Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Santa Maria Tri-Tip

Adapted from Rob, Arnie & Dawn

Rub
3 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp onion powder
4 tbsp garlic powder
4 tbsp salt

Sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup garlic infused olive oil

Mix rub ingredients together and rub over meat.  Let sit for at least an hour before cooking, up to 24 hours.

Cook on the grill over high heat.  Grill for 5 minutes, baste the top, then flip.  Baste, let cook for another 7 minutes, flip.  Baste, let cook for another 7 minutes, flip.  Baste, let cook for another 2 minutes.  Depending on the size of the roast, this 21 minutes should get you to rare - but you can increase the cooking and flipping more as desired.  Baste, flip, cook - baste, flip, cook ...and so on. 

Uncle John's Stromboli

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough
1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
1 cup sliced yellow onions
1 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 pound sliced ham
1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni or salami
Sliced provolone
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash
1 cup shredded Parmesan


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet or cover with parchment and set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until very soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool.

Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to a large rectangle. In the center of the dough put down a layer of provolone and half of the sausage/peppers/onions mixture. fold over one side of the dough. layer half of the ham, pepperoni, and Parmesan cheese over the dough. Using a pastry brush, paint the border of the long edge with egg wash. Fold the other side of the dough over and pinch the edges to seal. Place on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down and score top to allow steam to vent while baking. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Let rest for 5 minutes

Brush the top of each Stromboli with egg wash. Bake until completely golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes. Slice thickly and serve.

Black Beans

I use my fancy new crock pot that also has a saute setting on it to make these in one easy swoop.  

1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic 
1 jalapeno
1 lb. dry black beans
1 tbsp. better than bulion
6 cups water
Juice from 1 lime
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
2 bay leaves

Saute onion, jalapeno, and garlic for 1-2 minutes until jalapeno begins to soften.  Put in crock pot with remaining ingredients.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Check at 3 and 5 hours to make sure beans are still covered in water - if beans aren't, add more water.  When beans are soft, you can simmer over medium heat for a few minutes to reduce any extra liquid.

Serve with crumbled cotija cheese and/or pico de gallo.