Chilly Out There! Chili In Here!

The secret is Sausage! Mmmmm, sausage!


Start with 1# stew meat and 1# italian sausage links

Place on baking sheet in oven at 350 for 1 hour.

The juices from the sausage will help brown the stew meat.  Just throw 'em on there and let cook.

Meanwhile, brown 1# ground meat in skillet.

Drain and mix into crockpot or stew pot with:

32 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
3 tbsp chili powder

1 can diced tomatoes 
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp liquid smoke
1 can black or red beans
sprinkle of turmeric, cumin, black pepper

In same skillet, saute 1 small onion, diced.
(Optional - 1 small green pepper)
Add to stew pot.

Cut stew meat into smallish cubes, add to stew.

Slice sausage into chunks and saute in same skillet until browned on all sides.  Add to stew.

Cook all together for at least 1 hour before serving.  Best when made in advance and reheated.  Don't stir too much or beans will break up into mush.  The diced tomatoes should break down a bit though.

I prefer the addition of 1 c dark beer but not everyone likes that.  You can of course add cayenne pepper or tabasco to make it hot. I use hot sausage which adds a lot of spices anyway...

If you have a large crockpot or a dutch oven - double this recipe.  Feeds 10-15 :)

Savory Burger & Blue Cheese Roll!

Yet another use for Pillsbury dough! They should be paying me or something... :)


1. Cook 1# of ground beef, or moose, or whatever you have 150 lbs of in your freezer.



2. Unroll pizza crust dough on greased cookie sheet, spread with barbecue sauce, then spread layer of cooked meat.  Don't spread all the way to the far end - you want a little flap for closing the roll.


3. Top with crumbled blue cheese and shredded mozzarella.


4. Roll from near short end like a big jelly roll with closing flap last; this keeps it from unrolling while it cooks.  It will look like some kind of big white larvae from a sci-fi movie, but trust me that it will look better when it is cooked!

5.  Bake according to dough package directions.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella for last 5 minutes.



6. Slice to serve with bbq sauce.

Restaurant-Quality Steak Subs!

I absolutely love steak and cheese subs, and try them at every sub shop, but had to find a way to make them at home so I can have them any time I want.   This is how I do it:

Marinate steak tips in soy sauce with black pepper for at least an hour, shaking the container a couple of times to distribute marinade.

You can also marinade with marsala cooking wine, or a rich brown ale, if you like that sort of thing.


Coat with flour.  Gluten Free baking mix works well also; make sure the soy sauce is GF too.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over med-hi heat.  Saute steak tips 4 minutes each side.



Cover pan loosely and cook until edges are crispy, about 10 minutes.

Serve with sub rolls, mayo, and cheese.


Variations:

- barbecue sauce or steak sauce
- sauteed mushrooms
- onions & peppers.
- toast sub rolls open-faced under broiler 2 minutes

Hot Beef Convection

This is a top round roast, smoked with hickory chips and basted with spicy bbq sauce to keep it moist.

It took about 3 hours, and went perfectly with fresh local sweet corn.

Leftovers were shredded and used to make BBQ Tacos -  heat shredded beef with a little bbq sauce. Serve in taco shells with cheese and coleslaw or fried peppers & onions.

Hungry yet?

Shishkebab is Easy! Just Marinate and Penetrate!

Shishkebab really is simple to prepare, but there are a few handy tips that can help:

If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes  - this will make them burn less on the grill so the ends don't break off when you handle them. Also, try going for double penetration. (ha)

Using two skewers for each gives more strength, and the food won't spin around when you move them.


Beef shishkebab needs to be cooked on high heat for 20 minutes, flipping once. Some veggies will accomodate this timeframe - onions, tomatoes, mushrooms.  Denser veggies like peppers or eggplant should be briefly boiled before skewering. Try shaking veggies in a plastic bag with a splash of salad dressing or white wine to give them a little zest.

Side dish suggestion: cold Greek Pasta Salad.

1 box orzo
1 pkg frozen spinach, defrosted and drained.
1 bottle caesar salad dressing (not creamy)
feta, green olives, tomatoes to taste

Cook orzo, rinse with cold water and drain well. Add remaining ingredients. Let blend in fridge for a couple hours.

It's Barbecue Season: Smoking The Kielbasa

Here is a bit more detail on meat smoking. It can be done with either your regular grill or with a specialty smoker like the one seen here. (this one was purchased by my grandparents in 1977) You can achieve similar results with a regular grill as long as the cooking temperature is maintained - it is important to only open the cover as needed to baste and turn. This enclosed unit has vent holes on top and bottom - circulation is important to good flavor without a sooty taste.

The key to the smoke flavor is to use wood chips, which  must be soaked in water for several hours before use. Chips that are too dry will just burn away, coating the food in soot.  Put the soaked chips into an aluminum can or make a little dish out of foil.  Place the container into the charcoal or next to the gas burner. Wood chips may be re-used several times.

Your meat handling technique will make all of the difference for a successful meat smoking session. Some meats will need more prep than others: sausages and kielbasa are ready to party right out of the package.  Unprepared meats like chicken, beef brisket or pork loin will need a bit more fluffing: first, circumcise away all the little flaps and loose bits and anything you wouldn't want in your mouth. Slather with sauce, or sprinkle with spice rub and spank firmly with generously oiled hands. Use a brush to baste every hour until done.