Tag: main course
Smoked Pit Beef Tacos
Smoked Pit Beef Tacos
What’s better than tacos? Not much. The meat used in these particular tacos comes from a brined, then smoked chuck roast. This beef can be used in numerous recipes for fillings, sandwiches, nachos, etc.
Ingredients
- smoked chuck roast
- corn or flour tortillas
- cilantro/onion/green onion mix
- smoked tomatillo salsa
Instructions
- Shred the smoked chuck roast.
- Top the tortillas with the beef, cilantro/onion/green onion mix, and the tomatillo salsa.
Smoked Pit Beef
Smoked beef sandwiches!? Fuck yeah, smoked beef sandwiches. They are extremely easy to make as long as you have time and patience. This is better than any smoked beef you can get from a restaurant or smokehouse for a fraction of the price. I’ve seen smoked beef go for as much as $25-$30 per lb, when the chuck roast I purchased was only $3.99lb.Once brined, the chuck will take 2 hours per lb to smoke in order for the meat to shred; exactly like a pork shoulder. To achieve this, use a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. You will want the temp to get to 205-210 degrees. Once finished, let the chuck rest for at least 20 minutes. The beef is great on a sandwich or even used as taco meat.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb chuck roast
- black pepper
- paprika
Brine
- 1/2 gallon water
- 1/2 cup sea salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 6 shallots sliced
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
Wood Chips
- mesquite wood chips
Instructions
- Mix together the brining ingredients.
- Place the chuck in a gallon sized storage bag with the brine. Brine the chuck for 1 day.
- Pat the chuck dry. Season all sides with black pepper and paprika. Let rest at room temperature for an hour before smoking.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Place the chuck in the smoker.
- The chuck will take about 2 hours per lb. Monitor the temp with a probe thermometer. In order for the beef to shred, you will need to reach an internal temp of 205-210 degrees.
- Once finished smoking, pull from the smoker and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Slice or shred the beef.
Smoked Tomatillo Salsa
I really like tomatillo salsa and wanted to see what it tastes like with the ingredients smoked. The answer: even better! The ingredients take no more than 2 hours to smoke in your smoker. It’s ready to use as soon as you purée the ingredients in a food processor. The salsa will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb tomatillos
- 1/2 medium onion
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 green onions
- 1 head garlic
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wood Chips
- mesquite wood chips
Instructions
- Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeños, and green onions on your smokers rack.
- Place in a preheated 250 degree smoker for 2 hours.
- Let the ingredients cool.
- Add the smoked ingredients along with the cilantro, vinegar, and salt to a food processor.
- Purée until smooth.
Crying Tiger Beef
Crying Tiger Beef
How did crying tiger beef gets it’s name? The legend says that the dish is so good that it could make a tiger cry. The slices of beef are supposed to represent the tears of the tiger. The steak itself is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked medium rare. What stands out in this dish is the dipping sauce. It is harmoniously sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy. It also has a unique texture from the toasted rice powder. The dish is always served with sliced of cucumber and steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb strip steak, flank, or top sirloin
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cucumber thinly sliced
Dipping Sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp shallots chopped
- 2 tbsp toasted rice powder
- 1 green onion chopped
- 1 tsp chili flakes
Instructions
- Mix together the dipping sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Let your steak sit out at room temperature for an hour. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a small sauté pan over high heat. Add your steak to the pan.
- Cook for 4 minutes a side for medium rare.
- Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Afghani Chicken Kabobs
Afghani Chicken Kabobs
Afghani cuisine is influenced by Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisines. The people of Afghanistan are big meat eaters and love to barbecue. Kabobs are a staple of their cuisine. Instead of cooking them in a tandoor like their neighbors in Pakistan and India, kabobs are grilled over an open flame.
Servings: 2
Equipment
- food processor
- metal skewers
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into 2” pieces
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 large red bell pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Purée all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 8 hours.
- Turn on your oven’s broiler. Place 4 pieces of the marinated chicken on metal skewers. Place the chicken kabobs on a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil.
- Broil the chicken for 6 minutes a side. They will cook for the same amount of time if using a grill. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
