Duck Grand Marnier with Spicy Asian Kumquat Sauce

Duck Grand Marnier

Kosher salt

Fresh-ground black pepper

3 SPRIGS Fresh thyme

1 Celery rib, with leaves, rough-chopped

1/2 Small white onion, quartered

1 Shallot, chopped

1 Medium orange, quartered

1/4 C Grand Marnier

Paprika

3 C Water

Spicy Asian Kumquat Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375°f.

2. Rinse the duck well. Remove neck, giblets and tail. Rub the inside cavity of the duck with salt and pepper. Fill the ducks inside cavity with a combination of thyme sprigs, celery, onion, shallot, and orange quarters.

3. Lightly salt, pepper, and then paprika the exterior of the duck.

4. Place a wire rack on top of a hotel pan. Place the duck on the rack, breast side down. roast for 45 minutes, and then turn with tongs, breast side up. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the leg joints wiggle easily when pulled and the internal temperature at the center of the thickest part of the thigh is 165°f.

5. Remove from heat. Cut Duck in half, lengthwise and allow to cool down enough to touch. Remove breast and back bones and serve topped with Spicy Asian Kumquat Sauce.

6. Due the extremely high fat content of ducks, it is necessary to use a drip pan. Keep an eye on this the first few times you try it, and be careful. It is not uncommon to find that the cause of a kitchen fire was a duck in the oven!

Spicy Asian Kumquat Sauce

5 Kumquats, sliced into rounds

3 TBL Sugar

1/3 C Rice Wine Vinegar

3 TBL Grenadine

3/4 C Orange juice

2 TSP Soy sauce

1 TBL Fresh-squeezed lime juice

1 TSP Fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 TSP Dried cherries, minced

1/2 TSP Kosher salt

1/2 TSP White pepper

1 Thai chile, chopped

5 Fresh basil leaves, minced

1. Simmer, over medium-low heat, the kumquats, sugar, vinegar, grenadine, orange juice and soy sauce.  Reduce for another 10-12 minutes, by about half.

2. Remove from heat and whisk in  lime, lemon, cherries, salt,  pepper, and chili.  Carefully stir in basil.   Drizzle over duck just before serving.  Enjoy!

Chipotle Cilantro Fettuccini

Chipotle Cilantro Fettuccini

Homemade pasta is easy and much better than deied.  With the convergence of cultures in Arizona we are constantly seeing wonderful new dishes like this. Latin meets Latinos!

1 canned chipotle chile

1/4 cup cilantro

1 clove garlic

10 oz. bread flour (2 cups)

1 Tbl. adobo sauce (from the canned chipotles)

2 large eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Chop the chipotle, cilantro and garlic as fine as you can and then chop some more. Using a dough blade of a food processor, combine the chopped ingredients together with the flour, adobo sauce, eggs and salt.  While machine is running, drizzle in the oil.  Dough will come together as a crumbly mixture.  Add water one tablespoon at a time until dough forms a ball.  Remove from food processor.  If dough sticks to your hands it may be necessary to work a little flour into the dough.  Roll into a ball and cut the ball into quarters.  Flatten one of the quarters with the palm of your hand.  Run the dough through the pasta machine four times on the #1 (or the largest) setting.  Each time, folding the dough into thirds.  It may be necessary to dust with flour as you go if the dough is sticky.  Now move the dial to #2 a run the pasta through, the #3, #4, and #5.  Move the handle to the fettuccini blade, dust the pasta with flour and run it through.  Sometimes it is necessary to pull a few strands of the pasta apart, depending on the texture of th dough.  Drop the pasta into boiling water for 30 – 45 seconds or to desired texture. Have fun, top with whatever you like; olive oil, chives and good Romano cheese are a great start.

Serves 4

Old-fashioned Cherry Apricot Bars

Old-fashioned Cherry Apricot Bars

1--1/2 CUBES Sweet butter, cut into chunks

1 TBL All-purpose flour, for topping

1/2 C Dried cherries, minced

1/2 C Dried apricots, un-sulfured, minced

2/3 C Fresh-squeezed orange juice

1/2 TSP Sugar

PINCH Cinnamon

Crust:

1/2 C Slivered almonds

1/2 C Fresh grated coconut

1-1/4 C All-purpose flour

3/4 C Old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 C Dark brown sugar, packed firm

PINCH Cinnamon

1/2 TSP Kosher salt

1.pre heat oven to 150°f.

2. Meanwhile, bring the apricots, cherries, orange juice, sugar, and cinnamon to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat, cover and simmer, on low, until fruit is soft. Remove from heat. Mash fruit in juice until mixture thickens. Allow to cool.

3. Toast nuts and coconut in oven on a cookie sheet until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Increase temperature to 350°f. In the mixing bowl of a heavy-duty mixer (do not use a food processor for this recipe) combine the almonds, coconut, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well, then add butter. Mix, on medium, until crumb mixture is formed, about 1 minute.

4. Set aside 1C of crumb mixture for topping. Firmly press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of 8"x8" baking dish. Spoon fruit filling on to crumbs and spread out but do not allow fruit to touch sides of baking dish( leave about 1/8" border.) Mix 1TBL flour with remaining crumb mixture. Sprinkle over fruit filling. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Serves: 8

1 LB Semi sweet chocolate

1 LB Butter

6 OZ Water

2 OZ  cognac or brandy

1 TBL Espresso powder

1 C Sugar

8  Eggs

1. Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler.  Then stir in espresso powder.

2. Beat eggs. Mix sugar and eggs together then stir Tequila and water.

3. Slowly stir in chocolate mixture.  Pour batter in an oiled 9 inch baking pan.

4. Bake at 335 degrees for 1 hour in a warm water bath.

5. Allow to cool before serving.

Minted carrot salad w/ lemon vinaigrette

Minted carrot salad w/ lemon vinaigrette

This easy salad is fantastic!

2T fresh lemon juice

2t olive oil

1t brown sugar

4 lg carrots shredded

1 c golden raisins

3Tchopped fresh mint

Whisk lemon, oil and sugar together.  Toss carrots, raisins in a non reactive bowl.  Drizzle carrot mixture with dressing and if time allows let stand 30 mnutes.

Mad Coyote Joe’s Twelve-turn Buttermilk Biscuits

Mad Coyote Joe’s

Twelve-turn Buttermilk Biscuits

If you're wanting to start baking bread this is a good place to start.

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. Place pizza stone in grill and light all burners and set to lowest setting.

2. 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.

3. 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. Check the heat in your grill.  Look for a temperature of 400º to 450º, but no more( in the oven is also fine.)  If your grill is hotter they will burn on the bottom and be doughy in the center. Once the temperature is correct, turn off the burners directly below the pizza stone.  Place the biscuits on a non-stick cookie sheet and place the cookie sheet on the pizza stone.  Close the lid and let the biscuits bake for fourteen to fifteen minutes.  Serve immediately.

Perfect Bread

The bread is just out of the oven and it looks great!  If you're lucky enough to live in Cave Creek I'll be at The Grotto Coffee Shop at 10:30 am, Janie's at 4:30pm and The Horny Toad at 7:00pm.

Southwestern Potato Skins

Southwestern Potato Skins

1 hour, 30 minutes

These are great with other toppings; salsa, hamburger, chopped fresh vegetables, and a variety of chiles.  

1 (10-lb.) bag russet potatoes

3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 lb. chorizo or bacon, fried and drained

1 stick butter

1 small tub sour cream

Chives or the green tails of scallions, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Bake the potatoes at 350º for 1 hour. Let the potatoes cool a bit and then cut them length-wise and scoop out the insides*, leaving a thin layer of potato. Place the potato halves on a cookie sheet. Place a small pat of butter inside each potato skin, and then sprinkle each with cheese and chorizo or bacon. Top with sour cream, chives, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 20-24 Servings
*Left over potato can be frozen for potato soup or mashed potatoes!

Grilling Vegetables and Basic Vinaigrette

Grilling Vegetables is easy.  The problem is, the moister content of vegetables is too low so they burn before they can become fully cooked.  The answer is, to make a basic vinaigrette and to toss the vegetables in the vinaigrette before grilling. 

Basic vinaigrette

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive oil

Juice of ½ fresh lemon

3-5 cloves garlic, smashed

Pinch of crushed red chile

1 tsp. dark brown sugar (optional)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Whisk it all together and toss the vegetables well before grilling.

Just keep a few things in mind hard vegetables like winter squash, beets or carrots take about twenty minutes to become soft enough to eat so start them first and when they start to soften add the other vegetables.  Secondly the oil in the vinaigrette will flare up so keep an eye on the vegetables while they are directly over the fire.  Once they are browned or grill marked to your liking, move them away from the direct heat. Please send any thoughts, comments or questions and I’ll answer ASAP.  I hope you enjoy these posts and please share them with your family, friends and online social networks.

Warmly,

Mad Coyote Joe

Ribs 101 By Mad Coyote Joe

Ribs 101

By Mad Coyote Joe

            When it comes to cooking over an open flame many foods are revered.  Chicken, steak and brisket are all held in the highest esteem.  But the benchmark for a grilling guru has to be ribs and pork ribs in particular.

            For the beginner or someone that doesn’t have the time to work a barbecue masterpiece, baby-back ribs are fine. But for the pinnacle of the smoking world, spare ribs are where it’s at.

            Spareribs like all legendary regional or ethnic cooking traditions are based in a few realities.  People of limited means use a product that is inexpensive and readily available where they live.  Spare ribs are tougher and fattier than baby-backs.  So they cost less.  This why poor people in the American south, spent the time it took, to figure out how to make them so wonderful.

            Making perfect ribs every time is easy if you follow the simple rules below.  The questions are fuel, sauce verses rubs and how do we make them fall off the bone tender.  Once you have these basics down then you can add your own touches creating your own masterpiece.  You too, will then be the stuff, of family cooking legends.

            When thinking of cuts of both beef and pork I put them into two categories, tough and tender.  Tender cuts are those that are seared rapidly, retaining the natural juices and flavor.  They do not need long slow cooking.  They include steaks, chops, tenderloins and rib roasts.  When talking about cooking meat I do not think in terms of time but instead internal temperature.  I measure this with an instant read, digital meat thermometer placed at the center of the thickest part of whatever cut I am cooking.

            With beef the tender cuts are those that you would serve rare or medium rare, which means an internal temperature of 124° to 132°.  With tender pork cuts we look at two temperatures.  Tenderloins are now being served pink in the center, which is an internal temperature of 145°.  For other tender cuts of pork done, which is fully cooked but still very juicy, is 165°

            For both pork and beef tough cuts are those that benefit from long, slow cooking.   Pot roast, pork shoulder, chuck roast, seven bone roast, flank steak, brisket and spare ribs all fall into this category.  These cuts are less expensive and traditionally have a higher fat content.  They need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 192°f. 

            What happens in the long slow cooking process? We’ve all taken a roast out of the oven that was so tough that it felt like rubber, the proverbial “tough as an old boot.” Think about a dishtowel that is slowly being twisted.  This is what happens in the slow cooking process, the fibers in the meat get tighter and tighter.  Around 160°f if you would cut into the meat it would look fully cooked but too tough to eat.  At this point many people give up, believing the meat is ruined.  But put it back it the oven, grill or smoker and continue cooking and when it reaches an internal temperature of exactly 192°f the collagen is released.  The meat literally breaks, the fibers in the meat, like twisting a dishtowel, have turned so far that they rip apart.  At this point the now ripped fibers soak up the fat and collagen giving it that fork tender, mouth-watering flavor.

            People often ask me if I pre-boil my ribs… NO, NO, NO, NO, NEVER!  Boiling removes flavor.  I start my fire either in my smoker or on one side of my grill.  I place the ribs as close to the coals as I can get them without being directly over them.  Then I stand there and watch, turning often.  As soon as I get some caramelizing on the outside of the ribs I move the ribs as far away from the heat as I can and close the lid, making sure the vents are open.  The rule of thumb with pork is low and slow.  If your smoker has a thermometer try to maintain 190° to 225°.  With ribs you do not need a thermometer.  You need to cook them with the right fuel for the proper amount of time.  Keep an eye on the ribs and if using a basting sauce, baste and turn every 45 minutes or so.  You will see the ribs tighten up and then the bones will start to stick out the meat.  When you can twist a rib bone and it easily comes out the meat, clean the ribs are done.

            Cooking with mesquite wood is an art form unto itself.  I suggest you avoid it as it often results in a smoky flavor that is so strong that it can ruin the meat.  Instead I use pure mesquite, chunk charcoal, not briquettes.  Chunk charcoal will give a nice light smoky flavor that is not overpowering.  Now we get you your first set of personal choices, additional smoke flavorings.  Here are a few ideas for you to think about.  Try adding some wood chips in the last half hour of smoking.  Cherry, hickory and alder are all sweet woods that add a specific flavor.  They need to be soaked for an hour or so before adding them to the hot coals.  What about soaking the wood chips in wine or rum or whiskey.  All of these will impart a different flavor.  How about adding other flavors to the wood chips.  Kitchen scraps are great, orange peels, little bits of onion or garlic, apple, peach or any fruit all add flavor.  Give them all a try. You’ll be surprised. 

            Now we need to think about rubs and sauces.  Rubs have two jobs, they flavorize and tenderize.  Traditionally they are a combination of what we call flavor accelerators.  Flavor accelerators are salts, sugars and acids.  All of which cause you to derive more flavor out of whatever they are added to.  These are not called sprinkles or dusts.  These rubs need to be worked into the meat.  I rub them well into the surface of the meat and then wrap the ribs in plastic and let the rub work into the meat overnight.  This tenderizes the meat and starts the flavorizing process.  Although I don’t like barbecue sauce in general, I do use a basting sauce, which also adds flavor while tenderizing (see recipe below).  The last bit of advice is to keep a few notes.  If you toss a quick rub together and add a few things to the smoker and the ribs are the best you’ve ever had, and then you can’t remember what you did.  It will haunt you for the rest of your cooking days… trust me I know!

Basic Barbecue Rub

This is a good place to start.  Give it a try.  Then think about adding a few flavors of your own.

3/4 C Dark brown sugar

1/4 C Mild New Mexico red chile powder

1/4 C Mild paprika

2-1/2 TBL Kosher salt

2-1/2 TBL Fresh-ground black pepper

1 TBL Granulated onion

1/2 TBL Granulated garlic

1/2 TSP Cayenne pepper

Mix and store in a covered container. Rub into ribs or chicken just before cooking.

Missouri Basting Sauce

This sauce will make ribs, brisket and pork shoulder, tender and delicious.

It will keep fresh in the refrigerator for 2 months.

1-3/4 C White vinegar

2 TBL Tabasco® Habanero sauce

1 TSP Kosher salt

1 TSP Fresh-ground black pepper

1 TBL Dark Brown sugar

1 TSP Sugar

1. Mix in a glass bowl and cover.

2. Baste ribs while slow smoking.

Spicy Sage and Dark Mexican Beer, Brined Pork Loin

Spicy Sage and Dark Mexican Beer, Brined Pork Loin

The use of Mexican Beer combined with the red chile, brown sugar and molasses in this marinade adds a depth of flavor.  Combine that with the slow spit roasting and wow, that’s the way roasted pork was meant to be eaten.

5 cups hot water

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup kosher salt

8 to 10 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbl. dark molasses

1 Tbl. fresh ground black pepper

1 Tbl. crushed red chile

2 tsp. dried sage

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 or 2 drops liquid smoke

3 bottles cold Negra Modelo, or your favorite dark beer

1-3 lb. boneless pork loin, excess fat trimmed

In a large non-reactive bowl whisk together the hot water, brown sugar and salt until fully dissolved.  Whisk in the garlic, molasses, pepper, red chile, sage, mustard and liquid smoke.  Then stir in the beer.  Place the brine in the refrigerator for 1 hour then place the pork loin, in the brine.  Set a plate on top to keep the loin submerged. Brine for 24 hours. Spit-roast the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Serves 8-10

Sonoran BLT Salad and the Caesar Salad

I get asked, quite often, " What do you do with the left over bread?"

Sonoran BLT Salad

This is my Sonoran twist on the Italian favorite, Panzanella.  It’s a great summer time salad.  When we take it to a barbecue we just call it BLT Salad. If we serve it at dinner… well that’s a different matter.  It’s then called Sonoran Panzanella.

Salad:

4 cups assorted small tomatoes, like cherry, grape and yellow pear

2 Tbl. Canola oil for frying

4 cups good crusty French or Italian bread cut into ¾ inch cubes and dried overnight

6 slices thick-cut hardwood smoked bacon, chopped and then fried, drippings reserved

1 poblano chile, roasted skinned and chopped

½ avocado, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 cup watercress leaves, rinsed well

2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

Dressing:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Black pepper

2 Tbl. *Chiffonade of basil leaves

1 Tbl. *Chiffonade of mint leaves

3 Tbl. Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces.  I cut the cherry tomatoes in quarters and the smaller tomatoes in half.  In a hot pan, fry half of the tomatoes in the canola oil until they start to brown and dry out a little, remove from pan and set aside to cool.  In a large serving bowl, toss the dried bread in the bacon drippings.  In a separate bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients, except the oil.  Then drizzle in the oil while whisking to emulsify.  Add all other salad ingredients to the bread and toss well.  Drizzle in the dressing and toss again.  Serve on chilled plates topped with a little fresh grated Parmesan cheese and a good, cold, crisp, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris.

Serves 6 to 8

Chiffonade is a fancy French cook term for laying leaves on top of one another, rolling them up like a cigarette and then cutting them, the short way very finely.  Heck you’ve probably been chiffonading for years and didn’t even know it!

Caesar Salad

This famous salad is not Italian, but rather a true treasure of Baja.  Originally from Tijuana, Mexico, it was created by the famous chef Alex-Caesar Cardini, who first called it “Aviator’s Salad”, in honor of the pilot’s from Rockwell Field Air Base in San Diego California that frequented his restaurant.  Later it was called The “Caesar” Salad in honor of Cardini.  Many recipes call for lemon juice but I believe this original recipe which uses Key limejuice is has a much fresher taste.

10-12 Fresh romaine lettuce leaves

1-cup Garlic croutons

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Caesar dressing;

3 cloves fresh garlic

6 flat anchovy fillets, drained and minced  or 1 Tbl Anchovy paste

* Yolk of 1 fresh large egg

1 Tbl. fresh squeezed key limejuice

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of salt

Pinch of crushed red chile

1/4-cup extra virgin olive oil

Rinse lettuce well and dry in a salad spinner. 

Tear into bite size pieces and place in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.  Refrigerating makes the lettuce crisper.

Rub the salad bowl with the garlic and then mash it into a paste.  Add the anchovies, egg yolk, limejuice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt and red chile.  Mash and mix well.  Then whisk in the olive oil. 

Toss together lettuce, half of the croutons and half of the cheese.  Toss again.  Place salad on serving plates and sprinkle top with remaining cheese and croutons.  Offer fresh ground black pepper.

*Authors note; Eggs can contain dangerous bacteria, if the eggs in your

area have been known to have this problem, or if you are concerned at all,

Substitute eggs with 1 Tbl. heavy cream.  The flavor change is minimal.

Serves 4

Snake Update!

 Last week I posted that the snakes are out and about.  I offered this picture of a Bull snake that was near  our house.  I was sent a few messages asking if that was a Rattler or if Bull snakes are poison.

Look at this picture (below) of a Rattle snake that was on my street today. Close but different and no, Bull snakes are not poison.

Rattlesnakes can strike more than their body length and the smaller ones are more deadly.  

Grill-Roasted Babaganouj

Grill-Roasted Babaganouj

By roasting this in your grill, you get the light smoky flavor of barbecues of the past.

2 Medium eggplants
1/2 C Tahini
4 CLOVES Garlic, minced fine
1/2 BUNCH Italian parsley, rinsed and chopped fine
Juice of 1 large lemon
3 Scallions, chopped fine
2 TSP Kosher salt
1 TSP Fresh-ground black pepper
1 TBL Extra virgin olive oil

1. Light the grill and turn one burner on medium. Adjust heat until temperature reaches 400 degrees.
2. Cut stems off the eggplant and pierce the skin in several places with a fork. Place the eggplant in an oven-safe baking dish and slow roast in grill over indirect heat for 45 minutes, or until the eggplant has wilted and they are totally soft.
3. Remove from grill and allow to cool. Separate the peel from the insides. In a mixing bowl, mash the insides well and stir in the Tahini, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, scallions, salt, and pepper.
4. Place in the refrigerator and chill well. Drizzle with a good olive oil before serving.

Tabouli Salad with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Tabouli Salad with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Tabouli is perfect for those days when it's just too hot for a big meal.  Add a few pita bread, a little feta cheese, some good, Kalamata olives and our Cucumber Yogurt sauce and you've got a great, light Middle Eastern meal on your hands.  Add grill roasted lamb and it's a feast!

    Tabouli salad
1 C Bulghar wheat, dry
1-1/2 C Water, boiling
1-1/2 TSP Kosher salt
    Dressing
1/4 C Olive oil, extra virgin
1/4 C Lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
1 TBL Lime juice, fresh-squeezed
2 CLOVES Garlic, finely minced
1/2 TSP Mint, dried
    Finish
1 C Plum tomatoes, diced
1 C English cucumber, diced
1/2 C Scallions, chopped fine
1 BUNCH Italian parsley, chopped fine
2 TSP Kosher salt
  Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
    Cucumber yogurt sauce
1-1/2 C English cucumber, peeled
1/2 PINT Sour cream
1/2 PINT Yogurt
2 CLOVES Garlic, minced fine
1 TBL Mint, dried

   Salad
1. Pour the bulghar into a mixing bowl, then add the salt and pour in the boiling water.
2. Cover with plastic and let soak for 30 minutes.
3. Whisk dressing together and stir into the bulghur.
4. Allow flavors to blend in the refrigerator for three hours.
5. Carefully stir in finishing ingredients.
6. Taste to correct seasoning.
   Sauce
1. Shred cucumber with a cheese grater.
2. Combine all ingredients and allow to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

I got the call this morning!

Open Mic Excitement and Danger!

Open Mic Excitement and Danger!

Easter Open Mic was very interesting.  Only a few dropped by to listen, but around three, an arm fell of a Saguaro and just missed a patron.  Jeff the manager and I went outside to take a look.

Thirty minutes after Jeff posed for this picture, the table to his left was smashed by another arm falling!

Good thing Jeff was out of the way.  The table and the spot where Jeff was standing was buried under the massive Saguaro, it would have crushed him!

Open Mic on Easter!

Come on out to our Open Mic at the Horny Toad in beautiful Cave Creek, Az sunday from 1-5.  Yes we'll be there tomorrow on Easter!  So, show, and tap your toe!

Bourbon Glazed Ham

Bourbon Glazed Ham

1 Smoked ham, fully cooked, bone in about 8 pounds (not Spiral Cut)

¾ cup bourbon  

¾ cup  dark brown sugar, lightly packed

1/3 cup coarse Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim all but 1/4 inch fat from the ham, and score remaining fat in 3/4-inch diamonds, just deep enough to reach the meat without cutting into it. Place ham, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

Mix together brown sugar, mustard, and bourbon, in a small bowl.

Brush about one quarter of the glaze over the ham.

Bake the ham, brushing with remaining glaze every 30 minutes, until heated through (140 degrees on a digital meat thermometer), about 2 hours.

Remove from oven and allow ham stand about 15 minutes before cutting. 

Sonoran Milkshake with Tequila

Sonoran Milkshake

Tired of margaritas but want tequila.  This is an elegant after dinner drink.

1.5 oz Chambord

1.5 oz. your favorite tequila blanco

2 oz. half and half

Shake and serve on ice in an old fashion glass.

Makes 1 cocktail