Spicy Barbacoa With Chilies For Tacos, Frito Pie And Especially For Chris

If there's one thing I'll consistently order at every Mexican restaurant I visit, it's anything that includes rich, flavorful, beefy barbacoa redolent with earthy chilies and warm spices. It hugs both my soul and my tummy at the very same time.

Speaking of warm and wonderful, my dear, sweet friend, Chris (who suddenly passed recently) adored Frito Pie. Of course she did, she was a Texan through and through! Her recipes reflected her great big Texas heart and her fiery, bright spirit; her messages to each member of the cooking group we belonged to were warm and loving. Chris is terribly missed. We are fortunate her love of food - especially all things spicy - lives on in her favorite recipes.

Just what is Frito Pie? It depends on who you ask. Search the internet and it comes in all varieties. Baked. Cold. Some crush the Fritos to make an actual pie crust. Most recipes use chili. Some use canned, some use homemade. Chili with or without beans...it doesn't seem to matter. And that's the beauty of this dish. It is totally versatile, open to interpretation, created each time at the whim of the cook. I love a forgiving recipe, don't you?

Many members of our cooking group made Frito Pie in Chris's memory. Undoubtedly she is smiling down from heaven that, all around the country, we're cooking one of her favorite treats just for her. Chris, this one's for you!

Spicy Barbacoa With Chilies

• 3 pound chuck roast
• 3 T canola oil
• 2 dried guajillo peppers, broken into small pieces (look for them in the Latin section of the grocery store)
• 2 dried ancho chilies, broken into small pieces (look for these in the same place as above)
• 2 t chipotle chile powder
• 2 t ancho chile powder
• 2 t smoked paprika
• 1 t hot paprika
• 3 T espresso powder
• 2 T granulated garlic
• 2 t onion powder
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1 1/2 T kosher salt
• 2 t cocoa nibs
• 3 T dark brown sugar
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes and peppers
• 2 onions, peeled and slivered - I used 1 yellow onion and 1 red onion
• 1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and slivered
• 2 large jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, slivered
• 1/2 head garlic, skins removed, sliced thinly
• 1 envelope ranch dressing mix
• 1 bottle of beer - use a good Mexican beer if you like - I used gluten free beer to keep this GF
• 2 T demerara sugar - or light brown sugar

Rub:

In a spice or coffee grinder - or a blender - put the pieces of dried chilies and dried cocoa nibs. Give them a good whirl until they're broken down into small pieces. Transfer to a small bowl and add the chile powders, paprikas, espresso powder, granulated garlic, onion powder, cinnamon, kosher salt and brown sugar. Mix together well. Rub half of the mixture into both sides of the roast and set the rest aside for the next time you make this - and you WILL.

Heat a skillet large enough to hold the chuck roast and add oil. When the oil is good and hot, carefully add the roast to the skillet and brown it well on both sides. 

While the beef is browning, add half the onions, sweet red pepper, garlic slivers and jalapeno to the slow cooker. Once it's browned place the chuck roast on top and add the rest of the onions, peppers, garlic and jalapenos, the can of RoTel and sprinkle on the demerara (or brown) sugar and the envelope of ranch dressing mix. Pour the beer over all, cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours. Once the roast falls apart easily, it's done. 

You can use it right away or refrigerate for the next day. Flavors are always better the next day, aren't they? Use for tacos, Chris's Frito Pie or any other use you can think of. Quesadillas? Sure! Nachos? Why not? Burritos? You bet! Here's how I used my Barbacoa.

Frito Pie for Chris.

Tacos: Take a couple of soft corn tortillas and lay on the barbacoa and your favorite goodies!

Frito Pie: In a shallow bowl, make a layer of Fritos, then barbacoa, shredded colby jack cheese (or your own fave cheese), diced avocado, thinly sliced green onions, a little chopped tomato and a sprinkling of cilantro. Oh, and a slathering of Hatch Chile salsa...Hatch chilies were Chris's favorite!

Dark n Stormy Stew

"It was a dark and stormy night." Remember Snoopy at his typewriter, sitting atop his doghouse, clicking out that cliched opening line to his novel? That thought may have just brought a smile to your face, it certainly does to mine.

You may not know (then again, you might just be hip to it already!), but there's another kind of Dark n Stormy that brings a smile, too...the classic cocktail of dark rum, ginger beer and lime by the same name. Not only that, there's Dark n Stormy Stew, too. Yep, why not put the same flavors that work as a cocktail into a rich, hearty and spicy beef crockpot-simple stew? No reason not to...so I did!

Rum and ginger paired perfectly to make a satisfying winter stew loaded with butternut squash, pearl onions, fingerling potatoes and lots of savory gravy redolent with ginger, clove and allspice to echo the spice notes of fine dark rum and good ginger beer. As the stew simmered slowly over the hours, flavors melded into such a conglomeration of sweet, savory, gingery, rummy goodness that even butternut squash became as one with the sauce.

What do you accent the inspirational cocktail with? Lime. And there's no more proper finish to the stew either than bright and fresh lime. Just as the green citrus fruit perks up the dark sweetness of the cocktail, freshly grated lime zest and a hefty squeeze of a lime wedge do the same thing for this savory stew. Lime and gingery beef stew may sound like an odd combo, but trust me...the accent of lime takes the party to new heights.

As for the perfect cocktail pairing? A Dark n Stormy, of course! Here's the recipe for BOTH the stew AND the cocktail.

Dark n Stormy Stew

• 2 T canola oil
• 2 1/2 pounds beef flapsteak (that's what I had in the freezer - use your own favorite, tender stew beef)
• 2 1/2 C butternut squash, cubed - you know I use the already peeled and cubed squash the grocer conveniently has waiting in plastic tubs in the produce section (repurpose the plastic...wash it out and use it to store cookies!)
• 12 oz bag of frozen pearl onions (hey...if YOU want to go to the trouble of peeling all those teeny, tiny fresh pearl onions, go ahead....we'll wait for you to catch up....)
• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut in half 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1 t. powdered ginger
• 1/2 t. allspice
• 1/2 C dark rum - I used Meyer's
• 7 oz bottle ginger beer - I use Fever Tree
• 2 T cornstarch
• 5 oz. (1/2 a can) beef broth
• 2 limes - 1 zested, 1 cut into wedges

To get good deep beefy flavors going in a crockpot stew, you know I always like to start by browning the meat in a skillet - that's where we're starting this time, too.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. While the oil is heating, season the beef liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the beef cubes in 2 batches. Remove each to the waiting crockpot.

Add the rum to the skillet and stir well to get all those browned bits into the rum. Set aside.

Add the squash, onions and potatoes along with the spices to the crockpot and give it all a good stir. Pour the rum that's still in the skillet and a bottle of ginger beer over the contents of the crockpot. Cover.

Start the crockpot on high and cook for an hour, then lower the temp to low (my crockpot only has settings of "off" "low" and "high.") and continue cooking 4-5 hours until the beef is tender and the squash has nearly disintegrated - it becomes part of the rich sauce.

To thicken the gravy, mix 2 T cornstarch with half a can (5 oz) beef broth and stir into the stew. It will thicken in minutes.

To Serve: Ladle the stew into bowls, sprinkle a little lime zest over each and serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the top. 

Classic Dark and Stormy - The Cocktail

• 2 oz dark rum - Gosling's preferred
• 3 oz. ginger beer - Fever Tree or the excellent Pittsburgh-made Jamaica's Finest by Natrona Bottling
• a nice big lime wedge

In a collins glass filled with ice, add the rum and top with ginger beer. Add lime juice, stir gently and serve.

Green Chile Pork Pozole - Crockpot-Style

For YEARS I've been seeing recipes for a Mexican dish called alternately posole or pozole. Some recipes used pork, some used chicken, some had a red chile base, some used green chiles...ALL sounded rich, spicy and satisfying. 

Depending upon the source, I ripped or printed out probably dozens of versions over the last 6-7 years and never once made one of them. But. After years of pouring over recipes, I knew just what parts of recipes sounded like a fit with my family's palates. Extra jalapeno heat, deep smoky cumin, a little herbaceousness via a hint of oregano, LOTS of tender pork and and lots of sweet, corn-y almost potato-y hominy.
 
To make it easy, I went with long, slow crockpot cooking. Easy yes, but I sure didn't want to sacrifice the flavor of what  browning would do for the pork and veggies...so I browned boneless pork shoulder before adding to the crockpot and then softened garlic, onion and tomatillos in the drippings. I deglazed with the pan with green enchilada sauce to get every last bit of goodness out of the skillet and into the crockpot. 
 
After cooking all day (or all night in my case), the result is a thick soup (or thin stew - depending on your glass-half-full/half-empty interpretation) that is ladled into bowls, garnished with bright green cilantro and a healthy squeeze of a lime wedge or two.
 
Our fall dinner menus consist of a few favorite Mexican-inspired soups/stews seeming just made for cool nights and warm tummies. Pozole just joined the ranks of that list! Pozole sits right in line now with chili, white chili and taco soup. 

Next time I think I might try scooping a mound of brown rice or black beans into the center of the bowl. Maybe I'll try it with chicken...or turkey. What is definite here is that I'll positively be making this one again. Frequently!



            Green Chile Pork Pozole - Crockpot-Style

• 2 T. canola oil
• 2 1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast, cubed, browned 

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tomatillos, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

• 1 28-ounce can green enchilada sauce
• 2 15 to 16 ounce cans hominy, drained

• fresh cilantro
• lime wedges

In a large, heavy skillet, brown pork in oil in 3 batches. Move each batch to the crockpot as it is done. Saute the veggies and seasonings in the oil left in the skillet until veggies are softened, add to crockpot. Add enchilada sauce to the skillet and stir up all the browned bits, getting ALL the good stuff off the bottom and into the sauce. Add to the crockpot along with the hominy.
 
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, then low 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender.

To serve: Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro. 

Serve with cornbread.

6 servings.

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 T cornstarch
• 2 T taco seasoning (I use hot taco seasoning)
• 2 bell peppers, cut into bite size pieces (go crazy and use green AND red!)
• 1 med. onion, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 C frozen corn
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 ½ C jarred salsa (again, I use hot)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t)
• Cooked rice

• shredded cheese (cheddar, pepperjack, Mexican – whatever you like)

Mix the cornstarch and taco seasoning together, dredge the chicken in the mixture and put the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker.

Mix in the peppers, onions, corn, tomatoes, salsa and black beans (if you’re using them).

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, depending on your slow cooker.

Serve over rice and top with cheese. Ole!

Wine-Braised Short Ribs





Wine-Braised Short Ribs



Tonight is Halloween!  Nights like this don't we all need to get dinner on the table fast? 

Yesterday I threw tonight's dinner in the crockpot to heat up in a hurry tonight.  Then, tonight all I had to do was butter some noodles to pile the ribs and sauce onto and add a quick green salad.  Easy.  And, we finished dinner, cleaned up and were at the door to see all the kids in costume and pass out the candy with time to spare!

• 3 lbs. meaty, bone-in short ribs
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• canola oil
• 1 C. red wine, use whatever you like to drink...besides, you probably already have it in the house!
• 1 C. brewed coffee
• 1 1/2 large onions, chopped roughly
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 C. chopped carrots
• 3 sprigs fresh oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 1-2 T. tomato paste
• 1 T. honey

Sprinkle the ribs very liberally with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large skillet until it is very hot, but not smoking.  Add the ribs and get a good crusty sear on them, turning to sear every side.  Remove the ribs from the skillet and move them to a crockpot.


Turn down the heat, add the onion, garlic and carrots to the skillet and stir until slightly softened.  Make a sauce by adding the red wine, coffee, tomato paste and honey to the skillet and scrape up all the good browned bits from the bottom. 


Pour the sauce over the ribs in the crockpot, nestle the oregano and bay leaves down between the ribs, cover the crockpot and cook on high for 4 1/2 hours.  Remove lid and cook an additional hour. 


You can serve this right away over buttered noodles (I use gluten-free, of course), but I like to refrigerate it and serve it the next day...only makes the flavors better!  It also allows you to take the solidified fat off the top to save yourself those extra calories!


Note:  My favorite gluten-free noodle is by Schar.  You cannot tell the difference between the Schar brand and a regular egg noodle!