts on display today in the meat fairs may appease those living under the nightmare of cholesterol or dishes to prepare, Otherwise, there is, to the spouse. Not who has experienced over the course of a lifetime, the combination of pork Homer’s “healthy fat” (Odyssey XIV, 410). And while we’re at: maiaccorti were the singers of that false history called “Mediterranean diet” that the ultimate Mediterranean, the Greeks of Homer, nothing you do over eat meat, beef and pork, never indulge in refreshments a salad? Nestor’s slave, had already invented the cocktail Ecamede (pramnio wine, grated goat cheese, onion, flour), but the rocket was still to come. (Iliad XI, 850 and. Monti). An account and to celebrate, with the famous Ancel Keys, the virtues of cooking oil, you probably can not be beaten, another attribute to the peoples of the Mare Nostrum models of eating behavior never practiced, except perhaps by slaves and the poor. At risk to define the Mediterranean diet as that from which they fled as soon as they could.

Beer can chicken my way


We’ve all had beer can chicken. Well I love my beer can chicken. I have partaken in many different beer can chickens. They are yummy a favorite when tailgating. Unfortunately some are better then others. There is one that I make that just blows the rest completely out of the water. It all begins with the beer. You want a beer that pairs well with chicken and your flavors. Please for the love of god think outside the box. Corona, bud, and michelob are fine but you want to seperate yourself from every other beer can chicken your friends are making. Make sure it’s a good beer. Keep in mind the styles.

Brown ales tend to work best with gamey dishes, beef entrees or brown gravy over chicken. It depends how it works but I’m grilling mine so, any lighter lager or pilsner or brown ale or pale ale will work.

I like to use Brooklyn Brown Ale and Alpine Glacier Lager.

Now you may ask how do I get a beer bottle into a beer can chicken. Well I like to use a funnel. That’s right I have an empty beer can for my chickens.

So this is what we’ll need:

  • 1 can (12 ounces) beer
  • 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
  • Olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons seasoning (at end)

First we need to marinade over night. To do this mix together the day before

  • 1/8 cup of each beer (1/4 cup total)
  • 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

If you don’t have a empty can of beer like me, well open a beer pour it out drink it, and put an additional 3 holes in the top. Then pour in 6 ounces of each beer. Remove any thing inside the cavity. I take these and just throw them in a pan and cook off any grease I can get for the gravy.

Now that we’re ready drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub it all around. In a bowl mix the following:

  • Garlic powder (2 teaspoon)
  • Cayenne, ground (2 teaspoon)
  • Onion powder (2 tablespoon)
  • Oregano, dried (2 teaspoon)
  • Sage, ground (2 teaspoon)
  • Black pepper, freshly ground (2 tablespoon)
  • Paprika (2 teaspoon)
  • Coffee ground fine (2 teaspoon)

Ssshhhh don’t tell anyone about the coffee. Rub this mix all over the chicken front and back over the legs and the wings. Sprinkle a little inside. If you got extra great save it, it’s excellent on steaks.

  • Half pound bacon

I love charcoal grills for this place a aluminum pan in the center of the grill, pile coals evenly on both sides. Light your coals. When the grill gets hot dip a paper towel in olive oil and oil the grill grate. I like to soak cherry wood in brandy a half hour before. Check your coals, with a hand 2 inches above the grate, 1 tomatoe 2 tomatoe OW! usually tells you it’s ready. You’ll want the chicken over the drip pan. Spread the legs of the chicken wide apart. Suck the marinade into an injector and slowly inject into the chicken in several places throughout the chicken. Slowly lower the chicken onto the top of the beer can. Lift the grate and toss your soaked chips onto the coals.Wait until you begin seeing smoke. Sit you chicken onto the grill over the drip pan.

Pull the legs forward to form a tri-pod. Tuck the wings behind the back (called Akimbo) to prevent from burning them. Drape the half pound bacon over the top of the chicken. Close the lid and let the chicken roast 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. During the cooking process you will have to add you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the skin gets to browning too much, tent with foil for the rest of the cooking process. Once done remove carefully off the grill with tongs. Place it on a flat plate and let people awww at it. You can wait for it to cool and then remove the bacon and beer can from it. Though it probably will not last that long.

 

cave man’s python on a rock with fire roasted red peppers and can sauce


Again, this is something more exotic. This is really simple. All you need is a fire, a tin can and peppers and olive oil. Pythons and rattlesnakes you can get down south. Very good very delicious. This is what I call, a survival recipe. Remember in Florida you can hunt pythons now and any pythons you catch cannot be returned to the wild by law! So might as well eat them then toss them away.

 

1 Rattlesnake/python deboned and sliced into steaks/strips about 1/4th inch thick
1 fire reduced to red hot coals using only natural lump charcoal
1 flat rock either limestone or basalt placed in the fire
a tin can for ever serving of snake (pythons can be up to 200 pounds or more 200 people)
1/2 cup olive oil per serving of snake
3 bell peppers per serving of snake
1 clove garlic per serving of snake

Now how do we do this? Well it’s extremely simple, put your bell peppers on the coal and cook till black on all sides. Scrape off this black skin, and slice into slices seeds removed and discard the stem. Place the fire roasted peppers into a washed out tin can and pour 1/2 cup of olive oil over them. Place this on coals and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove CAREFULLY from the fire. Place your snake on the stone, and allow to cook this about 4-5 minutes per side. Once done, remove from stone. Place in a wooden bowl and dump can sauce ontop of python and enjoy!

The olive oil is sweet with a garlic flavor and then the really intense flavors of fire roasted bell peppers ontop of what you’d think is chicken. Absolutely delicious.