Two weeks ago, my niece Jordan ordered me to grind up a batch of my habanero chorizo for the family’s Saturday grill night. What she did not dictate was how I cooked it for the group. Some of you may remember how much I love playing with grilling pizza. I combined the two dishes in this simple little twist on pizza and quesadillas. The only person who ended up hating it was me because it was all gone before I had a chance to fill up on the stuff.
Easy Photo How-to: Chiles Rellenos
Here’s a blow-by-blow description of how to make classic New Mexico-style chiles rellenos. Creating truly great chiles rellenos requires a bit of effort, but once you’ve had that first cheesy, glorious bite, you’ll be glad you took the time.
Thai Red Curry: The Art of Asian Heat
There’s something about the richness of red curry paste that is incredibly satisfying to the palate; in fact, I find that even a small portion of good red curry leaves me feeling sated—much more so than a comparable amount of Chinese food, for instance.
Sidekicks: Three Fun Barbecue Side Dishes from Mike Stines
Now you’re looking for some ideas for side dishes that will withstand the hot weather and not make your guests ill. Here’s what I like to serve: Thai-style cucumber salad, horseradish pickled beets and pickled red onions. Add some chipotle butter for the corn and you’ll have a great meal with complementary flavors and tastes.
Mike’s Carolina-style Pulled Pork in Mustard
Barbecue cooking isn’t rocket science nor, however, does two plus two equal four on the grill. Barbecue is low and slow cooking not baking (that’s more chemistry than cooking). The meat is done when it’s done; you can guesstimate so many minutes per pound but you’ll rarely be right on the money.
Grindhouse: Pasilla Peppers with Habanero Chorizo Stuffing
Chorizo sausage is a great idea on paper, but it’s often a lousy idea in plastic. You’d think Mexican (or Spanish) spices and ground pork would be hard to mess up. Yet every time I bite into the grease-laden, second-class meat product from a plastic wrapper that passes for chorizo at my local supermarket, the maker finds new and exciting ways to disappoint me. That’s part of the reason I got my mitts on a Cabela’s Pro Series motorized meat grinder. The other was so I can make my own pepperoni, Christmas breakfast sausage, and ground bacon burgers, but that’s at least two other stories.
Perfect Summer Party Food: Flautas Done Two Ways
If you’re having people over and want to serve Southwest-inspried finger food, look no further than flautas. Here are recipes for beef and chicken flautas.
