Grilling

A sweet little Fattie

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Texas Style Cuisine

Now I am sure that many of you wondering what in the heck is a Fattie. Basically it is a meatloaf stuffed with your favorite fillings wrapped in bacon and then smoked. I made two of them, one was an Italian, stuffed with red and green bell peppers sweet onions, mushrooms, ricotta and mozzarella. The other was stuffed with fettucine alfredo, mushrooms and jumbo shrimp. They were excellent. The way I make them is I place my meatloaf in a ziplock bag. Then I make a woven matt of bacon. The stuffing is placed inside of the meatloaf and rolled up, using the bag. I slice the sides with a sharp knife so it can be opened up. The meat roll is then place on the bacon matt and rolled up. Roll the fattie in plastic to firm it up, then put it on the smoker for about 2 hours at 225.

Categories: BBQ, Entrees, Grilling, Texas Style Cuisine | Tags: Bacon, Fattie, Fettucine alfredo, shrimp | 2 Comments

Picante Fish and Red Chilie Shrimp

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Texas Style Cuisine

I had some old friends drop by and visit the other night. They showed up hungry and expecting something great. I chose a recipe I got from a friend and one of my own. While I was in the outdoor kitchen taking care of the seafood the wife fixed a couple of sides in the house.

Picante Fish

1 Onion
1 Stick of butter
1 Bunch of cilantro
10 tilapia fillets
Picante Sauce
Fajita seasoning

Start fire
Slice onions into rings
Slice butter into thin slices
Season fillets
Make a foil boat to cook fish in
Place onions on boat over the fire
Spread butter pats around on the onion rings
Place fish on the rings
Pour sauce over the fish
Sprinkle cilantro across fillets.
Cook till the fish heats through and becomes flakey

While the fish was cooking I prepped the shrimp and started cooking it. I had already peeled and deveined the shrimp, I just had to season and cook the shrimp, the shrimp cooks much faster then the shrimp. Remember shrimp is cooked when it curls into a C and is overcooked when it curls into an O.

3 lbs Shrimp (peeled and deveined w/tail)
4-6 Serrano Chilies (red if you can get them) sliced thin
6 Garlic cloves minced
TT Spanish Paprika
TT Sea salt
Olive Oil
White wine or sherry

Heat oil in cast iron skillet
Add chilies and saute
Add garlic
Add shrimp
When shrimp is almost cooked, add paprika and salt
Toss shrimp in the hot oil and seasonings
Add wine till warm

With the shrimp and fish finished we headed to the house. We had a great salad, squash and red potatoes.

Categories: Appetizers, Entrees, Grilling, Texas Style Cuisine | Tags: butter, cilantro, fish, onion, picante, picante sauce, sherry, shrimp, tilapia, wine | 1 Comment

Alpine Cowboy Gathering

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Texas Style Cuisine

West Texas Sunset

Libby and I headed out west to see the boy and enjoy time with friends. The drive was excellent, a beautiful day for the 350 miles out to Alpine. We hit town about 3:30 and went straight to the football field to catch some of the teams workout. When that was finished we greeted John, his friends and a couple of the coaches. We headed to check in at the motel and John headed home to clean up. We had reservations at The Reata for 5:30. now for y’all that have not heard of it is the claim to fame for Grady Spears. Grady is the author of a series of cookbooks on Cowboy Cooking, the most popular I would say is Cowboy in the Kitchen. Now last time we were there I was less than impressed, but this time it was excellent. Sorry for no pictures at the Reata, I was so excited about seeing the boy and celebrating his 21st, which was last Friday, I forgot all about it. The place was packed and we sat out on the patio. It is still a little cool out but with the help of a nice fire and some propane heaters we had a wonderful time. We started out our meal with some bacon wrapped shrimp, served with pico and onion jam. John ordered a New York strip with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans, Libby got the chicken fried chicken with he same sides and I got the carne asada and enchiladas served with rice and beans. The food and service were excellent and we had a wonderful time.

Jeff Gore and some of his family were in for the weekend also, Jeff was performing at the Cowboy Gathering. So we met up with them and had a great visit and we decided to meet at 7:30 the next morning for a chuckwagon breakfast. Saturday started with a beautiful sunrise and a cool temperature of 34 degrees. Jeff, Libby and I were the only ones to wake and make the breakfast. The chuckwagon folks were serving scrambled eggs, biscuits and sausage gravy along with some stout coffee.

One of our host with a big pot of coffee

Might not be gourmet but it's good

Jeff at the campfire getting a coffee refill

A couple of the dutch ovens our breakfast was cooked in

After breakfast Jeff headed to pick up his family and get ready for his performance, Libby and I headed downtown to the Grandada to look over the items in the auction, that was supporting the Museum of the Big Bend. There were many nice items but nothing that got us really excited so we headed down the street to some of the shops on the main drag of Alpine. After picking up John we headed to the Cowboy Grill a new place out on the Marfa highway for burgers. We had a nice meal, then headed to the campus of Sul Ross for some of the cowboy entertainment.

Jeff performing in the University Center

John wanted to have supper at his house instead of going out. So we headed to the grocery store and picked up some supplies for the evening meal. Libby grabbed items for baked potatoes and green bean casserole. John and I went to the meat section and picked up 10 T-bones and 4 New York strips. I had brought some stuffed jalepenos and roasted corn and poblano salsa with me. So we got to John’s and started cooking. Well actuallyl we started cleaning the kitchen so we could cook. John had invited a few of his friends, Jeff Gore brought his family over along with Robert Barge so we started the fires outside and the ladies got going in the kitchen.

Starting the fire in the Texas Hibachi, a barrel grill

The steaks seasoned up and waiting on the grill

Steak Rub

Kosher Salt
Course Ground Black Pepper
Dark Brown Sugar

Steaks are ready and so is the crowd

Rob looks happy

Earnest with a full plate

John enjoying his birthday dinner with friends and family

Saturday finished great. Libby and I headed to the motel, so did Jeff and his family. Robert headed home and the boys laid back and rested a full belly. We will be up early Sunday for church then lunch and head back to Lytle before to late.

Categories: Appetizers, BBQ, Entrees, Grilling, Hors d'Oeuvres, Texas Style Cuisine | Tags: Alpine, auction, Biscuits, chuck wagon, chuckwagon, coffee, Cowboy, cowboy gathering, cowboy music, Dutch oven, Grady Spears, habachi, Jeff Gore, Museum of the Big Bend, Reata, Steak rub, Sul Ross, Tbone, Texas habachi | 4 Comments

Hors d’oeuvres for an Open House

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Texas Style Cuisine

Roasted Corn Salsa

We had never had a Grand Opening for the new kitchen so I had an Open House during Career and Technology month. The kids prepared on Monday and Tuesday, then on Wednesday we entertained guest from 1:00 – 7:00.

We had a large array of guest show up. The superintendent of school, school board members, teacher, administrators, local restauranteurs, friends and parents of the students. A nice group from Ace Mart showed up as well as student chefs from St Philip’s College. It was my pleasure to have Chef John McGinty one of my chef instructors drop by also.

The menu was diverse and did not really follow a theme. I did not realize that it was Ash Wednesday until Monday so we had to add some vegetable dishes. On the grill and smoker we make ABT’s (stuffed jalepenos), Chipotle Bombers (recipe at bottom), various chicken breast skewers. We also smoked a brisket for BBQ sundaes and two pork butts for pulled pork sliders. We made some mozzarella crustinies, cucumber canapes and stuffed mushrooms. We made a roasted corn and poblano salsa and salsa quemada to serve with chips. Dessert was cherry cheese cakes, a mistake, and petit fours. I say the cheese cakes were a mistake because we had planned on serving mini cheese cakes with 4 different toppings. The young man making them did not read the whole recipe so when he saw cherry pie filling he just dumped a can of dark sweet cherries filling and a can of red tart cherry pie filling. We had enough cheese cake for 200 so I was not sure what would happen. The worry was it may not set up, but it did. Once we saw it was set up we topped it with a Chantilly cream. That was the only road bump that we ran into, so it was an excellent day once again.

I will drop in the pictures this evening so drop back by.

Chipotle Bombers

This is an easy recipe, although you can increase every difficulty by making everything from scratch.

10 lbs precooked 1 oz meatballs
80 slices bacon
1 Gal your favorite BBQ sauce
1 28oz can chipotle peppers in adobe, pureed
12 oz honey
1 btl red wine or 16 oz red wine vinegar
TT fajita seasoning
160 tooth picks

Combine all ingredients and heat to a boil. defrost meatballs and wrap with 1/2 slice of bacon, secure with toothpick. Season meatballs with seasoning and cook 3/4 the way through, about 140 degrees. The time will depend if you are cooking them in the smoker or the oven. Remove meatballs and generously coat with the sauce. Return to oven to finish cooking through and candy the sauce.

BBQ Sundae

This is an excellent and fun dish that is simple to put together.

shredded beef brisket
pinto beans (I use borracho or ranchero)
Coleslaw
pickle spears
9 oz clear squat cups

In the bottom 1/3rd of the cup fill with the brisket then add the beans. When you are ready to serve add the coleslaw on top and the pickle spear stuck down the side. This is a great presentation that takes little time and people seem to love it.

Pulled Pork Slider with Creamy Coleslaw and a Stuffed Jalepeno

Categories: Appetizers, BBQ, Grilling, Hors d'Oeuvres, Texas Style Cuisine | Tags: Ace Mart, BBQ. chef open house, bomber, brisket chipotle, canapes, chantilly cream, cheese cake, chipotle bomber, grilled, petite four, poblano, roasted corn, smoked, Sundae | 1 Comment

Cilantro Lime Shrimp and New York Strips

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Texas Style Cuisine

Ran up to the new HEB, they built us a nice plus store here a couple of months ago. They have a nice sea food section. I grabbed a couple of pounds of 10/15s and some new york strips.While there I grabbed a new beer to try with our surf and turf dinner. While at HEB I ran into a life long friend and her mom. So she grabbed a couple of bottles of wine and a cheese cake and headed to the house to join us. I went back o the adult beverage section and grabbed some Leinenkugel’s to try then stopped at the produce section for some red potatoes and zucchini squash.

When I got to the house I started a fire with my Chimney and a lump charcoal.

The outdoor kitchen has a steak grill that will raise and lower.

While the fire was starting up I rubbed the steaks down with a Spicy Chipotle rub I picked up at Williams-Somoma. After rubbing the steaks I peeled and deveined the shrimp, using a deveiner.

Steaks are on the grill. while they are grilling to a medium, and one medium rare for me. The steaks are cooked on a hot grill for about 5 minutes per side

While the steaks were grilling I started the shrimp. They don’t take long to cook and I wanted them the done the same time as the steaks. The shrimp are cooked in a hot cast iron skillet, with a little olive oil. The shrimp is seasoned with 4 cloves of garlic. some kosher salt and the juice of 4 limes. just before it’s through I toss in some chopped cilantro. Now remember shrimp is cooked when it looks like a C and is overcooked when it looks like an O. There is a key to chopping cilantro. Cut off the stems, roll it up into a tight ball and cut it into a chiffinade. Turn it 90 degrees and chop again. this gives you a nice small cut.