The Monster Cubano

A nice little spin on a traditional Cuban sandwich.


Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread
Ham slices
Pork shoulder
1 can rootbeer
Swiss cheese
Dill pickles
Mustard
Butter

Method:

The Pork

If you have a smoker, smoke the shoulder with 2 parts hickory, 1 part pecan for an hour. Use a lot of smoke, since it will only be in there for an hour. If you don’t have a smoker, proceed to the next step...

Put the shoulder in a crockpot, add a can of rootbeer, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, depending on the size of the shoulder. When it’s done, pull it.

Fry the ham slices just enough to put a quick char on them. While that’s cooking, cut your bread in half so it will be ready to make the sandwich.

Spread the mustard and pickles on the sandwich, then layer everything else on, placing the cheese between the ham and the pulled pork.

Put the bread in a very large frying pan (or on pre-heated pizza stone on the grill). Then place a very heavy cast iron skillet on top of that. If you don’t have one big enough, place a brick in it. The idea here is to squish the sandwich like a panini. Grill on both sides, just like you would a grilled cheese sandwich.

Note:

I left measurements off because everyone’s tastes vary. Feel free to go light on the meat, like I did, or load ‘er up.

Enjoy!


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Salsa Picante

This is a rip-off of the hot salsa you find at Rubio's. I originally found the recipe on a Chowhound thread and tweaked it a little further to make it as close to perfect as I could get it.  So, here we go:

Ingredients:


1 can of tomato sauce (15 ounce)
2 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Method:

Put the tomato sauce, sugar and salt in a saucepan, and set it aside.

Put the chili flakes in a non-stick frying pan. Cook them for 5-7 minutes on medium heat, turning very frequently. You want to turn them close to black, without burning them. It's a very fine line. Be careful.

When they're done, run 2/3 of the flakes through a coffee grinder then add them all to the sauce. Stir and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Let it cool in the refrigerator for an hour or so and serve.

Warning: This gets ugly. Cooking the flakes releases the oils which fills the air with a teargas-like experience. Running them through the coffee grinder takes it to a whole new level. Do this in a well-ventalated area with all your fans blowing. Better yet, do these steps outside, if possible.


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Chili with Spaghetti

If you've never had spaghetti topped with chili, you must try this! It will work with any chili, but I've included a quick recipe that's a nice substitute for that canned garbage you've been eating.


Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) can original Ro-Tel
22 oz water
2 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 can refried beans

Spaghetti
Shredded cheddar-jack cheese
Diced red onions

Method:

Brown the beef and drain, then it it back in the pot. Add everything but the pasta, cheese and onions. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 30 minutes.

While that's simmering, cook the pasta (be sure to salt the water). Serve the chili over the spaghetti then top with cheese and onions.

Variation:

If you must, add 2 cans of pinto beans. Just don't let a Texan catch you doing this!


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Roasted Tomato Sauce

In my humble opinion, this is the best tomato-based pasta sauce ever to grace a plate. I hope you agree. It's great on it's own, or as a base for vodka sauce.

Accept my apologies for the vague measurements in some places. This is one of those dishes I've never had the patience to take the time and measure out as I make it. Quite frankly, measuring here would take all the fun out of it.

Ingredients:

* Tomatoes (enough to fill a cookie sheet when cut in half)
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 medium white onion (diced)
7 cloves garlic (minced)
4 oz fresh basil (minced)
4 oz fresh oregano (minced)
4 oz fresh thyme (minced)
Course sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
** tomato puree

* What type of tomatoes, you ask? If all else is equal, I'll choose the romas. But, truth be told, I don't think variety is nearly as important as quality. Go with the variety that is fresh and ripe. The ones pictured are fresh-picked from my father-in-law's garden, which beats an under-ripe grocery store variety any time.

** Optional. See below.

Method:

Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the seeds and steps, and lay them out on a cookie sheet covered in foil. Season them with salt and pepper.

Spread the oregano and thyme evenly over the tomatoes, followed by the garlic then the onions. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 2 hours at 350.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes, then put them into a food processor and liquify them.

Add the blended tomato mixture to a pan and bring to a boil. Add the wine and basil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti with fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

** If you're after a saucier, more Americanized texture, try adding 1/2 cup to a full cup of tomato puree to the food processor while blending.  If you do this, you may need to bump up the herbs and seasoning to account for the diluted mixture. For best results, make your own tomato puree from a can of San Marzano tomatoes.

Variation:

While the tomatoes are roasting, fry up a pan of hot Italian sausage. Then, use the wine to deglaze the pan and then add the tomat mixture and basil.

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Memphis Style BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup coffee

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup onion, small dice

3 cloves garlic, minced

Method:

Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add onions and cook until tender.

Add the garlic and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water until it is smooth. Stir the slurry into the BBQ sauce to adjust the thickness of the sauce. Be certain to bring the sauce back to the boil before cooling to cook out the starch of the cornstarch.

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Blueberry Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients:

5 oz blueberries

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Heat the tablespoon of oil in a pan and cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes. While that's cooking smash the blueberries.

Add everything but the blueberries and whisk until the brown sugar is dissolved. Add the smashed blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently enough to keep stuff from burning and sticking to the bottom.

Remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes, then strain through a cheese cloth.

Chill and serve.

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Pizza Style Spuds

Ingredients

3.5 oz sliced pepperoni

1 lb hot Italian sausage

6 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups milk

½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 ½ pounds potatoes, frozen shredded

Method

Cook the sausage (without the casings) in a pan. Remove as much grease as you can and set aside.

While the oven is preheating to 375, melt the butter in a pan. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Whisk in the flour and salt and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly.

Reduce heat to low, and stir in cheese until melted.

Put your shredded potatoes in a baking dish and pour the cheesy liquid over the top. Add the cooked sausage and stir it all together.

Bake, covered for 35 minutes. Uncover, top with pepperoni, and bake 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and pepperoni is crisp.

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Perfect Baked Potato

Ingredients

• Medium to large Russet potatoes
• Olive oil
• Coarse kosher salt
• Canned Parmesan cheese

Method

Wash and dry the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 350.

Coat the potatoes with a very thin sheen of olive oil, then rub them generously with salt and Parmesan.

Bake for an hour (or longer for larger potatoes) directly on the oven rack until the outside just starts to crisp up. It's a good idea to place a drip pan on the rack below the spuds.

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Greek Brats

Ingredients

6 lb Boston Butt

1 lb bacon

9 oz beer

8 oz sun-dried tomatoes

8 oz feta cheese crumbles

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon allspice

25' of natural sausage casings

Method

Mix all the dried spices and set aside.

Cut the shoulder into strips that will fit in the meat grinder. Feed the bacon through the grinder first, followed by the shoulder.

Combine everything but the casings, and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Stuff the sausage into the casings.

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Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients

3-4 lb pot roast

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 packet onion soup mix

8-12 new red potatoes, cut it half

1 small red onion, chopped into large pieces

2 carrots, sliced 1" thick

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

Flour

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Method

Trim the fat from the roast. Season with salt and pepper, then dust with flower. Rub the seasonings in.

Sear the meat in hot frying pan. About a minute per side is all it should take. While the meat is searing, combine the remaining ingredients (except the garlic and bay leaf) in a slow cooker and whisk until mixed. Add the meat garlic and bay leaf and cook on low for 5 hours.

At the 5 hour mark, add your onions and potatoes. Cook for another 2.5 hours, then add the carrots and cook for another 30 minutes.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker (being very careful, as it will fall apart). Set it on a plate and cover with foil for 10 minutes. While it's cooling, fish out the bay leaf and garlic.

Serve with the gravy created by the soup and meat juices.

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Pinot Chorizo(t)

Meat Selection

I like to use the boston butt end of the pork shoulder without adding additional fat. I buy a bone-in shoulder because I worry about the butchers trimming fat off of the boneless model. The bone weighs about 1/2 lb, so purchase a 6 1/2 lb shoulder to come up with 6 lbs of meat.

Ingredients

6 lbs pork shoulder (boston butt)

1 cup chili powder

1 cup smoked paprika

2 teaspoons dried oregano

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons salt

1 cup pinot noir wine

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Method

Carve the meat off the bone, getting as much as you can without cutting into the bone. Cut it into strips and feed it through your meat grinder.

Add everything else and mix it up well with your hands. Cover it and let it sit in the refrigerator for 25 hours.

That’s it. You’re done. Unless you want it in casings, which is a different story. I cook it into crumbles, so I don’t bother with the casing process.

I usually break it up into 1 lb portions, run it through the FoodSaver and freeze it. It tastes fantastic in a breakfast burrito.

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Black Eye Pea Dip

Ingredients

1 lb chorizo

2 cans black eyed peas

1 small white onion (diced)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 1/2 chipotles (minced)

10 oz Pace mild picante sauce

10 oz cream of mushroom soup

10 oz cream of chicken soup

10 oz mild enchilada sauce

2 tablespoons Emeril's Southwest Essence

1/2 lb grated cheddar cheese

Method

Brown the chorizo, then slide it over to one side of the pot. Add the onions and cook until they start to become translucent. Add garlic and chipotles and cook another minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cheese and cook until it's melted, stirring constantly, so the cheese doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan.

Serve with corn chips.

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Hot Sausage Dip

Ingredients

2 lbs spicy breakfast sausage

1 medium white onion (diced)

16 oz cream cheese

16 oz sour cream

2 small cans diced green chilies (rinsed)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Method

Brown the sausage then remove it. Cook the onions in the sausage grease until they start to become translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for one hour.

Serve with corn chips and Ritz crackers.

For a nice twist, garnish with fresh diced tomatoes.

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Best Turkey Gravy Ever

Ingredients

• 32 oz liquid (drippings and chicken stock)
• 1/8 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons & 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 tablespoons & 1 teaspoon flour
• 3 teaspoons brown gravy mix
• 3 teaspoons onion gravy mix
• 1/2teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Method

Make a roux with the butter and flour.

Remove the turkey from the pan, and deglze with the wine.

Seperate the drippings from the oil, then add the drippings to a measuring cup. Top the measuring cup off with enough chicken stock to make 32 ounces of liquid.

Slowly add the liquid to the roux, whisking all the while.

Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk like a mofo. Bring to a boil, then reducing to a simmer. Cook until desired consistency is reached.

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Cioppino

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 3 large shallots, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seed
• 1 lb raw shrimp
• 1 lb seared scallps
• Meat from 2 lbs crab legs

Method

Send tomatoes through a food processor and blend to desired consistency.

Cook shallots in olive oil until shallots are almost soft. Add garlic and parsley and cook another minute.

Add tomatoes, broth, wine, red peppers, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano and fennel. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes.

Remove bay leaves.

Bring broth to a boil, then add the seafood simmer (covered) for 3-5 minutes.

Serve with warm sourdough bread.

* If you're a purist, leave the crab un-cracked, and add some fish and shellfish (clams and mussels).

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Pepperoni Rolls

A super-fast, simple appetizer using off-the-shelf crescent rolls.

Ingredients:

• 1 tube of 8 crescent rolls
• 32 slices of pepperoni
• 5 tablespoons garlic butter

Method:

While the oven is preheating to to 375˚, unroll and layout all the crescent rolls. Spread garlic butter on them...

...and then top each roll with 4 slices of pepperoni...

Roll them up...

...and bake as directed (12 minutes was perfect in my oven).

Serve as a starter with pizza sauce for dipping.

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Pizziti

This little gem is a combination of baked ziti and pepperoni pizza.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ziti (boiled to al dente)
• 1-2 quarts tomato sauce (I like the Sunday Gravy recipe)
• 5 cups grated mozzarella
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage
• 5 oz sliced pepperoni

Method:

Roll the sausage in 3/4” balls and brown thoroughly.

Stir sausage, ziti, tomato sauce (adjust amount based on how saucy you like it), and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese into a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350˚ for 25 minutes.

Remove the foil. Add the remaining 3 cups of cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.

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Sunday Gravy

This traditional Sicilian tomato sauce is great with pasta or used in baked dishes like lasagna and baked ziti.

Ingredients:

• 84 ounces San Marzano tomatoes.
• 1 lb spare ribs (on the bone)
• 1 lb beef stew meat (cubed)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 cups water
• 6 fresh basil leaves (chopped)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Method:

Brown the spare ribs on medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside. Then brown the stew meat for 6 minutes. Remove and set aside. While the meat is cooking, run the tomatoes through a food processor. How chunky you leave it is up to you. I like mine smooth.

Turn the heat down and cook the garlic for a minute or two. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Turn the heat up enough to allow you to deglaze the pan with about half the water. Put the meat back in, and add the rest of the water and the tomatoes.

Bring to a simmer, cover loosely, and let it cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove what’s left of the spare ribs (not much) and serve.

Note: For a truly authentic experience, use veal instead of beef and pork neck bones instead of spare ribs. Also, many traditionalists prefer to remove the garlic after cooking it.

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Buttermilk Syrup

• 1 1⁄2 cups Sugar
• 3⁄4 cup Buttermilk
• 1 cube Butter
• 2 tablespoons Corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the other wet ingredients (except the vanilla) and turn the heat up to medium high. Whisk in the sugar, and keep stirring until it's completely dissolved. Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla extract.

Serve warm over pancakes or waffles.

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Lasagne with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ pound Lasagne pasta
• 2 pounds Hot Italian sausage
• 84 ounces San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 Yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon Fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme
• 1 pound Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 pound Ricotta cheese

Method

Brown the sausage. Just before it's done, add the onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes, herbs and salt. Simmer for about 1.5 hours.

15 minutes before the sauce is done simmering, put the pasta in the casserole dish with some hot tap water and pre-heat the oven to 350.

Remove the pasta from the dish, drain and dry the dish.

Start with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of pasta, then a layer of ricotta, then a layer of mozzarella. Add another layer of pasta, then sauce, then the two cheeses.

Cook, tented in foil, for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

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