Labor Day Beer Brats

Beer Brats

I wrote this recipe for anyone on the road or in a hurry.  Easy ingredients and easy grilling!

Beer Bath:

1 onion, sliced thin

a pat of butter or a tablespoon of cooking oil

1 14oz can chicken broth

1 12 oz. Bottle your favorite beer 

As many brats as you want to grill (if cooking for a huge crowd double or even triple beer bath)

Sauté the onion slices until soft and starting to brown.  Add beer and broth.  Bring to a simmer and then add the brats.  Bring to full boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn the brats down and keep them warm over a low heat until ready to grill.  Toss them on the grill as needed.  Brown and serve with what ever fixins you like.  I always spoon out a few of the onion slices to top mine, but that’s just me!

Twelve-turn Buttermilk Biscuits

Twelve-turn Buttermilk Biscuits

My friends from east Texas tell me the secret to a great biscuit is cold buttermilk, and only kneading the dough twelve times.

2 C Self-rising flour, sifted

1 TSP Baking powder

1/2 TSP Salt

2 TBL Unsalted butter, very cold

2 TBL Vegetable shortening, very cold

1 C Buttermilk

1. Before measuring out your flour, stir it up with a fork.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.  Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry cutter until flour mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Add the buttermilk a little at a time, mixing gently with your finger tips until dough  forms a loose ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and need exactly twelve times.

2. Roll the dough 3/4" thick.  Cut the biscuits out with a 2" biscuit cutter, making sure that you dip the cutter in flour between each cut and that the cutter is very sharp, or the edges will seal and not rise correctly.

4. Preheat oven to 375ºf, but no more. Place the biscuits on a non-stick cookie sheet and slide them in the oven.  bake for fourteen to fifteen minutes.  

Texas Style “Chicken Shack” Fried Chicken

Texas Style “Chicken Shack” Fried Chicken

Trust me, this is the real deal.  I have an old friend from down south that tells me the secret to good fried chicken is cold chicken and hot grease.

Marinade:

1 Qt Buttermilk

1 Tbl. salt

1 Tbl. soy sauce

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp. white pepper

2 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. ancho chile powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Breasts, legs, thighs, and wings from two frying chickens, with skin

Dredge:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbl. salt

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1/2 tsp. ancho chile powder

Oil for frying

In a large non-reactive container whisk all marinade ingredients together.  Place the chicken in the marinade so that all the pieces are submerged in the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring twice.  Stir together the dredge ingredients.  Remove the chicken from the marinade.  Discard marinade and drain the chicken for a few minutes.  Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and place on a cookie sheet so that the pieces are not touching.  Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Pour 2 inches of oil into a large iron frying pan and heat to 375º.  Take only as much chicken as will fit in the frying pan in one layer from the refrigerator and carefully place it a piece at a time in the oil.  Fry one side for 12 minutes, turn and fry the other side for 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and plenty of iced tea.

Serves 12

Spicy Collard Greens

Spicy Collard Greens

Years ago my dad took me to Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe, a Mecca for ‘Soul Food’ in Phoenix.  On each table was a little bottle of Trappy’s brand Tabasco chiles.  The bottles were so old that the labels were half worn off, and the chiles inside the bottles were no longer yellow.  They were almost white as if they had been on the tables for years.  I asked my dad about this. He explained the peppers weren’t for eating; that every night the owner would fill these bottles back up with white vinegar.  And everyday his customers come in and drizzle the spicy vinegar over the greens.

I quote the movie ‘Giant’, starring Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson.  Hudson’s character 'Bick' Benedict Jr. when explaining why he is attracted to the independent and aggressive ‘Leslie,’ played by Taylor, says, “Down here we like a little vinegar on our greens!”

Greens are delicious, but add a little pepper vinegar and they come alive with a flavor.

Notice that this is called "Pepper Sauce,"not Tabasco Peppers! Clues… always look for clues to the good life, they're everywhere.

2 Tbl. Olive oil

½ white onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic

1/2 pound smoked ham hocks 
2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Crushed red chile

1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 Tbl. hot red pepper sauce 
1 large bunch collard greens 
1 Tbl. butter

In a large stockpot, sauté the onion and garlic, in the oil, until soft but not browned.  Add 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Add ham hocks, spices, and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Wash the collard greens thoroughly. Remove the stems from the center of the larger leaves. The stems of the smaller leaves are tender and don’t need to be removed.  Tear the greens into ½-inch thick strips. Place greens in the stockpot with the ham hock and add the butter. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Check to make sure the greens are tender, adjust seasoning and serve with a slotted spoon and don’t forget the white vinegar. 

Serves 4-6

Texas Red Chili

Texas Red Chili

Lindsay, the nice girl that gets my coffee for me at C4 some mornings, is making Chili for a Christmas party. I told her I would get her my great recipe. It dawned on me that you might also feel like a good "Bowl of Red". This is fantastic Chili and anyone can make it! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

1/2 White onion, chopped fine

3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced

1 Tbl. Canola oil

1-1/2 Lbs. Ground beef

1/2 Lb. Ground pork

1/4 Cup Ancho chile powder, mild New Mexico Chile powder, or Paprika

2 tsp. ground Cumin

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 28oz. can Chicken broth

1 8-OZ Can Tomato sauce

1 bottle beer

Roux (1 C or so)

Salt to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic, in the oil, in a large frying pan until soft, but not browned. Add the meat and continue cooking until brown. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper and stir well. Then add the chicken broth and tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring often. If thin bring to full boil and work in roux to desired thickness. If it gets too thick add a little more beer. Serve in big bowls with Ice-cold Lone Star beer, cheddar cheese, chopped white onion, and saltine crackers.

Serves 6

Black-eyed Peas

Black-eyed Peas

I always make a big pot of Black-eyed Peas for New Years Day, but they’re also the perfect treat on cold winter days. Add a little fresh baked bread and… well my friend, that’s living!

1 LB fresh Black-eyed peas

4 cups chicken broth

Ham hock

2 Cloves fresh, minced garlic

Salt & pepper

Place peas in a medium stock pot. Add chicken broth, ham hock and garlic. Bring to a boil on high, and then reduce heat. Let peas simmer until tender (at least two hours), then salt & pepper to taste. Remember to taste before salting!

Cooks note*

The peas can simmer for several hours. You will need to add more water, but do not add cold liquid to simmering peas or beans as this will cause them to be chewy. I keep a second pot of water just barely simmering when I cook beans, peas or lentils to add as needed. You don’t want to add more broth as it condenses and becomes too salty!