Tag: Signature Dishes
Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs over Goat Cheese Polenta
Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs over Goat Cheese Polenta
Of the current 1363 recipes on my site, I’d say that this is in the top 5 of tastiest. This preparation is a fusion of French and Italian techniques. The french aspect is using shallots and a french red wine; Italian would substitute onions for shallots and using an Italian wine. Either way you go, these ribs fall off the bone. When serving, place a short rib in the center of a mound of polenta; spooning over the red wine sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs English cut beef short ribs 2 1/2” thick
- 1/4 cup flour
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 1 large shallot finely chopped; or 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 cups red wine French or Italian
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
Goat Cheese Polenta
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups water
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup polenta
- 4 oz goat cheese
Instructions
- Pat the short ribs dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge the short ribs in flour.
- Heat up olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the short ribs.
- Brown on all sides for 3 minutes a side. Remove from the pan.
- Add in the carrots, celery, and shallots. Sauté for 8 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine; scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the beef stock. Add in the short ribs, rosemary, and thyme. Place on the cover and put in a preheated 300° oven for 3 hours.
- The last 20 minutes of cooking the short ribs, bring the milk, water, and seasonings to a simmer in a large pot.
- Add in the polenta and continuously whisk over low heat for 3 minutes. Place on a cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Whisk in the goat cheese and turn off the heat.
Grilled Butterflied Drumsticks in White BBQ Sauce
Grilled Butterflied Drumsticks in White BBQ Sauce
Regardless of how you season your chicken, butterflying them is the best way to grill drumsticks. This technique gives the drumsticks a wider flat surface area; allowing them to cook through more evenly and taking less time.White bbq sauce is indigenous to Alabama. The tangy mayo-based sauce was invented in 1925 by Bob Gibson of Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q. This sauce is great on chicken, pork, fish, and smoked meats.
Equipment
- chimney starter
- charcoal
- charcoal grill
- basting brush
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken drumsticks
- creole seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
White BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp horseradish
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Mix all of the white bbq sauce in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.
- With a sharp knife, cut straight down the center bone of the drumstick. Carefully cut the meat away from the sides until it lays out flat.
- Rib the drumsticks with olive oil and season with your favorite creole seasoning.
- Let your charcoal turn gray in your chimney starter. Pour in the grill and place on the grate. Place the drumsticks skin side down with. Grill for 5-6 minutes until you get a nice sear.
- Flip over and grill for another 5-6 minutes.
- Brush on a layer of the white bbq sauce. Grill for 2-3 more minutes.
- Flip the drumsticks over. Brush on a layer of the white bbq sauce. Grill for 2-3 more minutes.
- Flip over one more time. Brush on another layer of the white bbq sauce. Place on the grill cover and grill for 2 minutes
Alex’s Homemade Creole Seasoning
This is my personal recipe for my salt-free creole seasoning. I never really add salt to my spice mixes; mostly because if I want more of the spice flavor, it will increase the salt intake. Salt to me should be used separately. This creole seasoning is great on chicken, pork, beef, turkey, shrimp, and fish of all types. The main difference between creole and cajun seasoning is that Cajun is usually just paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, and sometimes oregano. Creole seasoning will have garlic, onion, basil, and thyme in addition.
Equipment
- measuring spoon
- funnel
- 4 oz spice bottle
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp white pepper
Instructions
- Mix all of the seasonings together and funnel into a 4oz spice shaker bottle.
Roasted Whole Cauliflower
Roasted Whole Cauliflower
I’ve become obsessed with roasted cauliflower. Believe it or not, I’ve never had it until very recently. The cauliflower really becomes the centerpiece of any meal, overshadowing any protein that’s served with it. The best part of roasting cauliflower is that you can season it with just about anything.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Remove the green leaves from the head of cauliflower. Core out the thick center stem, making sure to keep the head intact.
- Mix together the olive oil and spices.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the top side with the spiced olive oil.
- Flip over and brush the bottom side. Place in a preheated 350° oven for 75 minutes.
