Mesquite-Grilled Snapper with Ancho Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Mesquite wood smoke is absorbed by the fish while it grills, imparting a distinctly Southwestern flavor. Care should be taken not to overcook–or burn–the fish.

Ingredients

  • 2 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 small tomatoes, peeled and chopped

  • 1/4 cup raisins

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • Mesquite chips, soaked in water

  • 4 snapper fillets

  • Olive oil

Instructions

Saute the chile and onion in the vegetable oil until soft. Add the remaining ingredients, except the fish and olive oil, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Keep the sauce warm.

Prepare a fire of mesquite wood, or a charcoal fire with mesquite chips added. When the coals have burned down to a medium heat, rub the fillets with olive oil and grill for four or five minutes per side, turning once. Turning more often could cause the fillets to fall apart.

Place the fish on individual plates, pour the sauce over the top and serve.

Grape-Grilled Quail w/ Goat Cheese Rounds

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Although many Southwest barbecues and grilled meats utilize mesquite, it is not the only aromatic wood to use–experiment with pecan, apple, peach, and grape clippings. If you use charcoal for the main fire, be sure to soak the wood for an hour in water before grilling. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 12 quail

  • 2 ancho chiles, seeds and stems removed

  • 2/3 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup orange juice

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 6 2-ounce goat cheese rounds

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1/4 cup dried corn bread crumbs

  • 6 6-inch pieces of thick grape vine clippings, soaked in water

  • Salsa of choice

Instructions

Cut the wing tips off the quail, then split the birds down the back and remove the backbone. With a knife tip, remove the rib bones from each quail, and then slice open the thigh bones to remove the bones and joint, taking care to keep the skin intact. Open up each quail and press the legs together, securing them with toothpicks.

Simmer the chiles in water for 15 minutes. Place the chiles in a blender along with the olive oil, orange and lime juices, and the garlic and puree. Pour this sauce over the quail and marinate for an hour.

While the quail are marinating, prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire and preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush each goat cheese round with olive oil, coat with corn bread crumbs, and bake for 5 minutes. If you start the baking just when the quail are being grilled, both should be done at the same time.

Add the grape clippings to the coals, arrange the quail skin side down on the rack and grill for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn them. Turn the quail and grill for an additional 2 minutes.

If the skin is not yet crisp, turn once more and grill for an additional minute.

Serve 2 quail on each plate with a goat cheese round and garnished with the salsa.

Smoked Turkey Basted with Cascabel Oil

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This simple dish yields a complex taste. Serve the turkey hot with the chile oil and a salsa on the side, or cold on a bolillo roll. You can substitute anchos or pasillas for the cascabels.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 6 cascabel chiles, stems and seeds removed, crushed

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 10-pound turkey

Instructions

Heat the oil and saute the chiles and garlic until softened. Remove from the heat and add the oregano, salt, and pepper.

Split the turkey in half by cutting in through the breast and backbone. Brush the chile oil over the turkey and marinate for a couple of hours at room temperature.

Place the turkey sections, breast side up, on a grill in a smoker and smoke with indirect heat over an aromatic wood such as pecan, apple, or hickory. Baste the turkey with the oil every half hour until the turkey sections are done, approximately 4 hours.

Jalapeno-Stuffed Steaks

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Grilled steaks no longer have to be just a piece of plain meat. Any type of fresh chile or combinations of chiles can be substituted for the jalapeños in this recipe. The stuffing can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. An hour before cooking, slice the steaks and fill with the chile mixture.

Ingredients

  • 10 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, chopped

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

  • 3 pounds trimmed fillet of beef, cut into 6 thick steaks

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Saute the chiles, onion, and garlic in the oil for a couple of minutes, until just soft but still a little crisp. Remove, cool, and mix in the cheese.

Slice into the steaks from the edge, creating a “pocket” for the stuffing. Stuff with the jalapeño mixture and fasten the opening with a toothpick, if necessary. Season the outside of each steak with the black pepper.

Grill over hot charcoal to the desired doneness.

Pork Chops Ranchero-Style

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

The addition of cumin and chiles give these pork chops a wonderful Southwestern flavor. You can grill them over charcoal, gas, or wood. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 1/4 cup lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup chopped onions

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 4 thick-cut pork chops

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients, except the pork, and marinate the pork in the mixture for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove the chops from the marinade and grill until done.

Serving Suggestions: The remaining marinade can be boiled for a few minutes and served on the side as a sauce.