Recent Posts
Oaxacan Lamb and Goat Barbacoa
Oaxacan Lamb and Goat Barbacoa
Authentic barbacoa comes from the Oaxacan region of Mexico. It is traditionally made out of lamb or goat, but in the U.S., you’ll see it made out of beef. The main flavor profile of this meat comes from the ancho chilies, smokey chipotle peppers, and oranges used in the marinade. The meat is slow roasted with the marinade until it falls off the bone. It can be used in tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, and much more.
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone in lamb shoulder cut into large cubes
- 2 lbs bone in goat shoulder cut into large cubes
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large white onion thinly sliced
- 1 large orange thinly sliced
- bay leaves
Barbacoa Marinade
- 3 ancho chilies seeded
- 1 chipotle pepper with 2 tbsp of its juice
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 orange juiced
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp dried epazote
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add in the lamb and goat. Season with salt. Brown on all sides for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove the meat from the pan.
- Layer the onions, orange slices, and bay leaves in the bottom of the pan.
- Place the meat back into the pan.
- Purée the barbacoa marinade ingredients in a blender.
- Pour the marinade over the meat. Cover and place in a preheated 325 degree oven for 4 hours.
- Take out of the oven and allow to cool.
- Pull the meat off the bones and chop. Stir in some of the sauce from the pan.
Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite southern dishes. Originating from coastal South Carolina, this dish consists of a rich, bacony gravy with bell peppers, onions, and shrimp ladled over creamy cheddar grits.
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 6 slices bacon or 2 links of andouille sausage; diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Grits
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup coarse ground grits
- 1 cup half and half
Instructions
- Season the shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper. Squeeze over the lemon juice and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Bring the water and salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits.
- Whisk in the half and half. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Cover and set aside.
- Brown the bacon in a large saucepan for 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and save the grease.
- Sauté the onions, bell peppers, and garlic in the bacon grease for 8 minutes over medium high heat. Remove from the pan.
- Add in the butter. Whisk in the flour. Turn the heat to low and allow a dark roux to form; about 8 minutes.
- Add the bacon and sautéed vegetables back into the roux.
- Pour in the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce and whisk.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Add in the shrimp.
- Cook for 5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese to the grits.
Smoked Tri Tip
Smoked Tri Tip
I feel that tri tip is a lesser known cut to Americans and is greatly unappreciated. Tri tip is also known as bottom sirloin, as opposed to it’s more popular norther beef muscle, top sirloin. It is significantly richer in flavor from its high marbling fat content than top butt. In my personal opinion, tri tip is equally as tender as a ribeye, strip, and top sirloin. It’s definitely a lot cheaper then your higher end cuts.I purchased a really nice prime tri tip for smoking. This is a good cut to smoke medium rare, so this will take only about 2 hours in the smoker. I brined the tri tip for a day, then dry rubbed it with a blend of white and black peppercorns, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds. Once the desired internal temperature is reached, allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. I used the sliced tri tip for French dip sandwiches, but it can be eaten as just a regular steak.
Equipment
- gallon sized storage bag
- Spice grinder
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 whole tri tip 2 – 2 1/2lbs
Brine
- 1/2 gallon water
- 1/2 cup sea salt
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp whole fennel seeds
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 bay leaves
Dry Rub
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
Wood Chips
- oak or mesquite
Instructions
- Trim off any excess fat on your tri tip.
- Mix together the brining ingredients.
- Place the tri tip in a gallon sized storage bag. Pour in the brine. Brine in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Take the tri tip out of the brine and pat dry. Grind all of the dry rub ingredients. Rub all over the tri tip and allow to rest in the refrigerator on a rack for 24 hours. Allow to rest at room temp for 2 hours before smoking.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Placd the tri tip in the smoker.
- Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees with a probe thermometer; about 2 hours.
