Quick Habanero Chili!

Alright, as most of you know I like my chili. I make it quite often, even if I do not post it up here that often. Well, this time I used a Habanero Chili Pepper.

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Chili Meat
1/3 stick Butter
6 Roma Tomatoes
2 Poblano Peppers
2 Anaheim Peppers
4 Caribe Peppers
1 Habanero Pepper
1 can Rotel(drained)
1 can Kidney Beans
2 cans Black Beans
1 can Tomato Sauce
1 can Tomato Paste
Fennel Powder
Fenugreek Powder
Ancho Chili Powder
Turmeric Powder
Garlic Salt
Marjoram
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/2 bottle of Leinenkugel's Honeyweiss Beer

I apologize for the limited number of pictures in this recipe as I had a brain fart and did not even think to take pictures until I started the recipe.

First step is to put your stockpot on the stove top with the Butter in it. Turn the heat to MEDIUM-HIGH.

Once the Butter is mostly melted, put in your Ground Chili Meat. It's really just rough ground beef but goes by that name. Add Garlic Salt, Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Stir together at length.

Usually I use a food processor here but today, I used my blender. Larger quantity at a quicker pace. I drained my can of Rotel and once I sliced the Roma Tomatoes, I added all of it to the blender and pureed. Into the stockpot once the meat is mostly browned.

I poured in my half bottle of Leinenkugel's at this point.

Now dice your peppers. I started with the Caribe, then Anaheim, Poblano, and threw the Habanero on top. Puree. To this I added a dash of the Beer to smooth it out some. Add to pot.

Now add your Kidney Beans and Black Beans. Drain them first! Then the Tomato Sauce and Paste.

I did a good spoonful or two of all the seasonings at this point. I went a little light on the Garlic Salt and Lawry's since they are already in the dish.

Mix like crazy then let simmer for about 30 minutes. Enjoy.

Spicy Pulled Pork

The other day I sort of decided that I want to make some Pulled Pork again. It's been quite awhile and needed to be revisited. So I went grocery shopping and noticed that it was on sale by the pound. Naturally I picked some up.

DISCLAIMER: THE AMOUNT OF SPICES USED HERE MAKES THIS RIDICULOUSLY HOT AND SPICY! NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART OR STOMACH!!!

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs Pork Loin
1 bottle Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest (BEER)
Paprika
Ground Cloves
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Salt
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Ground Allspice
Chili Powder
Ground Turmeric Root
Fennel Powder
Chipotle Chili Powder
Ancho Chili Powder
Cayenne Chili Powder

I began this by gathering all my spices.

Then I found this delicious bottle of seasonal brew. Yes, I had a second bottle to enjoy while the pork cooked.

In the slow cooker, I made a spice mix. I began with about 2 spoonfuls of the following: Lawry's Seasoned Salt, Garlic Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Ground Turmeric Root, Fennel Powder, Paprika, Ground Cloves, and Ground Allspice. On top of those, I added about 2.5 spoonfuls of the Chipotle Chili Powder, Ancho Chili Powder, and Cayenne Chili Powder. Then I mixed them together.

On top of that, I put in the two Pork Loins. I placed them how they are so as to make a hole in the middle for the spices and beer to meld together easier.

Once the Pork Loins were in, I added a smaller amount of that spice mix to the tops of them. Turn the heat on 'high' now.

Then I added a little big of Beer in the middle hole. It bubbles up from the reactions it has with the spices in there.

Now the rest of the bottle. You will need all of it. If you are using regular bottle sized beer, use at least two bottles.

Now put the lid on and let cook. Take a peak about 2 hours into the cooking process.

That looked tasty, didn't it? I think it did. Well, this recipe takes about 5 hours. I say about since it's a rough estimate depending on the slow cooker, type of beer used, and if you switch it from HIGH to LOW or vice versa.

Check it again a few hours later. Your entire home should smell like the Pork.

Such a change from that darker muddy brown color before to a bright reddish hue! Step back when opening the slow cooker. That spice aroma will kill you!

Alright, to taste it I took a tip off of one of them and it was delicious. So I unplugged the slow cooker and took out the Pork Loins. This is what they looked like right away:

I cut one apart, this is what it looks like. Shows that I could have taken off a little bit sooner, however still moist and deliciously spicy.

I know there are more than a few different ways to actually eat the Pulled Pork I have created, however I prefer to eat it 'straight'. As in I like to just put it on a plate and eat it. Some Asiago Cheese never hurt it either. Enjoy.

Dark Beer'd Mushrooms

Today I cooked up some Mushrooms using a dark beer today. I had a bottle of Stone Brewing's Smoked Porter and I felt it should be used today. So in my Zesty day of cooking, I decided to use it with Mushrooms.







Ingredients:
1 lb White Button Mushrooms
1 bottle Stone Brewing's Smoked Porter
Lemon Juice
Italian Herb Mix
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

I began by pouring myself a glass of this delicious brew. If I'm going to cook with it, I might as well drink some as well! After taking a pint glass' worth out of the bottle, the rest went into a large saucepan.

I turned the heat to medium and added a single squirt of the Lemon Juice bottle. Then went in the dusting of Ground Black Pepper, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder. Two large pinches of the Italian Herb Mix went in next. I swirled the pan to make sure everything mixed properly.

Then in went the Mushrooms once the mixture started to steam. They went in gill side down. You will notice that the beer will foam up almost over the Mushrooms, but do not worry as it is nothing bad. If you cover it, you might wind up with a problem though.

I then flipped the mushrooms after about 2 minutes.

Once they turn spongey/squishy, they are done.
So turn off the heat and serve. Make sure to drain the juices off of the Mushrooms as well. Enjoy.

Flank Steak pt. 2

I decided to cook some Flank Steak again today, it's just so tasty. That and I wanted tasty lunches for the rest of the week rather than go out to get fast food. So I looked in the fridge and made some slight changes to the recipe I used last time.





Ingredients:
1 bottle of Rahr Stormcloud (1 for you too!)
dash of Sea Salt
dash of Indian Spice Mix
healthy dose of Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp of Italian Herbs
1 tsp of Ground Cumin/Coriander
1/2 tsp of Fenugreek Seeds
1/4 cup Roasted Hot Hatch Chilies
1/2 cup diced Red Onion

There is local food store that is called Central Market and I went there last week. I noticed there is a Hatch Chili Festival going on this month complete with containers of roasted chilies, so naturally I bought some since I know I'll use it somewhere.

As per usual, I cut up the steak into 4 pieces to better fit in my large saucepan/skillet. I then put the skillet on the stovetop and poured in 1 bottle of delicious Rahr Stormcloud brew. It smelled amazing, and also produced a lot of foam. Don't worry, it dies off pretty quickly. Once the foam is mostly gone, turn the heat to medium.

To this, I added in all my spices and diced Red Onion. I grabbed one of the Hatch Chilies and cut it up into several smaller pieces and put that in the skillet as well. It should be simmering by now, so stir everything in there to make sure it's mixed well.

Put in the steak a piece at a time. Cover. Let cook for about a minute, then flip them over. You want just enough browning to happen to almost seal the juices in that side.

Let cook for about 5 minutes, then flip again. I did this to try and make sure the cooking was thorough and even. It worked pretty well. Leave them like they are now for approximately 6 minutes, then cut to check if they are cooked to your satisfaction. I aimed for medium/medium-well, I hit the mark perfectly.

I then took the steaks off, sliced them into strips and presented them with a spoonful of the Red Onions from the skillet on top. Looks great, tastes even better.

I then used my Rice Cooker to cook regular white rice and a small pot to cook some frozen vegetables. The rice, vegetables, and steak are now my lunch for the work week. Enjoy!

Who doesn't like Flank Steak?

I love steak. I had never even heard of a Flank Steak cut of meat until I moved to Texas, however it has quickly become one of my favorite cuts. It is a quality cut with a moderate amount of fat that pretty much melts 100% away while cooking. This is a simple recipe I used today when making my lunch.



Ingredients:
1 bottle Rahr Stormcloud IPA
1 lb Flank Steak
Lowry's Steak Seasoning
Garlic Salt
Ground Black Pepper

A simple recipe that I started off with cutting my flank steak into 3 portions. This is due to the fact that I like to eat my steak right after I buy it, so any longer is just pure agony. It's also easier to flip and cooks faster when in smaller portions.

I then turn the heat to medium and put my saucepan on the stove. I grab a bottle of Rahr Stormcloud IPA and pour all of it in. Any IPA would do, but I prefer local Rahr beer for this purpose.

I then turn back to my Flank Steak and season one side with Lowry's Steak Seasoning and a dash of Garlic Salt. I then place the Flank Steak seasoned side down into the beer. I then season the top side with Lowry's, Garlic Salt, and Ground Black Pepper.

I make sure to turn over the Flank Steak every so often, probably every 2 to 3 minutes. I let this go on for about 8 minutes and took out a piece, cut it to check how done it was. Still needed a minute, so back in it went. I did this only once, and then the Flank Steak was done to my desired doneness...medium well. Then I took it all out, cut it up, and had an amazing lunch. Enjoy.

Summertime Appetizer Snack

So as mentioned in my previous post, I made couscous. I also decided that I should make a snack for my girlfriend. I don't think that just couscous alone is enough, so I decided that those Cremini Mushrooms in the fridge needed to be dealt with...as a sauce!

Ingredients:
Mushroom Sauce:
12 Cremini Mushrooms
1 bottle Dark Beer
Orange Juice
Lemon Juice

Green Onions/Scallions

Couscous:
2 cups Pearl Couscous
4 cups Water
dash of Sea Salt
Italian Herb Mix (few pinches)

The couscous was cooked in my rice cooker according to the instructions that it came with, and of course with some herb mix added in. You start this up and let it be since it doesn't need any more attention.

The Mushroom Sauce began with a small saucepot on the stove, where I put in about 3/4 worth of standard beer bottle's beer. Set the heat to medium, any higher and it looks like a cloud is emerging from the pot, trust me...I found this out.

I grabbed my trusty food processor and proceeded to slice up the Cremini Mushrooms and then dice up quite finely. Then pour/dump the mushrooms into the saucepot with the beer. You'll probably have to scoop it out since it is quite sticky at this point, not sure why. Stir.

Let it go for a few minutes, but make sure to watch it in case you have to turn down the heat a little bit or stir. Add in the Orange Juice, maybe 1/2 a cup's worth. As for the lemon juice, I want to say like 10 drops worth were added, barely anything at all. Stir.

At this point your couscous should be done and the rice cooker on 'warm'. So now grab some Green Onions/Scallions and cut them up about halfway down into small chunks. Your mushroom sauce can go for as long as you want it to, but I turned off the heat at this point and dished everything up. Enjoy.

Doppelbock Portobello's

Tonight brought about another experiment at using beer to pair with food. I chose to use a local beer, Rahr Brewery's The Regulator, which is a Doppelbock.

So I used a mix of spices which mainly consisted of Hot Oriental Mustard Powder, Ground Tumeric, Ground Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, and Smoked Hot Spanish Paprika.

I had a metal mixing bowl filled about 1/2 way with Rahr doppelbock, then put the mushrooms in for about 20 minutes.

After that I started up the burner for my large saucepan. In this went the mushrooms, gill side down, and most of the beer they soaked in, about 1/2 way up on the mushrooms.

Then about 1/2 the spice mix on the mushroom caps.

Wait about 2 minutes, flip mushrooms, then put rest of spice mix on top.

Wait about 2 minutes, they should be close to being done. You can tell this by checking if they are all spongey, if so they are done. If not, keep cooking.

OPTIONAL: the stalks of the mushrooms you can dice up and just add into the mixture. Also, topping with shredded cheese is always a nice way to add a little extra.