Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip

We took an already pretty good thing, and upgraded the hell out of it. We made our own rub, smoked the chicken and even smoked the cream cheese - and oh holy crap. But if ur not up for the smoking, here’s a version without it.

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 - 8 ounce block cream cheese

BBQ seasoning, see recipe here

1 - 3 to 4 pound chicken

3 tablespoons mayo, Japanese if you have it

3/4 cup Franks Buffalo sauce

1/2 cup ranch dressing, recipe here

8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese, plus a little extra for the top

2 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Stuff for serving: celery, tortilla chips, toasted slices of baguette, your fingers…whatever

• Set smoker to 225 degrees

• Combine cumin, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, mustard, chili powder, salt & pepper

• Season all side of cream cheese with the seasoning mix, put in a heat proof skillet (cast iron is great) and smoke for 2 hours, remove

• Turn up smoker to 375 degrees

• Spatchcock the chicken: put it breast side down on a couple layers of paper towels, and using strong kitchen shears cut along each side of the backbone, remove & save (see the video)

• Dry well and put on a rack, and season the underside, then turn over

• Brush the skin side with a layer of the mayo, season with remaining seasoning mix and smoke until 165 degrees in the breast (roughly an hour) - remove and let cool slightly

• Shred or chop up 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the chicken and put in a large bowl with the cream cheese, Franks, ranch and Monterey jack

• Mix everything well, and put into a heat proof skillet, top with the blue cheese and smoke 25 to 30 minutes

Chinese New Year 2022

Two of my dim sum favorites - Shrimp Egg Rolls and Soy Sauce Noodles. And even though it’s a double carb menu, though just go really well together. The YouTube video of them being made is at the bottom.

SHRIMP EGG ROLLS - Makes 14-18

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, de-veined with no tail

1 big handful shredded napa cabbage, about a cup & a half

2 green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce, dark would be ideal here

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 long, or 2 shorter Holland pepper, just up fine - seeds are ok here

1 tablespoon cornstarch

18 egg roll wrappers

 For sealing:

1 tablespoon flour mixed with only enough water to make a thick paste

• Chop shrimp into very small pieces - you could use a processor, but unless you just pulse it a couple of times you’ll end up with mush, just sayin

• Add everything else (except the but the wrappers and flour paste) and combine well

• Heat oil to 370 degrees

• Lay one wrapper with a corner pointed toward you, and place about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture in the center

• Fold the corner closest to you over the mixture, then fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll (keep it quite snug as you do) then brush a little flour water on the final corner to help seal the egg roll - repeat until done

• Cook in the oil until golden brown - 3-5 minutes

• Or, you could bake them:

• Put the egg rolls on a parchment covered or lightly oiled baking sheet, and bake at 400 until golden, 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

SOY SAUCE NOODLES - Serves 3-4

1 tablespoon light soy (regular soy)

1 tablespoon dark soy, or double the light soy

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar 

6 ounces thin chow mein noodles, like these

 4 green onions, white & light green parts, cut once lengthwise, then into roughly 2 inch pieces - with the dark green top cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 small yellow onion, sliced

1 cup bean sprouts

oil

• Combine soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil and sugar - mix until sugar dissolves then set aside

• Cook noodles 2 minutes, rinse with cool water then dry well and make sure they’re separated (you don’t want a clump) and set aside

• Heat a pan or wok to medium high with about a tablespoon of oil, then add the yellow onion and the white and light green parts of the green onions – stir well and soften, about 2 minutes then remove

• Add another tables of oil, swirl around well and put in the noodles, being sure to separate lightly as you do

• Sort of coral then into a circle in a fairly flat single-ish layer - and let them cook, shaking the pan lightly as you do

• And when you start to hear the bottom of the noodles as you move them in the pan, they’re starting to get crispy. it’s time to flip and repeat

• When that side starts getting crispy, add the cooked vegetables, stirring a bit to mix, then the sauce and when it’s mixed through, finally the bean sprouts and dark green tops

• Toss everything really well, then plate

Shrimp Egg Rolls

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, de-veined with no tail

1 big handful shredded napa cabbage, about a cup & a half

2 green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce, dark would be ideal here

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 long, or 2 shorter Holland pepper, just up fine - seeds are ok here

1 tablespoon cornstarch

18 egg roll wrappers

 For sealing:

1 tablespoon flour mixed with only enough water to make a thick paste

• Chop shrimp into very small pieces - you could use a processor, but unless you just pulse it a couple of times you’ll end up with mush, just sayin

• Add everything else (except the but the wrappers and flour paste) and combine well

• Heat oil to 370 degrees

• Lay one wrapper with a corner pointed toward you, and place about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture in the center

• Fold the corner closest to you over the mixture, then fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll (keep it quite snug as you do) then brush a little flour water on the final corner to help seal the egg roll - repeat until done

• Cook in the oil until golden brown - 3-5 minutes

• Or, you could bake them:

• Put the egg rolls on a parchment covered or lightly oiled baking sheet, and bake at 400 until golden, 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

Soy Sauce Noodles

Serves 3-4

One of my favorite, all time dim sum items - ever.

1 tablespoon light soy (regular soy)

1 tablespoon dark soy, or double the light soy

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar 

6 ounces thin chow mein noodles,like these

 4 green onions, white & light green parts, cut once lengthwise, then into roughly 2 inch pieces - with the dark green top cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 small yellow onion, sliced

1 cup bean sprouts

oil

• Combine soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil and sugar - mix until sugar dissolves then set aside

• Cook noodles 2 minutes, rinse with cool water then dry well and make sure they’re separated (you don’t want a clump) and set aside

• Heat a pan or wok to medium high with about a tablespoon of oil, then add the yellow onion and the white and light green parts of the green onions – stir well and soften, about 2 minutes then remove

• Add another tables of oil, swirl around well and put in the noodles, being sure to separate lightly as you do

• Sort of coral then into a circle in a fairly flat single-ish layer - and let them cook, shaking the pan lightly as you do

• And when you start to hear the bottom of the noodles as you move them in the pan, they’re starting to get crispy. it’s time to flip and repeat

• When that side starts getting crispy, add the cooked vegetables, stirring a bit to mix, then the sauce and when it’s mixed through, finally the bean sprouts and dark green tops

• Toss eveything really well, then plate

Italian Manicotti Tacos

Makes 14

8 ounces (14) manicotti shells

Oil

1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped

3 long red Holland peppers, finely chopped, I leave the seeds in becuase I don’t find them too hot, but feel free to take them out

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage

1 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil and rosemary

1 - 15 ounce can diced San Marzano tomatoes

8 ounces ricotta cheese

8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Flour

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups panko bread crumbs

Oil for frying

• Boil manicotti shells 6 minutes, drain and let cool

• In a large pan, heat a tablespoon of oil, and add the onions and peppers, cook 3-4 minutes

• Add both of the ground meats, breaking up and cooking until just done

• Then add the seasonings, tomatoes and both cheeses - stirring well to mix everything

• Let cool completely - warm or hot won’t work cuz it’ll be too wet

• Stuff the shells carefully, then put on parchment or wax paper and freeze a couple hours

• Heat oil to 360-370 degrees

• Put the flour, egg and panko in 3 bowls - roll stuffed shells first in the flour (tapping off excess), then the egg and finally into the panko

• Fry in the oil, turning as necessary until beautifully golden brown

Gnocchi with Shiitakes, Pancetta & Roasted Garlic

The creamiest, the dreamiest and the delishiest of gnocchi dishes. Ok fine, so I have 2 kinds of garlic in here - big deal.

neutral oil

4 ounces diced pancetta (bacon is cool too)

10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 head roasted garlic, see recipe here

4 ounces smoked gouda cheese, plus a few tablespoons for the top

1/2 cup shredded parmesan, plus a few tablespoons for the top

2 - 1 pound packs potato gnocchi

• Preheat oven to 350, and bring a pot of salt water to a boil

• Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large pan and add the pancetta, cook until just beginning to get crispy, 3-4 minutes

• Add a bit more oil and then put in the shiitakes - stir well and let them get soft, maybe 5 minutes

• Add the minced garlic cloves, and when fragrant put in the whipping cream and the roasted garlic - stir though well, using back of spoon to mashed the roasted garlic a bit

• Add your gnocchi to the boiling water - when it floats, drain slightly and add to the pan

• Stir though and add the gouda and parmesan - continue stirring gently while it thicks

• When it’s beautifully creamy, put into a oven proof dish, and the remaining cheese and parsley - bake about 30 minutes or until gorgeous

Whole Roasted Garlic

Makes as many as you want

one or more whole heads of garlic

olive oil

kosher salt

• preheat your oven to 400

• a toaster oven works great for this.

• use a sharp knife and carefully cut about 1/2 inch of the top (the pointy end) of a head of garlic to expose all the individual cloves

• put garlic on a couple sheets of foil, drizzle with a little oil, add a pinch of salt and seal tightly – don’t wrap tightly, make sure there’s a little head room above the cloves

• bake 45 minutes, then let cool so you can handle the hesd

• just squeeze the side to pop out the luxurious garlic

Hawaiian Ribs & Mac Salad

This is pretty much a dream combination. 2 pounds of ribs will prob serve 2-3 people, so just double as necessary if you want. The macaroni salad will make maybe 6 servings - but considering I found myself standing in the kitchen that night…door of fridge open…eating the leftover salad right out of the container…maybe it only serves one. Sometimes simple isi def better.

Ribs

Makes 2 pounds

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 teaspoons sesame oil, or sesame chili oil

2 pounds ‘flanken’ style beef ribs (about 4-5), aka cross cut ribs or Korean style short ribs

• Put all ingredients (except ribs) in a small bowl and mix well to combine

• Put the ribs and marinade in a large zippered bag, seal shut and make sure ribs are covered well - refrigerate a couple hours up to overnight

• Heat a grill to high and cook ribs 3 or 4 minutes on each side until done to your liking - some nice charring is a very good thing here

Mac Salad

1/2 pound elbow macaroni, cooked, drained and cooled

1/2 to 1 cup western style mayonnaise, this is not the place for Kewpie - and the amount depends on how wet’ you like it

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup grated onion - grate enough onion to get about 1/2 cup, then squeeze out the moisture and you’ll have about the right amount

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

• Put everything into a large bowl (maybe starting with 1/2 cup of the mayo) and mix really well - adding more mayo if desired

• This gets better with time, so if you wanna make it the day before be my guest

Steak and Mushroom Pie

Makes one damn beautiful, delicious comforting pie. Or eat it as stew with no crust - it’s all up to you.

6 pieces bacon, diced

2 tablespoons neutral oil

2.5 lb beef chuck , boneless short rib or any other slow cooking beef, cut into approx 1 inch cubes

Kosher salt and black pepper

3 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

14 ounces pearl onions, defrosted or 1 large yellow onion diced medium

6 garlic cloves , minced

1/4 cup tomato paste

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, stem trimmed and halved

3 tbsp flour

1 bottle Guinness, stout or any dark beer

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried

 2 bay leaves, if you have - if not don’t make urself nuts…it’ll be ok

1 sheet puff pastry

1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of water

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees

• Heat a heavy pot (that has a tight fitting lid) over medium heat and cook bacon until just getting crispy, remove bacon and set aside

• Leave a couple tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot, and add beef

• Sear in batches (so you don’t overcrowd) until good color develops on just the outsides – we’re not trying to cook them through – then remove from pot and finish remaining pieces – remove

• Add carrots and cook a couple minutes, then add in the onion, stir to mix then put in the garlic, and when it’s really fragrant add the tomato paste

• Mix really well and let cook a couple minutes

• Sprinkle the flour over the top of everything and mix it in really well until everything things looks gross and super dry

• Put in the mushrooms, beer, stock, cooked bacon, seared beef cubes and mix well to combine

• Add the thyme and bay leaves if using, put on the lid and put in the oven for 2 hours

• When it’s done, remove the lid, take out the thyme and bay leaves, and cook another 30ish minutes to thicken

• You could totally eat this as a stew right now if you wanted, or to make a pie:

• Let it cool completely, and put into a baking dish

• Roll out the puff pastry to fit the dish, and place on the top, crimp or seal around the edges, then use a knife to make 4 or 5 vent holes

• Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and bake approximately 30-40 minutes or until gorgeous

• Let cool a bit before eating…if you can

Honey Mustard Dressing

Makes about a cup

1/3 cup grainy Dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

• Combine mustard, honey and vinegar in a bowl

• Whisking constantly, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth

• Season to taste with salt & pepper

• Serve

Garlic French Bread Pepperoni Pizza

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

6 cloves garlic, finely crushed

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1 /3 cup chopped curly parsley

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 loaf French or sourdough bread

Marinara - everyday tomato sauce, see recipe here

8 oz almost any shredded white cheese: mozzarella, provolone, Monterey jack..they’ll all work

5 ounces small pepperoni slices

• Preheat oven to 425

• Put butter, garlic, Parmesan, parsley and salt in a large bowl - mix well to combine

• Cut loaf in half lengthwise and spread mixture on each cut side

• Place on baking sheet and put in oven about 6 minutes

• Remove and add a layer of the marinara (not too thick) to the top of each side of bread, then sprinkle with the shredded cheese and finally top with the pepperoni

• Put back in the oven about 10 minutes, or until the pep has started to cup, it’s getting crispy and beautiful

• Slice and serve

Bread Bowls

This recipe will make 3 bread bowls - but you can also get six regular rolls out of it too.

1 packet fast acting yeast

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water (between 110 and 120 degrees)

2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water

• Put the yeast, oil, sugar and warm water in the bowl of a mixer - mix about a minute using the dough hook

• Add the bread flour and continue mixing

• When it starts coming together, add the all purpose flour a little at a time over about 30 seconds - continue mixing until it’s relatively smooth - about 3 -5 minutes

• Remove and form into a ball, put in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a slightly damn towel

• Put in a not drafty, warmish kinda spot and let rise until approx doubled in size - 45 min to an hour

• Remove towel, and poke your fingers into the dough to deflate, and remove from bowl onto a very lightly floured surface and shape into a log, cut into 3 pieces

• Form into tight balls, by pulling down the sides and ending up with a seam on the bottom (watch them being made in the clam chowder video) then put on a lightly oil sheet pan, make an ‘X’ in the top to minimize cracking, then cover with the towel again and let rise 30 more minutes

• Preheat oven to 400

• Beat egg white with water, then brush over the top of each

• Put an extra sheet pan into the oven, and pour about a cup of water onto it

• Then put the bread bowls in and bake 25-30 minutes, or until gorgeous

Beef & Broccoli / Fried Rice Sheet Pans

Start to finish in about 30 minutes…AND you end up with a 5 day meal prep? Yup

Rice:

4 cups cold, day old rice

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion

1/2 cup diced green onion

1 tablespoon freshly minced or chopped ginger

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 Holland pepper, chopped

1/4 cup soy sauce or paste - paste is actually ideal here

1/4 cup neutral oil

1 teaspoon sesame chili oil

Beef & Broccoli:

24 ounces broccoli florets

3 tablespoons neutral oil

2 pounds ribeye, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup soy or soy paste

1/4 cup oyster sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili sauce

To Finish:

2 eggs, beaten

Diced green onions

Toasted sesame seeds

• Preheat oven to 450

• Combine all rice ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well to combine - put on sheet pan and spread out

• Put broccoli in a large bowl and toss with oil - put on sheet pan and spread out

• In the same bowl, put in the beef and red pepper

• Combine soy, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and chili sauce in a small bowl and mix well

• Add about 1/2 of the sauce to the beef & red pepper, mix well and put on the sheet pan with the broccoli - spread out

• Put both sheet pans into the oven for 15 minutes

• Remove the rice pan, drizzle with the beaten egg and put back into the oven for 3 minutes or until egg is set

• Meanwhile add remaining sauce to the beef and broccoli and toss well

• Serve beef & broccoli with the sesame seed, and the rice with the diced green onions

Korean Fried Chicken

A little work, but ridiculously crunchy and delicious - ur gonna love it.

Chicken

1 cup milk

1 inch fresh ginger, grated or finely minced

8 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon each Kosher salt & ground black pepper

1 whole chicken, cut into about 16 pieces

Dredge

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups cornstarch

1 1/2 tablespoons each garlic powder, onion powder, sugar

1 tablespoon each Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

Glaze

2 tablespoons gochujang

2 tablespoons soy

1 t sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup hot honey, or reg is fine

2 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

For Frying

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Oil

• Put milk, ginger, garlic and s&p in a large bowl - mix well and add chicken, making sure all the pieces are well covered - refrigerate a couple hours

• Combine dredge ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well

• Put glaze ingredients in a small pan, and warm over low heat to combine - set aside

• Make the chicken: heat your oil to 350

• Beat the 2 eggs in a small bowl and stir in the milk, then add this to the dredge in about 3 parts, mixing it through really well each time you do - this will help add extra crispiness

• Take each piece of chicken out of the milk, let the excess drip off and put into the dredge, being sure to cover each piece really well

• Shake off excess, then fry chicken pieces in the oil about 9 minutes* and remove to a rack - continue until all is done being careful not to overcrowd the oil

• Turn oil temp up to 375, then re-fry the chicken another 3 or 4 minutes until it reaches 165 degrees

• Remove to a rack, warm up the glaze and paint it on each piece

• Put in ear plugs and eat :)

*this is for decent size chicken pieces - if you choose to cut the chicken down to smaller pieces, you’ll need to reduce the overall frying time

WE'VE GOT YOU!

Knives, pans, books or merch - we’re here for you. Ok, I suppose we’re kinda here for us too, but you get that.

KNIVES & CAST IRON

SAM’S BOOKS

CLOTHING & STUFF

(Pressure Cooker) Beef Birria Burrito

Makes 4 or 5

4 dried guajillo chiles

2 dried pasilla chiles

2 cups boiling beef broth (chicken is absolutely ok too)

3 pounds boneless short rib

1 yellow onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons coriander

2 chipotle chiles (the type in adobo sauce)

Kosher & pepper

15 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes

12 inch flour tortillas

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Guacamole, see recipe here

Diced white onion

Chopped cilantro

• Remove stems and seeds from chiles and put into a blender, add the boiling broth and cover with lid - leave 15 minutes to soften

• Turn pressure cooker to ‘sear’ or ‘brown’

• No pressure cooker, no problem - just follow the oven version instructions here and build into a burrito as below.

• Season the beef well with salt & pepper, and sear in 2 batches in the cooker - remove to a plate and repeat with remaining beef

• Add the onions with a little more oil and cook until softened, about 5 minutes

• Mix in garlic, and when fragrant put in the vinegar, and let simmer for a couple minutes, then add the beef back in and take off the heat

• To the softened chiles add the oregano, cumin, coriander, chipotles, salt & pepper and diced tomatoes - blend until very smooth and pour over beef in pot

• Cover, set to high pressure for 50 minutes and push start - allow steam to release by itself

• Takes some beef from the pot, chop up a little (with a little of the delicious sauce) and build burrito: warned tortilla, cheese, birria, guacamole, onion and cilanteo

• Roll up, and put on the flattop or non-stick pan over medium heat to brown

• Add some of the broth for extra deliciousness, let sizzle a bit - serve

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Make it a compound butter

2 lb ribeye steak

1/2 tbsp rosemary

1/2 tbsp thyme

4 garlic cloves pressed

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp avocado oil

3 tbsp unsalted butter

·       Cut the ribeye steak into 1-inch chunks.

·       Now season them with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. 

·       Bring a cast-iron skillet over high heat, once it's smoking add 3 tablespoons of avocado oil. Then add the steak chunks and stir for about 2-3 minutes. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may want to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the meat.

·       Now add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter along with 1/2 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary, 1/2 tbsp thyme, and, 4 crushed garlic cloves.

·       Using a spoon, baste the steak tips with the herb and garlic butter for about 1 minute. Once the steak bites are done, serve warm.

Poblano & Tequila Marinated Steak Sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches

4 poblano/pasilla peppers

3 green onions, rough chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 white onion

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup tequila

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak

8 slices pepper-jack cheese

1/3 cup mayo

4 crispy sandwich rolls

• Remove the seeds from 2 of the poblanos, rough chop and put into a blender along with the green onions, lime juice, 1/2 of the white onion rough chopped, 4 of the garlic cloves, oil, tequila and salt & pepper - blend until smooth

• Put steak in a large zip lock bag, or casserole dish and cover with 3/4’s of the marinade - refrigerate a couple hours

• Meanwhile thinly slice remaining poblanos and white onion

• Put into a pan with about a tablespoon of oil, and cook on medium heat until beautifully softened and beginning to caramelize - about 10 minutes

• Slice remaining clove really thin and add to the veggies with a good pinch of salt & pepper - stir through about a minute, then remove from heat and set aside

• Heat grill to high, and cook steak until just medium rare, adding a little of the saved marinade as you go

• Remove, let rest about 10 minutes, then thinly slice

• Slice the rolls in half lengthwise, then grill until you get good marks

• Put a sandwich worth of the steak in a non-stick pan on medium heat, top with cheese and cover to melt

• Build the sandwich: on the bottom bun put some mayo, some marinade, the steak with cheese and finally the vegetables

• Boom

Osso Buco Beef Shanks w/ Roasted Garlic Mascarpone Polenta

This is one of those things you think is going to be way difficult - that is until you make it. Then it’s just an easy, meltingly delicious, full of flavor beef dish that you should make for someone you love, a special occasion…or just because it’s a Tuesday :)

Makes 4 servings

4 (2 inch) beef shanks

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

Olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced small

2 carrots, diced small

1 stick celery, diced small

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

2 cups dark ale or porter beer

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 thyme sprigs

1/3 cup chopped curly parsley

• Preheat oven to 325

• Using kitchen twine, tie the shanks around their equator to keep them from coming apart when they become super tender

• Season them with salt & pepper, then dust well with flour

• Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large cast iron pan or oven proof pot or pan with a lid, and brown beef 3-4 minutes each side until beautifully browned – remove to a plate and set aside

• Add a little more oil, then put in the onion, carrot and celery - cook 5 minutes or until softened and browned slightly

• Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste, stirring well to incorporate

• Finally add the stock, beer & soy add thyme – mix well, bring to a boil, add the shanks, then cover and place in oven approx 2 hours, or until super tender

• Stir in chopped parsley and serve with the polenta (see below)

Roasted Garlic Polenta with Mascarpone

1 head of garlic

Olive oil

4 cups water

1 cup cornmeal

¼ cup butter, softened

1⁄4 cup mascarpone

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Good big ol pinch of kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, lots

• Preheat the oven to 400

• Cut the top 1/3 off the head of garlic, put on a sheet of foil, drizzle with oil, season lightly with salt and wrap tightly in a sheet of foil - bake 45 minutes - remove from oven and foil and let cool, then squeeze cloves out into a small bowl and mash well

• Put broth into a medium pot and bring to a boil

• Add cornmeal slowly, whisking continually, then reduce heat and cook until it begins to thicken, remembering to stir and scrape the bottom so it doesn’t stick and burn

• When it’s smooth and creamy, 20 to 30 minutes add the garlic, butter, mascarpone, thyme and salt & pepper

• Serve with the beef shanks

Holiday Ham

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups cherry bourbon

1 spiral cut ham, 7-10 pounds

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice

1 teaspoon coriander or cumin

Zest and juice if 1 naval orange

1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 275°

Unwrap ham, dry well and place on a rack on a baking sheet

Combine Dijon and 1/2 cup of the cherry bourbon in a small bowl, mix well, brush over the ham and place in the oven for 90 minutes to heat through

Combine remaining ingredients in a small pots over low heat, stirring well to combine, bring to a low simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened, then takeoff the heat

Combine remaining ingredients in a small pot over medium heat, stir well to combine

Simmer on low 5 to 10 minutes or until thickened, then take off the heat and set aside

After the 90 minutes is up, carefully remove the ham from the oven and turn up the heat to 425°

Brush the glaze on the entire ham while trying to get in between the slices, then put back into the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until gorgeous, shiny and glazed

Slice and enjoy like crazy