Summer Lifesaver: Grilled Tamale Pie

I guess we've been kind of spoiled this year. The weather in Wisconsin has been pretty temperate this summer. So, we've had very few hot muggy days.

That makes me pretty happy, as I'm simply not a fan of hot, humid weather -- which tends to render me limp, listless and headachey.

Yes -- I'm afraid I'm a wimp when it comes to the dog days of summer.

However, I'll confess that I don't believe summer has TRULY happened unless we have a few of those scorching hot days when the idea of cooking makes my stomach turn.

This week -- and into the weekend -- looks like it's going to bring some of that weather.

Fortunately, I've got a plan.

When the kitchen is too hot for cooking, adapting recipes for the grill is a life-saver. Such is the case with this delicious tamale pie, which can be prepared completely on your backyard grill.

It all starts with fresh summer vegetables like zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and fresh sweet corn which are cooked with fresh chorizo and black beans in a cast iron skillet and topped with a cornmeal crust.

But, look twice. Because this isn't the tamale pie you might be used to.

While some recipes for tamale pie call for cornbread as a topping, we opted to keep things more traditional by using a mixture of masa harina (the flour used for tortillas and tamales), butter and chicken broth.

It's easy to throw together and it creates a delicious tamale-like topping that cooks quickly and lends an authentic flavor to this great hot weather dish.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Tamale Pie

©BURP!

Perfect Summer Dessert: Chocolate Coffee Trifle in Jars

All this talk of six years and coffee mugs was making me hungry for coffee flavored things.

So, it was back into the kitchen with us.
Chocolate is always a favorite of Peef, who is (I do not lie) one of the biggest chocolate addicts I have ever met in my life. He came from a long line of chocolate addicts, and his obsession has rubbed off on me a little bit over the last 14 years.

Of course, that coffee craving still wasn't letting up. So, I reached for one of my favorite dessert solutions:  Kahlua.

I also reached for the recipe for a great buttery chocolate pound cake recipe that one of our colleagues over at the Butter Blog created.

Layering Kahlua-soaked pound cake with an easy homemade chocolate mousse and topping with a bit of whipped cream was a pretty great idea, if I do say so myself.

And yeah -- we put them in jars. Don't laugh. It's not because we've fallen down the hopeless hipster hole. It's actually a pretty smart idea.

Putting them in mason jars not only makes them cute and transportable, but it also creates the perfect portion sizes -- so you won't be tempted to eat the whole friggin' trifle...

Which you'll probably want to do. I mean, just look at it.

It is, in fact, a perfect treat to serve as the finale for your next casual summer cookout or dinner party. And since the components can be made ahead, you’ll be left with plenty of free time to attend to other important details....Like grilling up the perfect steak. Or searing that eggplant until it's absolutely tender.

Chocolate Coffee Trifle in Jars

©BURP!

Tequila Lime Butter Grilled Chicken: The Best Chicken is Drunk Chicken

Ah, yes. Grilling season is finally here.
And is there anything more classic than marinated chicken?

Probably not. But, I'll bet you're bored with your usual recipes.

So, let me offer this suggestion: start mixing your favorite cocktails with your chicken breasts.

Seriously, folks. A chicken breast marinated with a Bloody Mary is positively delicious.

And rum and pineapple will give you an awfully nice tropical chicken dish.

Or pour on the gin and grapefruit juice and make yourself delicious "Salty Dog" inspired chicken.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. And your liquor cabinet.

This is our latest "drunken" chicken marinade: tequila lime.

This recipe brings together the flavors of a classic margarita into a deliciously bright chicken dish where the flavors really pop. A tequila lime mop sauce fortified with real butter reinforces the citrus flavor and assists the chicken in caramelizing easily on the grill.

Just look at those lovely grill marks. And no - they weren't made with a sharpie.

Tequila Lime Butter Grilled Chicken

©BURP!

Nominate Your Friends to Get Coal for Christmas!

When you were a kid, what was the threat your parents used to get you to behave?

Was it coal in your stocking?

Coal gets a bad rap around the holidays.  And maybe it's for good reason. It's dirty and black, and not very appetizing in comparison to all those holiday sweets.

But, cleverly enough, the makers of Kingsford Charcoal have turned the classic punishment into a pretty cool promotion for their product.  And, while we don't ordinarily make it a habit to get into the frey of hocking products here at Burp!, we thought this was pretty clever.

In an effort to show how awesome coal really is, they've taken the classic punishment and turned it into a great reward – by giving the nicest person in social media – who happens to hail from Waukesha, Wisconsin – the gift of coal.

Kingsford went through great pains to analyze more than 100 billion tweets to identify the person they're calling "the Nicest Person in Social Media".

Turns out someone who lives not far from Milwaukee -- IT professional, and wine blogger Clifford Brown -- was the lucky guy. Santa made a stop at Clifford’s house early this year to present him with a year’s supply of Kingsford charcoal, a grill and grilling tools.  Check it out:

How did they determine just how nice Clifford was?
Well, engineers from Sysomos (a social media analytics company) wrote a unique script to analyze who tweeted “please,” “thank you,” and “thanks” the most often during the past year. Clifford’s “nice score” was off the charts for 2012: he tweeted using the words “please,” “thanks” and “thank you” for a total of 1,574 times this year! He’s also an avid griller – he tweeted 93 times this year about grilling (using the words “grilling,” “grilled” or “grill”).

Do you know someone who's as nice as Clifford?  Or even nicer?
Coal for those on the nice list doesn’t stop with Clifford this holiday season, as Kingsford and Sysomos are asking America who they think are the nicest people in social media.

All you have to do is Tweet @Kingsford with #benicegetcoal to put you or another do-gooder (don’t forget their twitter handle!) on Santa’s nice list between now and December 31, 2012. You or your nominee could win a year’s supply of Kingsford® charcoal and a kettle grill.

Tweets must be posted between today and December 31, 2012. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to U.S. residents 18+. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of Tweets submitted. You can read the rest of the rules here. Winners will be notified through a direct message on twitter.

______________________________________________

OH!  And that's not all.  Winter grilling fans should be sure to stay tuned to eatatburp.com ... Our site will be undergoing a pretty awesome redesign for 2013, and we'll be partnering with Kingsford Charcoal to celebrate... *wink*

©BURP! Where Food Happens

Grilled Eggplant with Buttery Herbed Breadcrumbs

  Ah! Summer bounty. There’s no thrill quite like visiting the farmer’s market at the peak of the season and filling up our bags and baskets with the best that summer has to offer.

Lately, we've been enjoying the bounty of summer greens, corn, green beans, tomatoes, and eggplant. Our refrigerator is always stocked with something fresh and delicious. And that's a pretty awesome feeling.

But sometimes -- even with all that great produce staring us in the face -- we find ourselves at a loss for what to do with them. Fortunately, there are a few techniques that bring new life to even the most ordinary produce. And they won’t require you to spend any extra time in the kitchen.

In a very similar fashion to roasting, grilling summer vegetables caramelizes their sugars and, if you use a charcoal grill, gives them a hint of fantastically smoky flavor. The best part is, it won’t heat up your kitchen on even the hottest of summer days.

Using melted butter instead of oil when grilling helps the vegetables to caramelize deeply, and imparts a wealth of deep rich flavor. Adding a topping of delicious herbed bread crumbs with a touch of lemon perks everything up at the very end and is sure to win over even your most avid vegetable haters. Best of all, even tentative anchovy eaters (like Peef), appreciate the umami that a bit of mashed anchovy adds to the mix.

These grilled eggplant slices are delicious served as part of an antipasti platter or as a delicious summer salad with a bit of sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese.

Of course, eggplant is only the tip of the iceberg. Try sprinkling these buttery herb-infused crumbs over a variety of summer vegetables like summer squash, green beans, and even kale or other late summer greens.

Grilled Eggplant with Buttery Herbed Breadcrumbs

©BURP! Where Food Happens

Grilled Sweet Corn with Orange Harissa Butter

 Traditionally used as a flavoring for couscous and a rub for meats, harissa is most commonly found in Tunisia and the Saharan desert region where its flavor is prized for adding oomph to stews.


Lo happened upon her first taste of this delicious condiment during a trip to Tunisia, where the locals ate the peppery paste spread simply atop slices of crusty fresh French bread. 


It took her years to stumble upon one of the best flavor pairings ever -- harissa and orange (see our Orange and harissa roasted chicken recipe). But, once she discovered it, we couldn't get enough.

The sweet acidity of orange juice marries incredibly with the smoky, rich flavor of the harissa, and even (dare we say?) tames its sharp heat into something quite manageable.

During the winter, this flavor combination is a delicious flavoring for crisp, comforting roasted chicken.  It's also a great combination to complement simple vegetables. But, we love it equally as much captured in a delicious compound butter that’s perfect for summer grilling.


Try the butter over a flaky filet of grilled fish.
Experiment with it as a delicious finish for your next steak.
Spread leftover butter on bread for a different take on ordinary grilled cheese.

Or do as this delicious recipe suggests and spread a generous pat of that smoky, citrusy butter atop a cob of succulently sweet grilled summer corn. You won’t be sorry.

Grilled Sweet Corn with Orange Harissa Butter

©BURP! Where Food Happens

Dad Food: Coffee Rubbed Ribeye with Chipotle Butter

 Lo’s dad is a purist when it comes to steak.  He prefers his ribeyes seasoned plainly – just a bit of salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic—and grilled to a perfectly medium rare.  


The method relies upon impeccably fresh, quality ingredients and a careful hand when grilling.  And it yields a perfectly delicious result.

So, while it’s true that good steaks do not need much in the way of embellishment, we’ve found that quality steaks are also every bit as delicious when they've been gussied up a bit.  


And so, yes -- we are fans of the simple mushroom pan sauce, the classic Bearnaise, and even the occasional dousing of steak sauce.


But, when we really want to do it up right, we actually look to a really simple trick - compound butter.   Traditionally referred to as Maître d'Hôtel butter, compound butter was first seen in restaurants, and probably mistaken for a far more complex flavoring than it really is... and, believe it or not, it's a trick that's also likely to work on your own dinner guests. 


In this case, a simple butter made from chipotle peppers and their adobo sauce complements a sweet, yet slightly bitter, coffee rub that blooms in the presence of the smoky jalapeno flavor.  


You've got a ton of flavor all in one place, and as an added bonus, the seasoned butter guarantees you a piece of beef that just melts in your mouth... even if you happen to overcook your steak a little bit.  

We’re fairly sure this recipe will win over even the fussiest of dads. And it's perfect for your 4th of July celebration... or any grill-fest you happen to be hosting this summer.


Coffee Rubbed Ribeye with Chipotle Butter


And, since the butter freezes well, why not make a double batch? Pop one in the refrigerator and one in the freezer for later.

Get more delicious compound butter recipes over at Basic Compound Butter Recipe | Leite's Culinaria 

©BURP! Where Food Happens

Spring Scallop Tacos with Strawberry Salsa

Although summer has been slow to arrive here in Wisconsin, and we're growing impatient for the bountiful produce that promises to show up at the farmer's market ANY DAY NOW, we're making a real effort to enjoy the best of the season.

Just take a look at the delicious scallop tacos we threw together last weekend -- grilled sea scallops on a bed of fresh cucumber slaw and topped with a deliciously sweet & spicy strawberry salsa.

It was a deliciously light entree, and one of those dinners perfect for throwing together on a sweltering summer evening when it's simply too hot to turn on the stove.

It was also uncommonly delicious.  The strawberry salsa, which contained scallions, lime juice, and a bit of bite from jalapeno peppers, perfectly complemented the buttery scallops, while the shredded cucumbers (which had been drained and tossed with cilantro), provided a crisp, fresh crunch.

I was particularly proud of the fact that a significant percentage of the ingredients to make this dish were both local and seasonal...  with one pesky exception.  The seafood.

It can be difficult being a locavore if you're a seafood lover living in Wisconsin.  For, while we do have our fair share of lake-sourced fish -- including Walleye, Northern Pike, Trout, Bluegills, and Perch --  there are some items blatantly missing from the locally sourced fish list.

Sea scallops are at the very top of my list.  These delicious bi-valves are meaty, clean-tasting and uncommonly sweet.  Even better, in most cases scallops are a good choice when it comes to sustainable seafood.  But, there is nowhere in Wisconsin to buy a locally raised scallop.

So, what's a gal to do?
For a while, as we initially made the transition to eating more local foods, I avoided eating seafood that I couldn't source from "home".  But, after giving the situation a great deal more thought, we've since changed our tune.

When it comes to our local eating philosophy, it's probably important to clarify that we are hardly purists or perfectionists.  The fact is, MINDFUL eating is really more of what we espouse.  While we pay attention to where our food comes from, we also care about but how it's been produced, and the impact its having on not only our bodies & health, but the world around us.  We are responsible for the foods that we allow into our bodies, and we make decisions accordingly.  Likewise, we emphasize a way of living that is clearly sustainable for us all year round (not just during the summer months).

If we have the choice between eating a locally grown apple and one imported from Washington State, we'll be most likely to opt for the local apple.  Likewise, if we can find local sources for meat, dairy, and cheese, we'll be unlikely to bother with purchasing products from outside of Wisconsin.  However, the fact also remains that there are highly nutritious and delicious foods that  it makes sense to import because we can’t grow them here.  This list includes items like bananas, pineapple, coffee, coconut, and the like.  For us, it also includes seafood.

We choose to purchase scallops every now and again, and we don't feel badly about it. We choose sustainable sources and attempt to support local fish mongers whenever possible.  Most of all, we make sure to take the time to enjoy the food we're eating.

I should mention that we made this dish again last night for company, and we substituted thinly sliced red cabbage for the cucumber.  Also delicious -- and I really liked the additional color & crunch!

Spring Scallop Tacos
Strawberry Salsa

Lamb Burgers with Figs, Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese

Once upon a time... probably in late September... I spied a luscious looking pint of fresh Turkish figs at the market. And I was smitten.

For some (and maybe I should include myself here), figs are a nearly religious experience.  And it's no wonder. Succulent, sweet, and amazingly beautiful, the fig has a long history of adoration.  The fig tree was a common theme in the Bible, and the Egyptians considered figs to be sacred, often burying the dead with baskets of figs. Even the tale of how the infamous Mission figs made it to the U.S. has everything to do with the Franciscan monks from Spain who filled their pockets with figs and journeyed to San Diego, California to plant them.

Although considered a fruit, the fig is actually a flower that is inverted into itself. California fig season runs from Mid-May right into December -- though the peak of the season generally hits between July & September when all four varieties of figs (Brown Turkey, Black Mission, Kadota, & Calimyrna) are available.  Although they're widely available throughout the United States (thanks to the advances in food transportation -- both good and bad), we consider figs a special treat.  And because we can't grow figs ourselves here in Wisconsin, they have a particularly irresistible mystique.

I have a number of "favorite" ways to enjoy seasonal fresh figs -- wrapped with crispy bacon, chopped and added to cakes, or served simply with a dollop of Greek yogurt and honey. But, I also look forward to the opportunity to make these delicious burgers.

The burger itself is crazy simple -- a combination of freshly ground lamb, chopped fresh figs, a splash of balsamic vinegar, a dash of cumin, salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic. But, when the burger is topped with with caramelized onions and a bit of crumbled blue cheese -- wow. Reminiscent of a Mediterranean lamb stew with figs & red wine, these sandwiches were a treat that made us redefine what we think about weeknight burgers.

The sweetness of the figs & caramelized onions plays off of the rustic, assertive flavor of the lamb. And the saltiness of crumbled blue cheese makes every bite really snap.

Perfect with a side of crispy oven baked zucchini fries.

Lamb Burgers with Figs, Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese
Baked Zucchini Fries


©BURP! Where Food Happens

Local Joy: Fire Roasted Poblano Peppers

Mole sauce... pumpkin poblano corn pudding... pineapple poblano salsa... polenta with mixed pepper sauce... caramelized onion & poblano enchiladas...

It's not difficult to admit that I'm a huge fan of roasted poblanos. 

However, I'm a little bit hesitant to admit that it's almost therapeutic for me to venture out in the midst of winter to pick up a few imported poblanos from the Mexican grocer & throw them underneath the broiler to give them a good char.  The roasty toasty smell of the peppers, combined (if I'm fortunate) with the refreshing taste of one of Peef's famous margaritas, transports me somewhere far away from the Wisconsin winter snow -- and to a place that's almost, well, tropical.  Best of all, a couple of the sweet roasted peppers pull in an awful lot of flavor into an otherwise bland winter dish -- saving me from the winter cooking doldrums.

But, we've been trying to commit to eating more and more locally as time wears on.  So, a couple of Saturdays ago, I decided to take the bull by the horns and head off those mid-winter temptations.  We headed off to the farmer's market in search of a small goldmine of those lovely green peppers. About fifteen minutes and $10 later, I had myself a half a bushel of them -- and I was pretty excited to get home.

Originally, I planned to roast the peppers in the oven, before peeling off the charred skin, extracting the seeds, and packing the peppers into containers to pop them into the freezer.  But, it occurred to me that there was an even better way to deal with a boatload of peppers.

It might sound silly, but pulling out the charcoal grill was a bit of a revelation.  First of all, I don't think I realized quite how much time we'd save (the direct flame really goes to work on the peppers, and chars them in about half the time).  I also didn't exactly think about all of that sensual, smoky flavor that would be imparted to the peppers from the hardwood charcoal.  But, as the peppers roasted, I found myself feeling a little bit giddy. And, as I stood over the island, scraping charred bits of skin and seeds from the green flesh,  I started to envision the roasted poblano rice... the chiles rellenos... and the southwestern corn chowder made with poblanos & frozen grilled corn... And, by the time we'd packed all of the peppers away, I was seriously stoked.

Even if I'm not particularly looking forward to that first winter snow storm, I'm definitely looking forward to pulling some of these babies out of the freezer in mid-winter.  Talk about therapy...


©BURP! Where Food Happens

More Winter Grilling: Lamb Pitas with Cucumber, Feta, and Mint Yogurt Sauce

You know that little hole-in-the-wall Greek place on the corner that serves the fantastic gyros?  The one with the great fried eggplant, the killer cucumber sauce, and the really long line at the counter? Yeah -- those gyros. The ones that are just a little too salty, a bit too greasy, but somehow positively perfect on one of those nights when you don't feel like cooking?

Yeah, well, these aren't those gyros.
However, I'm going to urge you to keep on reading. These lamb pitas take a little bit of fore-thought. And definitely require more effort than take-out.  But, they're well worth it.  In fact, if you're the sort who loves a good gyro (but who would prefer to avoid all the salt and nastiness that are included with the ones from the gyro stand), I'd encourage you to make these sandwiches. At least once. It's so easy you don't even need a recipe.

You do need a few basics -- a pound or two of  fresh local lamb (we usually go for the meat from the leg) sliced into strips, a few sprigs of fresh mint, some fresh oregano, a bit of lemon juice, salt, and a nice flavorful olive oil.  Mix the lemon juice, salt, and olive oil together. Then chop the herbs.

Spread the herbs over the strips of lamb, turning them to distribute the herbs evenly.  Then, pour the lemon juice mixture over the top.  Allow the meat to marinate for at least 2 hours.  The trick with marinating the strips is to go long enough that the meat is seriously imbued with flavor -- but not so long that you're going to severely alter the meat's texture (lemon juice can be harsh that way).  So, you probably don't need an all-night marinade here... but definitely give the lamb a bit of time to linger in the seasonings.
While the meat is marinating, you'll want to thinly slice a small red onion and sprinkle it with a bit of red wine vinegar.  The vinegar takes a bit of the pungency out of the onions while imparting them with a nice vibrant kick.  When you're done, these onions make a great addition to salads, sammiches, and the like (if you're me, you might even decide to eat them straight out of the bowl).

After you marinate your onions, you might also want to throw together a bit of yogurt sauce for your lamb pitas.  Take a cup of greek-style yogurt (or regular whole milk yogurt that's been drained for a couple of hours through a coffee filter), add about 2 T red wine vinegar, 3 T chopped mint, and about 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir to combine. Then, go ahead and slice some cucumber. 

You can also crumble some feta cheese.  And, if it weren't the middle of January here in Wisconsin, you can be sure I'd suggest you slice up a few garden fresh tomatoes as well.  But, honestly people, winter tomatoes scare me. So, we're not even going there.

Before you know it, it will be time to deal with the lamb again.  Take the lamb strips and weave them onto skewers. Set them aside on a baking sheet until you've got your grill nice and preheated.


Then, place them on a hot grill -- preferably on an outdoor charcoal grill. Although you can place your kebabs under the broiler, or brown them up on a grill pan inside, I really love firing up a nice hot outdoor grill on a cold winter afternoon.  The air temperature might be frigid, but the smell of that grill reminds me of warmer days -- and it tends to give my mood a bit of a boost.

Regardless of the method, direct heat is best here, since the thinly sliced lamb will cook quickly. You want the outside to sear nicely, while the inside remains tender.  Aim for medium rare on the kebabs, since they'll cook a bit more even after you take them off the grill.

If there are two of you, one of you can grill while the other throws together a delicious salad -- romaine lettuce, some of those chopped cucumbers and marinated red onions, a few kalamata olives, and a bit of red wine vinaigrette with plenty of garlic and oregano. Top everything off with a few crumbles of feta cheese, just for good measure.

When the lamb is cooked and the salad is assembled, you can start putting together your gyros.  Peef likes his loaded up with lamb, cucumbers, onions, tzatziki, and feta cheese... but you can make yours however you like.  Any way you look at it, your sandwich will rival anything you can get at that greasy little gyro joint...

.. and no matter how you load up your sammich, you're bound to be saving some serious fast-food calories at the same time.

And who can really argue with that?


©BURP! Where Food Happens

Daring Cooks January: Elk and Tofu Satay

... and suddenly it was time for the January Daring Cooks Challenge.

We pushed this one so close to the deadline that we quite nearly thought we wouldn't get it done.  Fortunately for us, satay doesn't require tons of active cooking time, so we were able to pull this one right out of our magic hat.

We love satay, but we wanted to give ourselves a bit of a challenge. The first thing we did was identify the protein sources we'd be using.  Originally, I thought we might go completely vegetarian (and local).  After all, we can get locally produced tofu from our friends at The Simple Soyman, and root veggies are still coming to us pretty strong from the Milwaukee Winter Market.  But, then we remembered that we can get local elk from Golden Bear Monarchs Elk Farm. Since neither of us had ever actually eaten elk (that we could recall),  we decided to please the vegetarians and meat eaters alike -- and make it a local tofu and elk affair (AKA "turf and earf").

We went all-out and picked up a pound of elk tenderloin. Although it wasn't the cheapest cut of meat, it was so gorgeous and tender that we knew it wouldn't need an all-day marinade -- which would come in handy, since we were in a bit of a time crunch.  We sliced the elk into 1 inch-wide strips.

We also picked up a pound of extra firm nigari tofu -- which we drained well by wrapping it in a towel and putting it beneath the weight of about 3 ceramic plates. After about 1/2 hour, we removed the tofu and sliced it into 1 inch-wide lengths.

Although the marinade departed from the usual Thai ingredients we were used to seeing for satay, we were intrigued. We doubled the recipe, since we were doing two pounds of protein. And, since we're chile-heads, we added four Thai bird chiles (dehydrated from last summer's backyard garden harvest) to the mix, as well as a dash of fish sauce.

And we whipped the recipe together in no time by throwing everything in the blender.

Then we threw the marinade in two gallon-sized plastic bags and tossed it with our elk and tofu.  Everything sat around in the fridge for about 5 hours.

While we were waiting for the marinade to work its magic, we threw together two sauces -- peanut sauce, because we like it, and tamarind sauce, because it just seemed like the right thing to do.  And you've gotta have at least two dipping sauces, right?  Both came together fairly easily (and were downright tasty).

Of course, then there was another matter -- the weather. We got quite a bit of snow over the holidays, so our yard was a virtual snow drift. The temps were hovering in the low teens (with a nasty wind chill).  And yet, we really wanted to grill our satay.  So, we brushed off our trusty Weber and dragged out the charcoal.

While the grill was heating up, we laced the goods on well soaked bamboo skewers and put on our mittens.

After grabbing a couple of beers out of our fancy-dancy "Canadian fridge," we were ready to start grilling!

Darkness was falling quickly, and we were getting worried about the photographic aspect of our project.  Fortunately, one of the great things about satay is that it doesn't take long to cook.  We wanted to keep our elk nice and tender, so we grilled it up medium rare (about 3 minutes/side). And we grilled the tofu just long enough to give it a nice sear.  The shot we got out there in the dark isn't great -- but you get the idea.

Just as we thought our fingers would freeze off, the tofu was ready.  So, we piled everything into a pan and headed indoors to eat.

The perfectly grilled elk was pink in the center, and perfectly tender.  The tofu was well seasoned with a nice crisp crust on the edges.  The flavors of coriander and cumin seemed strange at first, but the seasonings really played well with the dipping sauces, and we loved the zip that the Thai bird chiles brought to the table. The tangy tamarind was particularly good with the tofu (as well as the sweet potato fries we had on the side), and the peanut sauce made everything finger licking good.
The verdict? Simple. Fast. And delicious. 
Why not dig your grill out of that snow drift and try it out yourself?

Cuppy's Recipe: Satay Marinade and Two Sauces

Be sure to check out all the other Daring Cooks posts... lots of variation in the recipes this time around!

The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day.


©BURP! Where Food Happens

Classic Wisconsin Bratwurst

What could be better on a long, holiday weekend than grilling up some of Wisconsin's finest bratwurst? Not much -- unless, of course, the bratwurst came from your very own Wisconsin-grown pig!

That's right. Peef's parents gave us one of those Christmas gifts that food geeks dream about -- a portion of our very own pig. He was processed into a variety of cuts -- pork steaks, ham, chops, bacon... and since this was a Wisconsin-bred piglet, you can't forget the most important part. The bratwurst.

We've been on freezer clean-out duty lately. So, when we found a package of these babies in the deep freeze, we knew they were the perfect thing to thaw out for dinner.
Now, a bratwurst afficionado will be the first to tell you that the bun you use to cradle your bratwurst is almost as important as the sausage itself. And we didn't really have anything appropriate laying around at home. So, we ran right out to pick up some delicious brat buns from our local bakery. These buns are bigger than your average hotdog bun, a little bit crusty on the outside, and perfectly soft and tender on the inside. Just perfect for a good Wisconsin brat fry.
Then we got to work setting up the grill. A good amount of charcoal is key to delicious, evenly cooked brats. And before you put those babies on the grill, you want to make sure that the coals are grey and glowing. Some people like to precook their brats in beer before they grill them -- but we're not big fans. The beer doesn't impart a ton of flavor during the precook, and it tends to dry the poor little sausages out. We prefer the indirect grilling method for our brats. You can approach it in a variety of ways, but we place those gorgeous hot coals right in the middle of the grill, and line up the brats all around the edges.
When the brats are browned nicely on one side, you'll wand to flip them over to brown the other side. Take care to note hot spots around the grill. If you sense that one of the brats is cooking too quickly, move him to a cooler spot. The sausages will start to smell amazing in pretty short order -- but you want to avoid rushing the cooking process. Your patience will be rewarded.
The key to great bratwurst is low, slow cooking. You don't want to cook the sausages too quickly or they'll split open and dry out. Instead, you want to give them a chance to really caramelize on all sides. Your brats will take 20-30 minutes to cook through.
When the brats are cooked, you can bring them in on a plate tented with a bit of aluminum foil. At that point, you'll want to immediately begin dressing your brat bun. First, take a bit of mustard and spread it on one side of the bun. Traditionalist might want a nice, old fashioned grainy German mustard; but, we like a simple, spicy Dijon.
Then, you want to quickly drain the juice from a handful of good sauerkraut. If you're the type who thinks ahead, you can drain the 'kraut while you're grilling the brats; but, you can also do it right before serving. We like to get a bit of lacto-fermented food into our diet whenever we can, so we buy delicious jars of fresh sauerkraut from Spirit Creek Farms in northeastern Wisconsin.
Pile some of the sauerkraut on the bun -- and then spread the other side with a bit of ketchup. This ketchup just so happens to be some of our (quick) homemade "beer ketchup" -- which is the perfect accompaniment for bratwurst. I'll be sure to share the recipe in a future post.
Tuck one of the hot bratwurst into the bun and cover him with a few freshly sliced onions. We opt for raw onions when Vidalias and Walla Wallas are in season, but fried onions are equally good on a bratwurst.
Brats served in this traditional fashion can be a bit messy to eat. You can think of them along the same lines as a chili dog or a nice loaded sloppy joes sammich. But, we like to think that's part of their charm. Tie that napkin around your neck, and bite right on in. I'm going to bet that little beer ketchup stain you get on the left leg of your bermuda shorts will be completely worth the effort it takes to get it out. Cuz once you've tasted a truly great bratwurst, you're never going back to eating those overly processed weiner-like imposters.
For those of you interested in more information about Wisconsin's favorite holiday weekend grilling treat, you don't want to miss The Bratwurst Pages, which describe bratwurst as "Wisconsin's Soul Food." The Web site includes hints and tips for proper bratwurst preparation as well as detailed instructions for eating the bratwurst themselves (don't forget the "bratwash"... AKA, beer). Oh, yeah -- and there's plenty of good humor thrown in there too.

Real Food for Real People!
Check out more posts about Real Food at the Real Food Wednesdays blog carnival!

©BURP! Where Food Happens