Recipes

Recipes

Biscuits and Gravy

Ingredients

  • 1 lb sausage
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • Black pepper

Directions

With the sausage and grease still in the skillet, sprinkle the 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour right over the sausage and grease right in the pan.

At this point I like to add a good amount of black pepper.

Stir, stir, stir. We need to cook the flour a bit without letting it brown. This usually takes 2 to 3 minutes.

Next, you’ll gradually add in the milk, stirring well after each addition. Some folks like a thick gravy, so using about 2 cups of milk will be enough. Others like it thinner, so you can add up to 1/2 cup (or more) to the gravy to get it thinner. I like to use whole milk here, but 2% or skim milk will work in a pinch.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the gravy to thicken.

The gravy will thicken even more as it sits, so feel free to stir in a little more milk to thin it out if it starts getting too thick for your liking.

Breakfast Sausage

Venison breakfast sausage — makes a 1 lb batch.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz venison
  • 4 oz fat
  • 1/2 tsp ground sage
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp thyme, powdered
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  • Pepper flakes, if desired

Brett’s Cafe-D Salsa

Ingredients

  • 8 oz chiles
  • 16 oz water
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 14 oz diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

Boil and set for 3 hours. Add the diced tomatoes, onion, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar.

Lisa’s Favorite Carne Asada Marinade

“I’ve tried many marinade recipes for carne asada, and this is our family favorite!” — By Lisa Arlotti, via Allrecipes

Prep: 20 mins  |  Cook: 10 mins  |  Additional: 1 day 10 mins  |  Total: 1 day 40 mins  |  Servings: 12  |  Yield: 1 1/2 cups marinade

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup lime juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped canned chipotle pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 pounds flank steak

Directions

  1. Combine the orange, lemon, and lime juice in a large glass or ceramic bowl along with the garlic, soy sauce, chipotle pepper, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, dried oregano, black pepper, and cilantro. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until marinade is well combined. Remove one cup of the marinade and place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for use after the meat is cooked.
  2. Place the flank steak between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the steak with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch. After pounding, poke steak all over with a fork. Add the meat to the marinade in the large bowl, cover, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
  3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
  4. Remove the steak from the marinade and grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Discard used marinade. Remove meat from heat and slice across the grain.
  5. Pour the one cup of reserved, unused marinade over the hot meat and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts — Per Serving: 207 calories; protein 15g; carbohydrates 5.7g; fat 14g; cholesterol 25.3mg; sodium 640.4mg.

Source: Allrecipes, printed 04/07/2022

Carnitas

The base for the Street Tacos. A 3–4 lb shoulder makes about 2 lbs cooked — the tacos only call for 1 lb, and the leftovers freeze well and work in the Enchiladas below, too.

Ingredients

  • 3–4 lbs pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 white onion, quartered
  • Juice of 2 oranges (about 3/4 cup)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup lard or oil (optional, traditional)
  • Water, to almost cover (about 1 cup)

Directions

  1. Season the pork all over with the salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Put it in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaves, orange juice, lime juice, and lard if using. Add just enough water to almost cover the meat.
  2. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 2 1/2–3 hours, turning the meat occasionally, until it is very tender and the liquid has mostly cooked down.
  3. Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium, and cook off the remaining liquid. Let the pork fry and crisp in its own fat, turning and breaking it into bite-size chunks as it browns, about 15–20 minutes. Don’t stir it too much or it won’t crisp — the crispy edges are the whole point.
  4. Pull out the bay leaves and onion, taste for salt, and shred lightly, leaving plenty of crispy chunks.

Notes

Slow cooker: Same ingredients with half the water, low for 7–8 hours until tender. Then crisp the shredded pork in a cast iron skillet with a spoonful of its cooking fat — don’t skip the crisping step.

Freezes well. Reheat in a hot skillet to bring the crispy edges back.

Enchiladas

The best use for leftover carne asada — the Carnitas above work just as well. Makes a 9×13 pan, about 12 enchiladas.

Ingredients — Red Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Ingredients — Filling & Assembly

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 lb cooked carne asada, chopped (or shredded carnitas, or 1 lb ground beef, browned)
  • 3 cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or cheddar), divided
  • 1/2 onion, finely diced
  • Oil, for softening the tortillas
  • Optional to serve: Brett’s Cafe-D Salsa, sour cream, sliced green onion, chopped cilantro

Directions

  1. Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, and salt and cook 30 seconds, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and tomato sauce so it stays smooth. Simmer about 10 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
  3. Soften the tortillas: Heat a little oil in a skillet and fry each tortilla 10–15 seconds per side, just until pliable — same idea as the Street Taco shells, but don’t let them crisp. Drain on paper towels.
  4. Fill each tortilla with meat, a good pinch of cheese, and a little onion. Roll up and place seam-side down in the dish.
  5. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and cover with the rest of the cheese.
  6. Bake 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Rest 5–10 minutes before serving — they hold together better.

Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bacon
  • 5 lbs potatoes (Russet or Idaho Gold)
  • 2 large white onions
  • 2 bunches green onion
  • 5 stalks celery
  • 5 carrots (sliced, diced or julienne)
  • 4–8 cups chicken broth + water to cover
  • 3 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 spoonfuls minced garlic
  • 3 1/2 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 5 tsp Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
  • 3/4–1 stick butter
  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream

Directions

Cut the bacon into 1″ pieces. Fry the bacon in the stock pot until very crispy. Remove the bacon, and drain grease from stock pot (leave bacon “residue” in the pot). Peel the potatoes and cut into 1″ cubes. Larger cubes will result in “chunkier” soup. Cut onions into fairly small chunks. Slice green onions. Slice celery stalks. Slice/dice/julienne the carrots (if purchased whole). Put all in the pot, cover with water, and bring to a roiling boil.

Add the following: broth, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, basil, red pepper, and hot sauce.

Stir. Bring the soup to a rolling boil uncovered, then turn it down a bit to just a steady low boil, covered for 1.5–3 hrs. It does not have to be a heavy boil the whole time. Keep an eye on the soup — if it starts getting too thick, add some water right away and reduce it to a simmer. After boiling a few hours, it will thicken nicely. If short on time, the soup can be thickened by adding flour (flavor will not be as full though). Reduce the heat to a simmer. It typically takes me about 2.5 hours.

Stir in the bacon, butter, and whipping cream. Let simmer for ~1/2 hour. Serve with bread/butter, and favorite local brew.

Notes

Ham or 2 to 3 smoked ham hocks may be substituted for bacon. Up to 2 lbs of bacon has been used. Cheese may be added or used as topping.

I’ve taken to making batches with half russet potatoes, half yellow or Yukon Gold. The russets end up dissolving and thickening up the soup nicely, while the yellow potatoes hold their shape so you still have something to bite into.

Salsa Rojo Chilaquiles

Crisp tortilla chips simmered just long enough in a guajillo-tomato salsa roja to go saucy without turning to mush, piled with seared al pastor pork, sour cream, and fresh pineapple. Serves 4 — sauce them to order, they wait for no one.

Ingredients — Salsa Roja

  • 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 Roma tomatoes
  • 1/4 white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 chipotle in adobo (optional, for heat)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt
  • 1 cup chicken broth or water

Ingredients — Chips & Al Pastor

  • 12 corn tortillas, cut into wedges
  • Oil, for frying
  • 1 lb pork shoulder, sliced thin
  • 2 chipotles in adobo + 2 tbsp adobo sauce
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp achiote paste (or 1 tsp paprika + a pinch of turmeric)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 2 cloves garlic, salt
  • 1 cup diced fresh pineapple, divided

Ingredients — To Serve

  • Sour cream
  • Crumbled cotija or shredded Monterey Jack (optional)
  • Diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges (optional)

Directions

  1. Salsa: Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet, about 30 seconds per side, then soak in hot water 15 minutes. Blend with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle, cumin, salt, and broth until smooth. Simmer in an oiled saucepan about 10 minutes, until it coats a spoon. (This keeps fine made ahead.)
  2. Al pastor: Blend the chipotles, adobo sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, achiote, cumin, oregano, garlic, and salt. Coat the pork and marinate 30 minutes, or overnight. Sear in a ripping-hot cast iron skillet in batches — don’t crowd it — until charred at the edges. Toss with half the diced pineapple in the last minute so it caramelizes, then chop.
  3. Chips: Fry the wedges in 350°F oil in batches until crisp, drain, and salt. (Baked works too: brush with oil, 400°F until crisp.)
  4. Assemble: Warm the salsa in a large skillet, fold in the chips, and toss just until coated and starting to soften, 1–2 minutes. Any longer and they go soggy. Plate immediately.
  5. Top with the al pastor, dollops of sour cream, the remaining diced pineapple, and the optional cheese, onion, cilantro, and lime.

Notes

If you’re feeding a crowd, keep the salsa, chips, and toppings separate and let people build their own — sauced chilaquiles don’t hold.

No trompo needed. The screaming-hot skillet gets you the charred edges that make it al pastor, and the same marinade works on leftover carnitas in a pinch.

Street Tacos

Makes ~15 1 oz tacos.

Equipment / setup: Oil — taco shells — taco former — 2x 5″ pan

Meat

  • 1 lb carnitas
  • 1 packet taco seasoning + 1 cup water

Add-ons

  • 1/3–1/4 head lettuce
  • Shredded cheese
  • Parm cheese
  • Thick hot sauce

Directions

Prep meat.

Fry taco shells in 1 cm oil. (Medium heat better than low heat.) Each shell takes ~90 seconds to cook.

Fold shells, then sprinkle with Parm.

Add meat, then add-ons, and serve.

Truffle Steak Frites with Sauce Diane

From Truffle Shuffle — truffleshuffleSF.com / @TruffleShuffle_SF

Please have 3 tablespoons of Madeira, cognac, or brandy on hand.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14 ounce) NY strip steak *
  • 2 russet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 packet Balinese Truffle Salt
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 bunch chives *
  • 1 jar Truffle Carpaccio
  • 3 sprigs thyme *
  • 2 tablespoons butter *
  • 1/3 cup cream *
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Sauce Diane base
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire

* Please keep refrigerated before class

Prep

Just before class, remove the steak from its packaging and set on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside at room temperature to temper.

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
  2. Wash and cut the potato into quarters lengthwise, then slice each quarter to make 3 steak fries.
  3. Transfer to a mixing bowl along with half of the canola oil and a pinch of Balinese Truffle Salt. Toss to coat.
  4. Spray the lined sheet trays with pan spray. Line the steak fries on the trays, leaving space between each fry.
  5. Transfer to the oven to bake, rotating every 15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy, about 45 minutes in total.
  6. Peel and finely mince the shallot. Slice the chives. Chop half of the Truffle Carpaccio.

How to Cook

  1. Season the steak with Balinese Truffle Salt.
  2. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the remaining canola oil to the preheated pan.
  3. Just before the oil begins smoking, add the steaks and sear over high heat, flipping every 30 seconds or so until cooked to your desired doneness, about 2–3 minutes for a solid medium-rare.
  4. Add the butter. Smash the garlic clove and add it to the pan, along with the thyme. Use a large metal spoon to baste.
  5. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board to rest, topped with the garlic and thyme.
  6. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the minced shallot and lightly saute. Season with a pinch of Balinese Truffle Salt.
  7. Add the Madeira, cognac, or brandy and flambé!
  8. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and whisk in the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, and sliced chives. Taste and adjust the seasoning with Balinese Truffle Salt.
  9. Remove the steak fries from the oven and toss in the mixing bowl along with the chopped Truffle Carpaccio and a sprinkle of Balinese Truffle Salt.
  10. Carve the steaks and plate them alongside a pile of Truffle Steak Fries, topped with that delicious Sauce Diane and a few slices of Truffle Carpaccio. Dig in!!!

Mise en Place: Plate, paper towels, cutting board, knife, mixing bowl, 2 foil-lined sheet trays, pan spray, large saute pan, tongs, large metal spoon, lighter, wooden spoon, whisk, pan spray.

Venison Chili

Big-pot chili, cooked like the Potato Soup — low and slow, and better the next day. Makes about 8 servings and freezes well.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground venison
  • 1 tablespoon oil or bacon grease
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 spoonfuls minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped canned chipotle pepper (or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper)
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth or beer
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 (15 oz) cans kidney or pinto beans, drained (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Brown the venison in batches, breaking it up as it cooks. Venison is lean, so there’s little to drain. Set the browned meat aside.
  2. In the same pot, cook the onion and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  3. Return the venison to the pot. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and chipotle, and stir for 1–2 minutes to toast the spices in with the meat.
  4. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth or beer, salt, and black pepper. Stir, and bring to a boil.
  5. Turn it down to a low simmer, cover, and cook 1 1/2–2 hours, stirring occasionally. If it gets too thick, add a little water. Like the Potato Soup, it thickens up on its own as it goes.
  6. If using beans, stir them in for the last 30 minutes.
  7. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Serve with shredded cheese, sliced green onion, and sour cream.

Notes

Venison is lean — for a richer pot, brown 1/2 lb of the Breakfast Sausage or a few slices of chopped bacon in with it. Leftovers freeze well and make an easy tin meal.

Tin Meals

  • Enchiladas
  • Mac and Cheese + Burgers
  • Lasagna
  • Potato Soup
  • Beef in Au Jus for Sandwiches