Special Drink for the Ladies
Pink Panther
11/2 oz reposado tequila
3/4 oz fresh ruby-red grapefruit juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 oz agave nectar
2 dozen pink peppercorns
Muddle half the peppercorns in a shaker together with the lime juice. Add the other liquids, shake with ice, and strain into a stemmed cocktail glass. Float the other pink peppercorns on the drink for garnish.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Barbacoa
1 cabeza (beef head)
4 onions, quartered
3 heads garlic, separated
2 bunches cilantro, separated
corn or flour tortillas
2 heads of cabbage (for wrapping)
salt to taste
Clean the cabeza, removing the ears. Remove the tongue. In Mexico the head would be wrapped in large banana leaves, here I use cabbage leaves, which gives a great flavor. Wrap the cabeza, with the onions, garlic, and cilantro. Once wrapped in cabbage, wrap in 3 layers of burlap.
Dig a hole about 3 feet wide and at least 2 feet deep. Line the bottom of the hole with large rocks, about the size of a softball. Build a large fire in the pit. Allow the fire to burn down to coals. The hole should be about 1/3 full of coals when done.
Add another layer of large rocks on top of the coals. Cover the rocks with 1 to 2 inches of dirt. Cover the dirt with 1 layer of wet burlap sacks, (don’t go overboard with wetting the bags, soak then squeeze so they are just moist.) Place the cabeza in the center, cover with 2 more layers of moist burlap sacks, then cover with at least 6 inches of dirt. Build another large fire on the dirt mound, let it burn rapidly down to coals, and keep the coals going for at least 4 to 5 hours, add more wood if necessary. Use a good wood like oak, which is best, mesquite or hickory.
Dig up the cabeza, discard the burlap and cabbage leaves, shred the meat from the bone into a large bowl, cover to keep the Barbacoa moist. Serve with tortillas, diced onions, salsa, pico de gallo, peppers, and guacamole. Good luck, and a last note, making Barbacoa this way is an art.
Ok now a confession, I have never done this myself, I have seen it done several times, I’ve even helped. But when I make Barbacoa I make it in the oven. He is the recipe I use.
Using the above ingredients, place all the ingredients in a large turkey roasting bag, being sure to wrap the cabeza with the cabbage leaves, and cut a slit in the top of the bag.
Put in a baking dish in the bottom rack of oven, put a another bowl filled with water, (at least half a gallon) in the oven, set at 200 degrees and cook for 5 hours. While the cabeza is cooking, put the tongue in a large pan cover with water bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on the stovetop for 3 hours, when done peel the tongue and shred or slice the meat, serve with the Barbacoa. When done, shred the meat from the cabeza as above, and serve with tortillas, diced onions, salsa, pico de gallo, peppers, and guacamole.
4 onions, quartered
3 heads garlic, separated
2 bunches cilantro, separated
corn or flour tortillas
2 heads of cabbage (for wrapping)
salt to taste
Clean the cabeza, removing the ears. Remove the tongue. In Mexico the head would be wrapped in large banana leaves, here I use cabbage leaves, which gives a great flavor. Wrap the cabeza, with the onions, garlic, and cilantro. Once wrapped in cabbage, wrap in 3 layers of burlap.
Dig a hole about 3 feet wide and at least 2 feet deep. Line the bottom of the hole with large rocks, about the size of a softball. Build a large fire in the pit. Allow the fire to burn down to coals. The hole should be about 1/3 full of coals when done.
Add another layer of large rocks on top of the coals. Cover the rocks with 1 to 2 inches of dirt. Cover the dirt with 1 layer of wet burlap sacks, (don’t go overboard with wetting the bags, soak then squeeze so they are just moist.) Place the cabeza in the center, cover with 2 more layers of moist burlap sacks, then cover with at least 6 inches of dirt. Build another large fire on the dirt mound, let it burn rapidly down to coals, and keep the coals going for at least 4 to 5 hours, add more wood if necessary. Use a good wood like oak, which is best, mesquite or hickory.
Dig up the cabeza, discard the burlap and cabbage leaves, shred the meat from the bone into a large bowl, cover to keep the Barbacoa moist. Serve with tortillas, diced onions, salsa, pico de gallo, peppers, and guacamole. Good luck, and a last note, making Barbacoa this way is an art.
Ok now a confession, I have never done this myself, I have seen it done several times, I’ve even helped. But when I make Barbacoa I make it in the oven. He is the recipe I use.
Using the above ingredients, place all the ingredients in a large turkey roasting bag, being sure to wrap the cabeza with the cabbage leaves, and cut a slit in the top of the bag.
Put in a baking dish in the bottom rack of oven, put a another bowl filled with water, (at least half a gallon) in the oven, set at 200 degrees and cook for 5 hours. While the cabeza is cooking, put the tongue in a large pan cover with water bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on the stovetop for 3 hours, when done peel the tongue and shred or slice the meat, serve with the Barbacoa. When done, shred the meat from the cabeza as above, and serve with tortillas, diced onions, salsa, pico de gallo, peppers, and guacamole.
French Fry Coated Hot Dog On a Stick
Ingredients:
One hotdog
One large russet burbank potato
Plenty of oil for deep frying
For the batter:
100gms of plain flour
75gms of cornmeal
1 egg
2 teaspoons of sugar
half a cup of milk
Find yourself a russet burbank potato, about the length of a hotdog.
Peel the potato then slice into french fries in a mandolin slicer (or do it by hand). Set aside.
Mix together the dry batter ingredients, add the egg and the milk. Mix to a thick paste, adding more milk if it is too dry: you’re aiming at the batter being thick and sticky rather than runny like a real corn dog batter, slightly more viscous than a dough. Set aside.
Fry the french fries in oil until golden. Remove from the oil onto a paper towel.
Coat the hotdog in the batter, then glue the french fries to the dog as best you can. Drop this monstrosity back into the boiling oil and fry until the french fries begin to brown.
Le Pogo et frites
Mixed Seafood Risotto
Mixed Seafood Risotto
1 recipe court bouillon
½ lb 20-24 shrimp – peeled and de-veined
20-25 mussels – in shells
4 cups “weak” chicken or seafood broth (basically 1/2 - 1/3 strength so as not to overpower your risotto)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 leek - white part diced, greener parts sliced in semi-circles – divided (deep green parts discarded)
½ medium white onion – small dice
2 cloves garlic – minced
½ cup white wine
1 cup risotto rice
3 tubes calamari – sliced thin
3 Tbsp vodka
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Heat court bouillon to a light boil. Add shrimp and mussels and cook for 3 minutes. Remove seafood and cool in ice bath. Remove mussels from shells. Set cooked seafood aside, discard court bouillon.
Heat broth in small saucepan, keep warm through cooking.
In separate saucepan, melt butter and sauté white part of the leeks and the onion until translucent.
Add garlic, sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add rice, and cook while stirring until coated with butter and shiny, about 1 minute.
Add white wine, cook until absorbed by rice.
Add broth, 1-2 ladlefuls at a time, stirring between additions, letting rice absorb broth between each addition, until only 2 ladlefuls remain.
Add cooked shrimp and mussels as well as calamari rings to risotto, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add vodka and cook for 30 seconds.
Add remaining broth, cook until absorbed by rice, taste and correct for seasonings.
Remove risotto from heat, add butter and reserved sliced light green leeks.
Stir in fresh lemon juice and serve immediately.
Serves 3-4
1 recipe court bouillon
½ lb 20-24 shrimp – peeled and de-veined
20-25 mussels – in shells
4 cups “weak” chicken or seafood broth (basically 1/2 - 1/3 strength so as not to overpower your risotto)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 leek - white part diced, greener parts sliced in semi-circles – divided (deep green parts discarded)
½ medium white onion – small dice
2 cloves garlic – minced
½ cup white wine
1 cup risotto rice
3 tubes calamari – sliced thin
3 Tbsp vodka
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Heat court bouillon to a light boil. Add shrimp and mussels and cook for 3 minutes. Remove seafood and cool in ice bath. Remove mussels from shells. Set cooked seafood aside, discard court bouillon.
Heat broth in small saucepan, keep warm through cooking.
In separate saucepan, melt butter and sauté white part of the leeks and the onion until translucent.
Add garlic, sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add rice, and cook while stirring until coated with butter and shiny, about 1 minute.
Add white wine, cook until absorbed by rice.
Add broth, 1-2 ladlefuls at a time, stirring between additions, letting rice absorb broth between each addition, until only 2 ladlefuls remain.
Add cooked shrimp and mussels as well as calamari rings to risotto, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add vodka and cook for 30 seconds.
Add remaining broth, cook until absorbed by rice, taste and correct for seasonings.
Remove risotto from heat, add butter and reserved sliced light green leeks.
Stir in fresh lemon juice and serve immediately.
Serves 3-4
Court Bouillon
1/2 small leek (white and pale green parts only)
a 3-inch piece carrot
a 3-inch piece celery rib
3 medium garlic cloves
7 cups cold water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 fresh thyme sprig
2 bay leaves (not the stronger California variety)
1 1/2 teaspoons white peppercorns
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
preparation
Cut up leek, carrot, and celery and in a large saucepan bring to a boil with remaining ingredients. Boil mixture 10 minutes and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Court bouillon keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days or, frozen, 2 months.
a 3-inch piece carrot
a 3-inch piece celery rib
3 medium garlic cloves
7 cups cold water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 fresh thyme sprig
2 bay leaves (not the stronger California variety)
1 1/2 teaspoons white peppercorns
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
preparation
Cut up leek, carrot, and celery and in a large saucepan bring to a boil with remaining ingredients. Boil mixture 10 minutes and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Court bouillon keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days or, frozen, 2 months.
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