I’ve never been much of a Bourbon drinker. I’ve always found it a little rough going down. Clearly, 18th Century Kentucky folk were made of tougher stuff than their Scottish, whisky distilling cousins.
That being said, Bourbon does some wonderful things when included in barbecue sauces and marinades.
The following recipe really melds the sweetness of the brown sugar, with the unique Bourbon flavour and the richness of the other marinade ingredients. The end result is a truly delicious piece of beef which marries up nicely on a plate with baked beans and creamy coleslaw.
“Skirt steak” refers to two cuts of beef steak, one from the side and one from the flank of the cattle. Both are long, flat cuts that are prized for flavor, but are tougher than many other steak cuts. Hence they are often marinated and sliced thin when serving.
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Kentucky Bourbon Skirt Steak with Baked Beans
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchens
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 pounds skirt steak
Baked beans for serving
Preparation:
- In a bowl, combine the bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, Tabasco, mustard and cornstarch and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Place the steak in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the meat. Remove excess air and close bag. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
- Preheat grill over Medium-High heat. Place steak on grill and cook, turning once, until done to your liking, about 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the steak into thin slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve with baked beans. Serves 6 to 8.
Filed under: Recipe on March 24th, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Ceviche is a Latin American dish featuring citrus-marinated seafood. In this recipe the acid in the lime juice begins to effectively “cook” the fish.
This recipe was everything I hoped it would be and more! The flavour and textures all melded perfectly. The firm, fresh fish, the smooth avocado, the crunch of the chips…
The fish lost any of its “fishiness” whatsoever after being treated, and the onion, jalapeno and lime combined to make a really refreshing dish. A deck, some lapping waves, and a Corona and it would have been darn near perfect!
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Red Snapper Ceviche with Guacamole
Adapted from Crescent City Cooking
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound skinless red snapper fillets, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt
2 avocados, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot sauce
Tortilla chips, for serving
Preparation:
- In a medium bowl, mix the snapper with the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl gently mix the avocado with the scallion, garlic, hot sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Season with salt, to taste.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ceviche to bowls. Top with the guacamole and serve with tortilla chips for scooping.
Filed under: Recipe on March 17th, 2010 | Comments Off on Red Snapper Ceviche with Guacamole
I mentioned in my cookbook that beer is one of my favourite ingredients to cook with. It adds such great depth of flavour to help turn the everyday dish into a pallet pleaser.
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the bend I thought it would be appropriate to pull out an ale inspired recipe for the festivities. This bread would go down great with just about anything you served it alongside. Stew, soup, eggs, or straight up as a snack. The divine smell as it bakes, alone is worth the price of admission.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day – enjoy!
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Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm beer
2 eggs, beaten
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl stir together flour, whole wheat flour, 1 cup of cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in beer, butter, and eggs until just moistened. Spoon batter into loaf pan.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of batter. Bake until toothpick in centre comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Serve warm.
Filed under: Recipe on March 13th, 2010 | Comments Off on Pepper Cheese Beer Bread
