Texas Hold 'em #H50 Style

I have to admit when Texas meets Hawaii the thought of 
what recipes to serve up is easy, what to write however, just seemed to be a little difficult.  But then I started to think about it more and more and really looked at the title of the show and found something out.   "A' ale Ma'a Wau" (Hawaiian for "Fish Out of Water),  I think it describes how I feel when I bring fingers to keyboard. The words and recipes are in my head but can I get them out to you and hope you understand where I'm coming from.  Or will you find some fun and enjoyment and not feel like a "fish out of water" when reading, or even trying them out. 

So if you have your computer(even a new fancy one) and try doing a search for the National food of Texas, well dang-gone-it if you don't find out it is a good old fashioned piece of brisket, and if you can cook a whole brisket, it's and excuse for a party.  

Of course for a good old fashion brisket you need  a long low

heat from the smoker for that authentic taste.  Well, this recipe has a smoky taste but offers a shorter cooking time right in your oven, so whether its Hawaii or an apartment on the lower east side, you can make this dish. Yes that what I said this recipe can be made anywhere, so it mimics the taste, so you purists don't be hating me.

Texas Brisket

3-1/2 oz liquid smoke flavoring

1/4 cup ketchup

10 oz steak sauce

3 lb beef brisket

1. Line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the brisket on the foil. Stir together the steak sauce, liquid smoke, and ketchup. Pour half of the mixture over the brisket, then turn the meat over, and pour sauce over the other side. Wrap tightly in a double layer of aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Let the roast stand at room temperature while the oven preheats to take off some of the chill.
3. Bake for 6 or 7 hours in the preheated oven. You can leave it in even longer if you turn the oven down to 200 degrees F. Remove brisket from the oven, and slice across the grain. Serve with sauce.

Texas is known for its amazing barbecues, so of course this grilled Texas-style chicken recipe is out of this world. You may be jumping for joy, heck singing at the top of your lungs for this one. Maybe I'm a little over the top but it is barbecue after all and I'm trying to keep it simple, and fresh.

Texas-Style Barbecued Chicken

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup molasses

3 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard

Zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tsp zest, 4-1/2 tsp juice)

1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot red pepper sauce

1-3 to 3 1/2 lb whole chicken, quartered

1. In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, heat oil 1 minute. Add onion and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes more.
2. Add ketchup, bourbon, broth, molasses, vinegar, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and hot red pepper sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes; set aside or cool, store in a container with a tight-fitting lid, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
3. Gently pull the skin back from the chicken to expose the flesh but do not tear or remove it. Place in a large self-sealing plastic bag, add half the sauce, seal, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Refrigerate remaining sauce until ready to use.
4. Preheat the grill or broiler. Remove chicken from bag, reserving sauce. Smooth chicken skin back into place and arrange chicken, skin side down, 5 inches above a drip pan over glowing coals. Cover the grill, leaving the vents halfway open (or adjusting for the wind and outdoor temperature). Cook chicken, turning once, until both sides are browned 15 to 20 minutes. Brush chicken generously with sauce and continue grilling and basting, turning once, until the meat near the thigh bone is no longer pink when cut  25 to 30 minutes more. 
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat the refrigerated sauce from Step 3 until hot and bubbly. Serve as a dipping sauce with the barbecued chicken.

Note: To broil in the oven, place chicken, skin side down, 7 to 9 inches from the heat and broil 5 minutes more. Turn chicken and continue broiling and basting about 15 minutes more.

Of course what barbecue is not complete without a good rib

sorry gratuitous picture used last week

recipe.   There are so many ways, and arguments to preparing them, this time, really decided to stick with a dry rub.  With this flavorful rub you will find that not only does it bring the heat with cayenne pepper, its tempered by notes of sweetness thanks to the brown sugar.  

Houston Ribs

2 full slabs Baby Back Ribs

4 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Rub:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp seasoning salt

2 tsp black pepper

1-1/2 tsp paprika

1-1/2 tsp lemon pepper

1-1/2 tsp garlic pepper (optional)

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tspgarlic powder

1/2 tsp grated orange rind

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp thyme

1. Combine the rub ingredients. Lightly coat the rib meat with mustard; all sides  for Baby Back Ribs. Sprinkle 1/2 cup rub mixture evenly over the ribs. Press into mustard and wrap ribs tightly in aluminum foil.
2. Place the ribs on the grill over indirect heat. (Note: this means that you place all the charcoal on one side of the grill. When the coals are ready, the food gets placed on the opposite side of the grill.) Cook the meat covered for 90 minutes.
3. Remove the ribs from foil and sprinkle the remaining rub mixture over the ribs (do not re-wrap in foil). Place the ribs, meat side down on the grill over indirect heat. Cover the grill and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the ribs so they are facing meat side up. Cover grill and continue cooking an additional 10 minutes or until ribs are tender.

Needing a side dish might be thinking about a potato salad, this is not your usual 
mustard mayo potato salad. Then again what about this blog or anything in it is ever usual, but you won't be questioning my decisions, will you?  Okay well What makes this side dish great is the flavors can hold up to any barbecue you can throw down and cool off any of the spices you have going on.  Definitely a dish worth trying.  

Texas Mustard Potato Salad

6 large potatoes - peeled

3 eggs 

1 onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

3 tsp sweet pickle relish

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 Tbsp prepared mustard

3 Tbsp Mayonaise or salad dressing

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, and roughly cut potatoes into chunks. Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, onion, celery, relish and bell pepper. Blend together the mustard, salad dressing, salt and pepper and add to salad and mix well. Sprinkle with paprika and refrigerate until chilled.

When you need to bring it home with a dish that will satisfy

all and just knock it out of the park well let's just face it anything you add bacon and maple syrup too has to be amazing.  These beans will become the quintessential side dish no matter the time of the year, or time zone you are in. This is a guaranteed home run.

Tangy Maple Baked Beans 

with 

Applewood Smoked Bacon

 4 thick strips applewood smoked bacon, diced

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 red onion, cut into small dice

1 green pepper, diced

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

5 cans (14- 1/2oz) great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1- 1/2 cups Carolina-style barbecue sauce

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

4 Tbsp whole grain mustard

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add the bacon and canola oil, turn the heat to medium-high and cook the bacon until it starts to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. 
2. Add the red onions and green pepper, season with salt and pepper and saute over medium-high heat until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, barbecue sauce, maple syrup, vinegar and mustard. 
3. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the beans, about 45 minutes. Remove the lid and cook uncovered until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the flavors have developed, about 15 minutes. 
4. Just before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Texas Hurricane

If anything is for sure a hurricane is known for knocking you down, well this cocktail if not treated right might be able to to the same thing to you as well, no Texas Ranger or Super Seal required.   Though like these guys you might just double check the recipe before proceeding.  

1 cup crushed ice

1 oz rum

1 oz coconut flavored rum

1 oz vodka

1 oz gin

1 oz triple sec (orange-flavored

liqueur)

2 oz orange juice

1 oz pineapple juice

1 oz grenadine syrup

1 oz 151 proof rum

1 orange slice (opt)

1 lime slice (opt)

1 maraschino cherry (opt)

1. Fill a hurricane glass with ice. Pour in the rum, coconut rum, vodka, gin, triple sec, orange juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine. 
2. Stir well with a bar spoon, then pour the 151 rum over the back of the spoon to float the liquor on top of the drink. Garnish the glass with orange, lime, and a cherry.
3. Sip with a straw from the bottom for a 'sneak up on you' punch or sip from the top for a 'knock you down' twister.

Texas Rattlesnake 

The “Texas Rattlesnake” well what else would you pair with a ranger who has  a no bull attitude.  The 411 on this cocktail is no rattlesnake is harmed to produce it.  Yet this little darling does have a bite. 

4 part Yukon Jack Canadian whisky

2 part cherry brandy

4 part Southern Comfort peach liqueur

4 splash sweet and sour mix

1. Mix all ingredients and Shake well. Sweet at first, with a bite at the end.

Classic Texas Margarita

A classic is always a classic, and with Texas as tequila territory, naturally the Margarita holds claim as the state’s unofficial cocktail.  With a taste profile somewhere between the classic original and a Texas-style margarita, this tasty cocktail will win you over but make it known it is still king of the road. 

Sweet & Sour Mix

1/2 cup lime juice 

1/2 cup lemon juice 

1/2 cup orange juice 

 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water, hot

Margarita:

4 parts sweet & sour mix (from above)

2 parts 100% agave tequila

1 part Cointreau

1. Sweet & Sour mix: sugar and water in bowl then cool before mixing in with juices. Add in hand-squeezed lime, lemon and orange juices. This mix can be stored in refrigerator for one week.
2. Margarita: mix 4 parts sweet & sour mix, 2 parts tequila and 1 part Cointreau. Serve on the rocks.