Food Network Diner’s Drive-ins and Dives Segment of YouTube

Here you go.  It was awesome and a ton of fun.

Diner’s Drive-ins and Dives is coming to Town

Can’t say much, but I will say Triple-D and Guy are coming to Dish in January to film and we will be on national TV.

We are super excited and are looking forward to others hearing about our dedication to scratch cooking, high-quality ingredients, our use of organic/sustainable products and humanely raised meats!

YEAH!

Lachmajou – Middle Eastern Meat and Homemade Pita

Adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros.

Bread

• 1 oz fresh yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 oz  butter, melted

Topping

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 lb 2 oz ground lamb
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• 4 oz canned tomatoes, chopped οr pureed
• Juice of 1 lemon, to serve
• Chopped chillies in oil (see below recipe), to serve

Chillies in Olive Oil

• About 40 fresh red chillies
• Salt
• 375 ml (1 ½ cup) olive oil

Crumble the yeast into a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar and add 1 1/4 cups of tepid water. Leave for 10-15 minutes until it begins to activate. Mix in the flour, salt and butter and, when it all comes together, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Put it back ίηto the bowl and cover with a tea towel, then a heavier towel. Leave in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours to rise – the dough should puff right up tο the top of the bowl.

Το make the topping, heat the olive οίl in a saucepan and gently sauté the οηίοη to soften it. Add the lamb, cinnamon and most of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until any moisture from the lamb has evaporated and the meat is lightly golden, breaking υρ any clusters with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomato. Ρreheat your oven to 425.

Κnock down the dough by punching out all the air to bring it back to its original size. Divide the dough into 14 balls, keeping them covered so they don’t dry out. Οn a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough balls to 1/4 thick and about 5-6 inches in diameter. Don’t worry if they’re not completely round. Arrange on lightly floured baking trays and scatter more than a heaped tablespoon οf topping over each, leaving a thin border around the edge. Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over each one and bake for a maximum of 10 minutes or until the dough is just cooked but nοt dried out. Serve immediately, sprinkled with lemon juice, a little chopped chilli in oil and the rest of the chopped parsley. Cover any that you don’t eat with foil. They can be heated quickly in a hot oven or eaten at room temperature.

Chillies in Olive Oil

A teaspoonful of this oil (and a bit of the chilli itself) can be drizzled on to pasta or over grilled (broiled) meats and salads. The oil will initially be very hot, but as it  is used you can top it up with more olive oil and it will eventually loose some of its potency. The flavor of the oil will depend entirely on your choice of chillies. Be sure to wear rubber gloves when handling chillies as just a little on your skin can prove uncomfortable even a few hours later (especially if your rub your eyes).

Cut the chillies into thin rounds of about 2 mm (about 1/16 inch) put them in a colander in the sink and remove as many of the seeds as you can. By tapping the colander sharply on the side of the sink, sprinkle generously with salt and put a plate that fits inside your colander onto of the chillies to squash them and extract some of the juice. Set aside for about 24 hours.

Still using gloves, squeeze the chillies with your hands to drain away the excess salt and moisture and pack them into to a clean, sterilized jar. Cover them completely with olive oil. The oil will be ready in a couple of days but will be better in a couple of weeks. Add more olive oil if the chilli oil is too strong. Store in a cool place. The chillies must remain covered by the oil at all times.

Baked Manicotti

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen – Good = Yes

INGREDIENTS

Tomato Sauce
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes (in juice)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Table salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Cheese Filling and Pasta
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna noodles

1. For the Sauce: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse 1 can tomatoes with their juice in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 or 4 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining can tomatoes.

2. Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasoning with salt.

3. For the cheese filling: Combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs in medium bowl; set aside.

4. To assemble: Pour 2 inches boiling water into 13 by 9-inch broilersafe baking dish, then add noodles one at a time.  Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.

5. Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

6. Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Remove baking dish, adjust oven rack to uppermost position and heat broiler. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Broil until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then serve.

Mongolian Beef

Another recipe I made a few weeks ago from Kylie Kwong’s cookbook.  I liked it quite a bit.  Nancy and Randy added some hot sauce to spice it up a bit.

For the marinade

• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• 1 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 tablespoon ginger, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 600g good quality beef mince
• 1 head Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 50 mls vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon Oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon malt vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Sesame oil
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 small red pepper, finely sliced
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the beef and leave to marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.

Put the cabbage and salt into another bowl and mix well to combine. Leave to stand for 15 minutes then rinse under cold water and drain. Squeeze out any excess liquid with your hands.

Meanwhile steam the rice.

When you are ready Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a wok until the surface starts to shimmer slightly. Add half of the marinated beef and stir fry for 30 seconds, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and set to one side.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and cook the remaining beef for 30 seconds before returning the reserved beef to the pan. Add in the rice wine, hoisin and oyster sauce, vinegar and sesame oil and cook for a further 30 seconds. Toss in the cabbage, carrot and pepper and stir-fry for a further minute.

Stir through the spring onions, reserving a few for garnish and remove from the heat.

Tinga Poblana

Made this tonight.  Was great.  Also found a newer version online, also from Rick Bayless, done with the slow cooker.  Will do more chorizo, double and 1/2 times pork next time I make it.

Pork Stew with Smoky Tomato Sauce, Potatoes, and Avocado (Tinga Poblana)

Adapted from: Rick Bayless, Authentic Mexican

1 lb lean, boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (free-range)
1/2 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (marjoram and thyme)
3 bay leaves
2 medium red-skinned boiling potatoes, quartered
3 large tomatoes or 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes
4 oz chorizo sausage, removed from casing (from free-range pork)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, sliced thin, seeds removed
3 teaspoons of adobo sauce from the can (less if you don’t like some real kick)
Salt and pepper
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
Goat Cheese, was super yummy!
Cilantro, to garnish

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pork. Add the herbs and the bay leaves, and stir. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour. Remove the meat from the pot, and cut it into 3/4 inch pieces. Reserve one cup of the cooking water.

While the meat is cooking, boil the potatoes in heavily salted water until just tender, approimately 12-15 minutes. Remove the potatoes, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces when they are cool enough to handle.

Place the tomatoes under the broiler for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the skins are charred and peeling away from the tomato. When the tomatoes have cooled, remove the skins, and chop the tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces.

Crumble the chorizo into a heavy bottomed pot, and saute until browned, approximately 10 minutes. Remove the chorizo from the pot with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Add the onions and the pork to the pot, and cook until very well-browned, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook for an additional minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, and chorizo to the pot. Mix well, and simmer for five minutes. Stir in the potatoes, the reserved cup of broth, the chopotle peppers, and the adobo sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently for approximately 10 minutes.

Eat it like stew, make tacos, make breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs, served it over chips, make a casserole with chips and more cheese. YUM!

Whole Beef Tenderloin with Honey and Worcestershire Crust

I made this last night from Adam Perry Lang’s Serious BBQ Book.  Awesome! The best part is the crust that will form as you cook the meat.  I will make this again and plan on trying the paste, rub and glaze on tri-tip as well.

One 5 pound whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied

Paste:

• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon

Seasoning Blend

• 2 tablespoons mild chile powder
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Glaze

• 1/2 cup Worcestershire
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Finishing Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 chopped chives
• Fleur de sel

Preheat the grill to high, you will lower the temp though after you mark the tenderloin.

Combine all the paste ingredients in a glass bowl, set aside.  Combine all the seasoning blend ingredients in another bowl. Combine the Worcestershire sauce and the honey with the melted butter and combine well. Rub the tenderloin with the paste on all sides.  Then cover with the seasoning blend ingredients.

Place the tenderloin on the grate, set to high and keeping the lid open, grill on the first side until well marked and lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn the roast a quarter of a turn, still over high and keeping the lid open, grill until well marked and lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn two more times, to grill the third and fourth sides.

Turn the head down from high to medium and cook turning at least once, for 8 to 10 minutes.  Give the glaze a quick stir to mix it well.  Continue to cook over medium heat, brushing with the glaze every few minutes.  Flip and move around as needed.  You want to cook the piece of meat to an internal temperature of 125 degrees for medium-rare.

Drizzle the oil on a cutting board.  Sprinkle the chives, fleur de sel, and the over over the oil.  Top with the tenderloin and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Slice the tenderloin against the grain into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.  Devour!

Spicy Chipotle Pork Tacos with Sun-Dried Tomato Salsa

Perfect, Yum, Right on. HOT, maybe use less chili if you don’t like some pretty good heat.  I made this a few weeks back and loved the technique for cooking the tenderloins. I’ve used it again with other spices this past week.

Spicy Chipotle Pork Tacos with Sun-Dried Tomato Salsa
Recipe by Rick Bayless

• 2 (about 1 pound total) pork tenderloins (from free-range pigs please)
• 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles en adobo
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup (about 2 ounces) sun-dried tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped (a generous 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• About 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, rich-tasting pork lard or bacon drippings
• 12 fresh, warm corn tortillas (reheat store-bought ones or make them from scratch)

Butterflying and marinating the pork: Lay 1 tenderloin on your cutting board and cut it in half. Now, with a sharp knife, make a horizontal cut through 1 half (you’ll be cutting parallel with the board) from one long side to within 1/4- inch of the other. This will allow you to fold open the meat like a book, utilizing that 1/4-inch uncut side as a hinge. Using a meat pounder or heavy mallet, pound the pork to between 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness. In a food processor or blender, thoroughly puree the chipotles and all the canning sauce. With a pastry or basting brush, liberally paint the meat on both sides with the pureed chipotles. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours). Repeat with the other tenderloin pieces. (There will be considerably more chipotle puree than you need; cover and refrigerate the leftover for up to 2 weeks and use it to marinate other meat, fish, poultry or vegetables.)

Soaking the sun-dried tomatoes: In a small saucepan bring the orange juice just to a boil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, stir well, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand, stirring once or twice, until softened, about 20 minutes. Salsa: Scrape the soaked tomatoes and the juice into a food processor or blender, and measure in 1 tablespoon of chipotle puree. Pulse the processor until the tomatoes are rather finely chopped (not pureed). Scrape into a small serving bowl. Rinse the chopped onion under cold water, shake off the excess liquid and add it to the salsa along with the olives, cilantro and the lime juice. Stir everything together, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1/4 teaspoon. Adjust the consistency to that of an easily spoonable salsa with additional juice or water if needed. Set aside at room temperature while you cook the meat.

Searing the meat: Set a large (12-inch) heavy well-seasoned or non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add the lard, oil or bacon drippings, brushing or spreading it around to evenly coat the surface. (If using a non-stick surface, oil the meat instead of the pan.) When the oil is very hot (it’ll just begin to smoke), lay on one of the marinated meat pieces in a single layer. Sear on one side until beginning to brown (2 to 3 minutes), flip it over, and sear the other side about 1 1/2 minutes. You are looking for at least 145 internal temp. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer and keep warm in the oven. Sear the remaining meat and add to the baking sheet.

Chop or slice the meat into smallish pieces and scoop into a warm serving bowl. Set on the table along with the salsa and warm tortillas, and your meal is ready.

Gorditas with Classic Shredded Beef

I want to write.  I have a ton to say.  I want to give you a ton of information about factory farming and how horribly we treat farm animals.  I want to tell you not to eat any pork from an animal that was raised in a metal pen, 7 feet long by 2 feet wide that never sees the light or stands on dirt.  I want to share all the information that I’ve read, but I can’t write well and I don’t have much time.

If you are interested in what gives me nightmares and what has driven me to spend as much as 100 percent more for humanley raised meats for my restaurant and my home here are a few links to check out:

Humane Society of the US

Food and Water Watch

Sustainable Table

Righteous PorkChop

If you live in Reno please check out slowfoodreno.com and come to one of our meetings and say hello.  I can’t write well, but I can talk!

As for this recipe, it rocks.  If you want to cook Mexican food, pick up a Rick Bayless book.  I have three now and every recipe I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a ton) is awesome.

This recipe looks hard but it’s not!  I did it for dinner after work.

Gorditas with Classic Shredded Beef

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds boneless beef chuck steak, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 small white onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus oil to a depth of 1/2-inch for frying
• 1 (28-ounce) can good-quality whole tomatoes in juice, drained and chopped or 2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes
• 2 to 3 serranos or 1 to 2 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and very finely chopped
• Salt
• 1 pound (2 cups) fresh, smooth-ground corn masa for tortillas or 1 3/4 cups powdered masa harina mixed with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 scant teaspoon baking power
• About 1/3 cup grated Mexican queso anejo or other dry grating cheese, such as Romano or Parmesan
• About 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the meat with 2 quarts salted water, about 1/3 of the onions, and half of the garlic and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain, reserving the broth for another use. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it into coarse strands with your fingers or 2 forks. Don’t worry that there are bits of onion and garlic mixed with the meat.

Wash and dry the saucepan, set it over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is hot, add half of the remaining onions and cook until golden, about 6 minutes, then stir in the remaining garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and chiles and cook until most of the juice has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shredded meat and simmer for a few more minutes, then taste and season with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat a well-seasoned or nonstick griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat. Knead the masa (fresh or reconstituted) to make it pliable, adding a little water if necessary to achieve a soft-cookie-dough consistency. Knead in the flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Divide the dough into 10 portions and roll into balls; cover with plastic to keep from drying out. Line a tortilla press with 2 pieces of plastic cut to fit the plates (to be on the safe side, cut them from a food storage bag; the thicker plastic usually works better for beginners). Gently press out a ball of dough between the sheets of plastic to about 4 inches in diameter (it’ll be about 1/4 inch thick). You’ve now made a gordita, which is what you call a fat tortilla. Peel off the top sheet of plastic, flip the gordita, uncovered side down, onto the fingers of 1 hand, and gently peel off the second piece of plastic. In one flowing movement, roll the gordita off your hand and onto the heated griddle or skillet. Bake for about 1 1/2 minutes, then flip and bake for another 1 1/2 minutes on the other side. The gordita will be lightly browned and crusty on the top and bottom, but still a little uncooked on the sides. Remove to a plate. Continue pressing and griddle-baking the remaining gorditas in the same manner.

When you’re ready to serve, warm the shredded beef. Rinse the remaining onions in a small strainer under cold water and shake to remove the excess moisture. Have the cheese and cilantro at the ready.

In a deep heavy medium skillet or saucepan, heat 1/2-inch of oil over medium to medium-high until the oil is hot enough to make the edge of a gordita sizzle sharply, about 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. One by one, fry the gorditas, turning them after they’ve been in the oil for about 15 seconds, until they’re nicely crisp but not hard, about 45 seconds total. When they’re ready, most will have puffed up a little, like pita bread. Drain on paper towels.

Once they all are fried, use a small knife to cut a slit in the thin edge of each one about halfway around its circumference, opening a pocket. As you cut them, fill each gordita with about 1/4-cup shredded meat and a sprinkling of the onions, grated cheese, and cilantro.

Chorizo and Roasted Pepper Tacos

No picture, no story. I just wanted to get this down so I can remember it for the future.  It was excellent!

Melted Cheese Casserole with Mexican Sausage and Roasted Chiles (adapted from a Rick Bayless recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 medium fresh poblano chiles or fresh pasilla chiles
• 8 ounces Chorizo Sausage
• 1 medium white onion, sliced
• 12 corn tortillas
• 8 ounces Mexican melting cheese such as Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro & sour cream optional

Roast the pablanos over an open flame, turning regularly until the skin is evenly blackened and blistered, about 5 minutes.  Be careful no to char the flesh, only the skin.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 5 minutes.  Rub off the blackened skin, then pull or cut out the stems and the seed pods.  Tear the chiles open and quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds and bits of skin.  Cut into 1/4 inch wide strips about 2 inches long.

Heat the oven to 350.  In a medium skillet, cook the chorizo over medium heat,stirring to break up any clumps, until half-cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is richly golden and the chorizo is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the poblano strips, taste and season with salt if necessary.  Transfer the mixture to a 9 or 10 inch shallow baking dish.

Very lightly dampen a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the tortillas in the towel, then in foil, sealing the edges tightly. Place in the oven and set the timer for 7 minutes.

When the timer goes off, stir the cheese into the warm chirizo.  Set in the oven alongside the tortillas and bake until the cheese is just melted. Sprinkle with the crumbled oregano and serve with the sour cream, tortillas and cilantro.