THE MEATWAVE - Part II

After being tantalized by The Meatwave, I made their delicious recipe for Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers. Yum! However, while my poblanos cooked over indirect heat (not over the coals), I didn't want to waste the direct side (over the coals) of my grill, so I tried their recipe for "Bacon-Wrapped, Jalapeno and Cheese-Stuffed Shrimp." Apparently this recipe was inspired by a restaurant in Houston, Texas, and being a native Texan myself, I had to try it!

The shrimp are seasoned with a simple dry rub, slit open, filled with a small slice of Monterey Jack cheese and slice of jalapeno pepper, then held together with a slice of bacon! The shrimp are then threaded onto skewers, brushed with melted butter, and grilled to perfection! Could anything sound better? They turned out beautifully with a nice balance of heat and baconess. My only comment is that the recipe calls for 2 pounds of large shrimp to serve 4-6. I used 1 pound of medium shrimp, keeping the other ingredients as written and found that not only did it take me almost an hour to stuff and wrap the shrimp, it made enough to feed an army! So, keep that in mind when purchasing your shrimp. (It was not a problem...my husband was more than happy to down more than his fair share!) These shrimp were so fantastic and would be perfect at any barbecue! And finally, a nice cooling Retro Wedge Salad makes a nice accompaniment!

Bacon-Wrapped, Jalapeno and Cheese-Stuffed Shrimp

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

For the dry rub

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the shrimp

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled with tale on, deveined, and rinsed

2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into thin strips (I recommend cutting as you go...)

3 jalapenos, halved, seeded, and cut into thin slices (I recommend cutting as you go...)

1 pound bacon strips, halved (I recommend using thin cut bacon and I cut them into thirds because I used smaller shrimp, see above)

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 lime, quartered

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Place shrimp in a large bowl and season with 3/4 of the spice mixture, tossing to evenly coat.

Working with one shrimp at a time, make a slit about 3/4-inch long at the base of the shrimp. Place one jalapeno slice and one cheese slice in cut slit, then wrap base of shrimp all the way around with half a slice of bacon. Repeat with rest of shrimp.

Thread shrimp onto skewers (I recommend threaded through just above the tail then through the body to help stabilize the shrimp onto the skewers) and season lightly with remaining spice mixture. Brush shrimp lightly with melted butter.

(I grilled them in batches,

because I only had half the grill available.)

Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Grill shrimp over high heat until bacon crisps and shrimp just cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and serve with lime wedges.

THE MEATWAVE - Part I

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon The Meatwave, a blog completely dedicated to barbecue and grilling. I was immediately impressed with the fine photography (I need a better camera!), tantalizing bbq and grilling recipes, and the many humorous puns all focused on meat! Ha! Ha! However, I'm not naive, a lot of food blogs are loaded with recipes that are ho-hum and with incompetent directions that clearly indicate that the writer didn't even try the recipe! Annoying! But having been lured by The Meatwave, I fired up my grill and gave a few recipes a try, starting with "Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers."

This recipe caught my eye because I love poblanos and happened to have Mexican crema and cotija cheese lingering in my fridge. Perfect! I followed the recipe exactly and when the aroma of simmering chorizo, onions, and garlic hit me, I knew this was going to be great! Not only did these savory poblanos look fantastic, they tasted even better! A nice cooling Retro Wedge Salad makes a nice accompaniment!

Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, minced

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

2/3 pound raw Mexican chorizo, removed from casings

1 1/2 cups cooked white rice

2 medium roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream

1/4 cup grated cotija cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 large poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add in onion and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in chorizo, breaking sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Add rice, tomatoes, crema, cilantro, and cotija cheese to bowl with meat mixture and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon mixture into cavities of split poblanos and top with pepper jack cheese.

Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. (I didn't oil it and it was just fine!) Place poblanos on cool side of grill, cover, and cook until cheese has melted and poblanos have softened, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from grill and serve.

***You may also be interested in Bacon-wrapped, Jalapeno and Cheese-Stuffed Shrimp.

Hot Potato!

Potatoes were first introduced to Europeans by Spanish explorers from the New World in the 16th century. Not surprisingly, they were quickly integrated into local culinary cuisines. One of the most common uses of potatoes was to make potato salad. The Cassells Dictionary of Cookery, published in London around 1875, contains three recipes for potato salad: British, French, and German. The British and French recipes were very similar, served cold and dressed in a vinaigrette. The German version included bacon and was served hot. Incidentally, during both World Wars, recipes for German potato salad were simply called "hot potato salad."

Potato salad was introduced to the Americas by European settlers who quickly adapted their recipes to local ingredients. Originally, German style potato salads were more common; however, with the invention of bottled mayonnaise (see Kool sla, Kohlslau, Coleslaw!), mayonnaise-based potato salads have become the preferred version showing up at barbecues all across the country. I prefer a mayonnaise-based potato salad, but not one doused with yellow mustard, celery seed, rubbery bacon, and pickle relish. Instead, I prefer a more elegant version made with champagne vinegar, some sour cream to lighten it up a bit, and enhanced with onion, celery, hard-cooked eggs, and capers. Chopped chives, tarragon, dill, or parsley also make nice additions. This recipe for "Elegant Potato Salad" is just as good alongside any barbecue fair, but is sophisticated enough to serve with a perfectly grilled steak or salmon. Yum!

Elegant Potato Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the Dressing

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

1/4 cup plain rice vinegar

Kosher salt

3 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, washed

3 hard-boiled eggs, diced (How do you make perfect hard-boiled eggs? See Techniques!)

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery

1 cup small-diced sweet onion

3 tablespoons capers, drained

Directions:

For the Dressing

Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to be used.

For the Salad

Stir together the rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Let sit to dissolve the salt. Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a 6-quart pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook the potatoes until barely tender when poked with a fork or skewer, 20-25 minutes. If the potatoes aren't all the same size, remove them as they are cooked.

Gently drain the potatoes and set aside until just cool enough to handle. Using a paring knife, peel the potatoes by scraping off the skin. Cut the potatoes into 3/4" chunks. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the vinegar and gently stir with a spatula to coat. With your fingers, pull apart any pieces that are stuck together.

When the potatoes have completely cooled, gently fold in the eggs, celery, onion, and capers. Fold in enough dressing to generously coat the potatoes (you may not need all the dressing). Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

Recipe from Fine Cooking.