bacon wrapped sonora hot dogs

Bacon-wrapped Sonora Hot Dogs

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This recipe appeared in the article Bacon-Wrapped Brats and Dogs, Oh My on the Burn! Blog. (excerpted from The Tex-Mex Grill and Backyard Barbacoa Cookbook by Robb Walsh

Ingredients

4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Tabasco® or other hot sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
4 all-beef wieners (fat ones work better than long ones)
4 slices extra-thin bacon
4 torpedo rolls or bolillos
4 tablespoons warm refried beans (recipe follows)
8 tablespoons chopped avocado or guacamole
4 heaping tablespoons grated jack or cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons chopped tomato
4 tablespoons Salsa Verde (recipe follows)
1/4 cup lard, bacon grease, or vegetable oil
3 cups drained cooked pinto beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup reserved bean broth
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound tomatillos, husked and washed
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 fresh serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1 cup minced sweet onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Sea salt

Instructions

Mix the mayo, Tabasco, and lemon juice and use a funnel to put the mayo blend in a squeeze bottle. Wrap the wieners with the bacon slices so the sausage is completely covered. Cook the wieners on a comal or flat top, rolling them over until the bacon is crunchy on all sides, about 7 minutes. Cut a pocket into the buns to form a “boat” and toast them on the grill. When the wieners are cooked, divide the beans and avocado among the four rolls, spooning them inside the pocket and spreading on either side. Spread the cheese down the middle. Using tongs put one piping-hot bacon-wrapped wiener into the pocket of each roll. Top each wiener with onions and tomatoes. Spread the Salsa Verde across the top. Apply the mayo blend in squiggles across the top of the hot dog.

For the refried beans, melt the lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Allow it to heat for another minute, then add the beans and mash them for 2 minutes with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste). Add the bean broth and the pepper and continue mashing until the beans reach the desired consistency. Tex-Mex beans are generally chunky rather than soupy.

For the Salsa Verde, put the cleaned tomatillos in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow the tomatillos to soak for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and purée the tomatillos in a food processor. Add the cilantro, serranos, onion, garlic, sugar, and lime juice to the food processor and pulse three or four times to combine. Season with salt to taste.

Cold or Hot Avocado Soup

Cold or Hot Avocado Soup

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This summer soup is delicious cold or hot. While this recipe makes four servings, each just under one cup, you may want to double it, either to accommodate more people or larger appetites. From the article Avocado Madness!

Ingredients

2 cups chicken broth
1 ripe, large Haas avocado
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Habanero hot sauce, to taste
Italian parsley leaves and cherry tomato rings for garnish

Instructions

In a large sauce pan, heat the chicken broth until hot, not boiling. Set aside.

Peel the avocado and remove the seed. Cut into several pieces, place in the food processor or blender, and purée. Turn off the blender and pour in the whipping cream, followed by the hot chicken broth, cumin, salt, white pepper, sherry, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Pulse a few times, just until mixture is blended. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve immediately, or chill for at least two hours and serve.

Heat Scale: Varies

Argentinian Parrilla with Chimichurri Sauce

Argentinian Parrilla with Chimichurri Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

A parrilla is a simple grill in Argentina, but the wonders it can create! As barbecue expert Steven Raichlen noted, “Argentina can be a forbidding place for a vegetarian.” Chimichurri is the sauce most commonly served with beef straight from the parrilla, and there are dozens—if not hundreds—of variations of it, and a debate about whether it should contain chiles. You know which side we favor, and our version of chimichurri contains green ají chiles. Since cattle are so large in Argentina, why not use a huge steak? Serve with grilled sweet potato and poblano chile kabobs, and black beans and rice.

Ingredients

Steak Rub
2 tablespoons ground red ají chile or substitute ground New Mexican red chile
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt

The Steak
3-pound sirloin steak, 2 inches thick

Chimichurri Sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 green ají amarillo chiles, seeds removed, chopped, or substitute jalapeños
1 bay leaf, center rib removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
3⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano or 2 tablespoons dried
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ to 1⁄3 cup olive oil

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the steak rub. Rub well into the steak, place in a large plastic zip bag and marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or preferably overnight.

To make the sauce, combine the vinegar, garlic, jalapeños, and bay leaf in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add the onion, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse until blended but not pureed. Whisk in the oil and allow to sit for a couple hours to blend the flavors.

Before grilling, remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

Grill the steak over a medium hot fire for about 20 minutes, turning often for medium-rare (150 degrees F. internal temperature). Remove the steak from the grill, allow to sit for 5 minutes, then slice the meat against the grain and arrange on a serving platter. Ladle some of the chimichurri sauce over the meat and serve the remainder on the side.

Heat Scale: Medium

Steak with Malagueta Basting Sauce

Steak with Malagueta Basting Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Restaurants in Brazil called churrascarias sell spit-roasted meats to order, and the skewers the meat is grilled on are actually swords. A churrasco is simply a Brazilian mixed barbecue, featuring beef and pork—but feel free to throw in a few sausages, as that’s the way it’s done in Brazil.

Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

½ cup vinegar
½ cup lime juice
½ cup red wine
6 fresh malagueta chiles, chopped, or substitute tabascos
or serranos
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Two-pound T-bone steak, 1 inch thick

Instructions

Place all the ingredients for the basting sauce in a blender or food processor and puree. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl and allow to sit for a couple hours to blend the flavors. Marinate the steak in the mixture for 1 to 2 hours.

To prepare the beef, drain the meat and reserve the marinade in a pan. Bring the marinade to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Grill the beef over a medium-hot fire, basting frequently with the marinade, and turning often, for about 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare (150 degrees F. internal temperature).