Tequila Fajita: Two ways to a man's heart!
2006-06-25 @ 08:44:40
This dish requires Skirt Steak, every time this cut of beef is mentioned I feel there is a joke lingering around waiting to be told. That is another story for another day. Skirt Steak, once apon a time, was cheap. Not so much any more but none the less tasty. Also, in the preparation below, a little goes a long way.

The skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle and is used to make all sorts of Mexican dishes and I am getting ready to give you one of our favorites, Tequila Fajita. The recipe below easily serves 4.

Tequila Fajita Marinade
2 Lbs Skirt Steak
3 heaping Tablespoons Orange Juice Concentrate
4 Tablespoons Lime juice
1 Tablespoon Knox's Chipotle BBQ Dry Rub
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 shots of Tequila
Pinch of salt

Lay the skirt steak flat on your cutting board. With a sharp knife, score the meat about one inch apart diagonally across the grain making a diamond pattern. You want to just cut into the surface of the meat and not cut through it. Do this on both sides.

Mix together the orange juice concentrate, lime juice, Knox's Chipotle BBQ Dry Rub, crushed red pepper, tequila and salt.

In a zip lock bag or sealable plastic container add the skirt steak and pour in the Tequila marinade. Massage or flip to make sure the marinade is getting on all of the skirt steak. Let sit for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours refrigerated.

Broiling Skirt Steak
Skirt steak cooks fairly quickly and if you are only cooking skirt steak it is more convenient to broil it in your oven broiler. For those who do not know, the broiler is usually directly under your oven. Turn your oven to broil and allow to heat up. Place the shirt steak in a pan and place in the broiler. Broil for 7 minutes and flip it. Broil for another 7 minutes. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into slices across the grain.

Grilling Skirt Steak
Grill over an even bed of medium hot coals for about 7 minutes on each side for medium. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into slices across the grain.

Serving the Fajita
Now that you have slices of perfectly cooked, tequila marinated, skirt steak you need to assemble it.

You will need:
large flour tortilla
shredded lettuce
roasted red pepper slices
sliced onion
sour cream
grated cheese, you choose
salsa
guacamole is a good thing also

http://www.knoxspice.com/images/food/TequilaFajita.jpg

Lay the tortilla flat on your plate. Add cooked skirt steak down the center leaving room at the ends for folding. Top with lettuce, roasted red peppers, onion, sour cream and grated cheese. Roll it up like a burrito add some more cheese on top and melt and possibly brown the cheese in your broiler.

You could also put it together like a wrap and eat it with out broiling it again. Either way, it is excellent.

You are in for a treat!

Top with salsa and guacamole and serve with a beverage of your choosing.

Enjoy!
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Pulled Pork, more recipes for leftovers
2006-06-19 @ 06:49:01
In the American south there is a dish that is a bit of a process to make from scratch but if you have leftover pork butt or loin you are halfway done.

Depending on where you order pulled pork you will get various adaptations. Some vinegar based and some with a tomato base. Either is typically served with sweet tea and cole slaw. They are both excellent and you will find recipes for each below.

We had the opportunity to make pork loin for a birthday party and the stage was set for making pulled pork. Another excellent use for various forms of leftover pork roasts is the Pressed Cuban, but that is a sandwich for another time. Today we are pulling the pork.

The most essential ingredient in preparing pulled pork, is of course, pork. We will be using about 1 pound of leftover pork loin cooked until the internal temperature was just about 160 degrees.

The term "pulled" may be a bit deceiving to someone not familiar with this preparation. You will be pulling the pork but you do it with a fork. We set the loin up on one end and begin stripping the meat into small pieces. Place the pulled pork into a bowl and prepare your sauce.

Vinegar Based Pulled Pork Sauce
1/2 Cup white vinegar
1 Cup cider vinegar
1/2 Cup or more, sugar - brown sugar is excellent as well
Some molasses could be tasty
1 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 Teaspoons salt
1 Teaspoon black pepper

Mix together and let stand overnight. Pour over previously pulled pork and mix so the meat absorbs the sauce. If you heat it up, do so slwly and DO NOT BOIL. Boiling will make the previously pulled pork rubbery.

You can also put split fresh chilies in the sauce for really spicy sauce and you can add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter.

Tomato based pulled pork sauce
1 Cup ketchup
1 Cup chicken stock
1⁄4 Cup apple cider vinegar
1 Onion, chopped
3 Cloves crushed and minced garlic
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoon dry ground mustard
1 Teaspoon cayenne or one fresh cayenne chili cut into ringlets with seeds

Mix together in a sauce pan and heat to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes and let cool.

Take about 1 cup of your prepared sauce and the pork you pulled and mix together. If you like it saucier add more sauce. You can always use an extra bun to clean up your plate.

Pulled pork can be eaten as a sandwich or by itself with cole slaw on the side, with sweet tea, please.
http://knoxspice.com/blog/images/pulled-pork-sandwich.jpg

When we made our pulled pork last week we made the vinegar based recipe. Next time we are going to try it but replace 1/2 cup or so of vinegar with apple juice and maybe use less sugar.We are also going to experimenting with pulled chicken. We will keep you informed.

Enjoy!
www.knoxspice.com
info@knoxspice.com
Gourmet Leftover Chicken: Quesadilla, Mexican fast food.
2006-06-14 @ 15:41:28
Do you love Mexican food such as quesadilla? Do you have leftover chicken in the fridge? With little effort you can take leftover chicken and make a gourmet meal that will please.

We regularly have leftover chicken and when we really do not feel like making a meal we make quesadilla, a meal in itself. If you have leftover BBQ chicken the preparation is even more simple than I am about to describe. With BBQ chicken you would strip it up and use it as is. Below we will be taking any basic leftover chicken and re-cooking it to build the ultimate Quesadilla.

Ingredients for quesadilla
Leftover chicken, de-boned
Knox's Chipotle BBQ dry rub
large flour tortilla
1 large jalapeno, deseeded and sliced into thin strips
1 small onion sliced into thin strips
2 *roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
cheese, you pick
Sliced lettuce


Salsa and guacamole ingredient
1 tomato
1 small onion
2 small limes
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper minced
handful of fresh cilantro
Fresh pablano is a good thing if you have it.
salt
1 avocado

First make the salsa and guacamole by dicing the tomato and onion and placing it into a bowl. Mince the hot pepper and toss it in as well. Zest and juice the limes into the same bowl. If you have pablano pepper, dice it and toss it in as well. Chop the cilantro and toss the whole thing together. Add salt if necessary.

In a separate smaller bowl. Cut the avocado in half remove the pit and spoon out the good stuff. Mash with a fork until almost smooth and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the salsa. Mix together and set aside.
http://www.knoxspice.com/images/food/salsa_guac.jpg

We are half way done. You know have fresh salsa and guacamole to top off your quesadilla. Place them in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

Pour a little oil in a hot skillet. Take your leftover de-boned chicken and toss it in. When it begins to brown a bit sprinkle with Knox's BBQ dry rub, about 1 tablespoon or more to juice it up. Toss and remove when lightly browned. Set aside.

Lay a tortilla out on a plate (so you can transport it to the oven). Brush with butter or olive oil and flip over, repeat. Place a layer of chicken on the tortilla. Sprinkle the sliced jalapeno and onion on top of the chicken. Make a layer of cheese and finally toss on the roasted red pepper.

Place another buttered tortilla and put it on top and lightly press it together.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the tortilla begins to brown. Remove, let cool a minute and cut into pie shaped pieces.

Serve with shredded lettuce and a spoonful of salsa and guacamole.

If you are feeling ambitious you can take a couple of extra tortillas and brush them with butter, sprinkle them with salt and cut into chip size pieces and bake for about 10 minutes with the quesadilla for some fairly home made chips to garnish the plate and use with any extra salsa.


* To roast a red pepper cut it in half from top to bottom and remove the seeds. Place open side down on a piece of tin foil and broil in your ovens broiler for 15 minutes. When skin is black remove and place in paper bag until cooled enough to handle. Remove and peel off charred skin.

Enjoy!

www.knoxspice.com
info@knoxspice.com
BBQ's right hand: Cole Slaw
2006-06-09 @ 09:59:26
If you like like BBQ you probably like cole slaw. If you like the slaw at your local market you will love what I have for you today.

Cole slaw is like a salad but resembles a salsa. We make our Cole slaw with a bunch of different ingredients depending on our mood, but one thing is consistent, the dressing (my Moms recipe). So lets make the dressing.

Cole Slaw Dressing
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (sometimes 1 tablespoon cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon Lime Juice)
1 tablespoon water
Pinch or 2 of salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Place the egg, sugar, vinegar, water and salt in a small pan and slowly heat while whisking. As it heats and you whisk, it will become foamy like cream. When it is heated through and all turned to the creamy consistency remove from heat and taste. Should be really yummy. Let cool.

Add the mayo and whisk some more. That's it, takes all of 5 minutes. Taste again and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

Now for the slaw part. We really do not follow a recipe and are known for using whatever we have but below are a couple favorites. We like to cut the ingredients in various shapes from long and skinny to short and stubby. Have some fun and mix it up a bit.

Traditional Cole Slaw
1/4 head purple cabbage
1/4 cup green cabbage
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds - toasted optional
1 Tablespoon chopped onion
The dressing (recipe above)

Mix together in a bowl and refrigerate. Stir before serving

Carrot Slaw
1 bowl of grated carrots
1 handful raisins
The Dressing (recipe above)

Mix together and refrigerate. Stir before serving

Fruit Slaw (salad)
2 apples chopped
handful grapes cut in half
1/4 cup raisins
1 carrot grated
Mango or pretty much whatever else you want. Berries are good or even cabbage.
The Dressing (recipe above)

Mix together and refrigerate. Stir before serving

http://www.knoxspice.com/images/food/Pork_Butt_Slaw.jpg

There you go, slaw, the right hand of barbecue among the greats of side dishes. You can easily make up your own slaw recipes once you can make a nice dressing, and now you can.

Enjoy!

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info@knoxspice.com
Gourmet Gift Baskets available at Rare Finds
2006-06-07 @ 16:24:56
If you are looking for a gourmet gift basket for fathers day or for any day for that matter, you will find Knox's BBQ Rubs available at RareFinds.com.

Side by side with some of the best gourmet BBQ products for your favorite grill master.

http://www.knoxspice.com/blog/images/Dry_Rub_Giftbasket.jpg

"Deck your Grill Master out with BBQ essentials all wrapped up in a stylish black grillers apron. This gift basket includes Seasoned Skewers the hottest new trend in BBQ because they marinate food from the inside out, Knox Spice Rub – the BBQ experts ultimate dry rub, lime and chili tinged Loco Luna Hot Sauce, smoky and rich Lopez Larry’s Island BBQ sauce, and Sandstone farms robust pickled garlic (perfect tucked inside a slit in a steak or under the skin of chicken). We'll also include Dill Wonder Dip from Route 11 and they're renowned Potato Chip Cookies. And because this basket is pure macho...a Cave Man bar for that sweet, but manly, finish. Makes the prefect Father’s Day gift!"
Rare Finds

Enjoy!
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info@knoxspice.com
Home made rubs. Taking flavor by the horns. Steak and pork recipe provided.
2006-06-06 @ 09:36:07
As summer is warming up and grills are being dusted off, grill masters all over are preparing for grilling season. Dry rubs are a common way to season meat, among other things, especially in the south.

Here at Knox's Spice Company we strive to make sure that the most flavor possible comes from your grilling experience and this starts with how you prepare your dry rubs at home.

If you decide to create a dry rub at home there are a couple of tips to get the most from your home made seasoning blends. The most important tip is to use the freshest herbs and spices you can find.

FYI: Herbs are leaves, Spices are seeds, basically.

Try not to ever use dry herbs over 1 year old. The flavor is probably reduced or gone completely depending on how you store them. Use fresh herbs whenever possible .

Your spices should be whole, not ground. This allows you to do what we almost always do with our spices before using them, toast them. Toasting is easy and it really brings out the entire depth of flavor you want from spices. To toast spices place them in a hot skillet and constantly move until you can smell them. You may even see a little, tiny bit of smoke. Be careful not to burn as they may become bitter.

If preparing a wet rub use olive oil or butter not vegetable oil. Vegetable oil is fine but lacks the sweetness and flavor of olive oil and butter.

Below are recipe utilizing these practices. Please use them, enjoy them and make them your own.

Rub for steak
2 Tablespoons whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh sweet basil
1 or more cayenne peppers
2 tablespoons fresh garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar

Place the peppercorns and mustard seed In a dry, medium hot skillet and stir for about a minute. When done grind together in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Chop all your fresh ingredients very fine. Mix everything together with the salt and brown sugar.

Pre rub your steaks with olive oil or butter and then rub the spice blend you just prepared into steaks before grilling. the olive oil or butter aids in bonding the oils from the rub and infusing it into your steak. Grill as you normally would and remember to let the steak stand before cutting. Standing or resting meat allows the succulent liquids to evenly redistribute. Cutting into meat directly off the grill will allow the liquids to run out, and they will, draining your perfect steak, making it dry and less tasty.

Cuban Pork Rub
1 fresh Habanero pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Fresh cilantro, minced
1 lime
Orange Juice

Cut the Habanero pepper in half and remove the seeds and stem. Place in a hot dry skillet and toast until outside begins to turn black. Hold the pepper so you can do this as evenly as possible. Remove the pepper and lay skin side up and gently scrap off the charred skin. Mince and place in a bowl. Place the cumin and black peppercorns in the pan and stir until fragrant. Grind and add to minced Habanero along with the fresh cilantro.

Zest the lime. For those unaware of zesting, the zest is the very outside skin of citrus. You can zest a lime with a zester or a cheese grater. So, zest the lime and place the zest in the bowl then juice the lime into the bowl as well. At this point if you want a marinade add about a cup of orange juice or concentrate if you like.

Rub pork chops with this seasoning blend or marinate them if you like.

Knox's dry rubs are made from the highest quality herbs and spices we can find and we blend them using whole or 'Fancy' cuts when available. We do this so when you rub Knox's Dry Rubs into your meat the herbs are broken releasing the flavor. Dry rubs that are already ground fine have a tendency to loose their flavor faster and nobody wants that to happen.

So take the information we have given you and go make rubs at home that are excellent. Just remember use fresh ingredients and toast your spices to get all the wonderful flavor you can.

Enjoy!


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info@knoxspice.com