GRILLED FLAT IRON STEAK
WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
Introduction
Flat iron steak is a tender cut from the chuck top blade roast. If flat iron steak is unavailable, use flank steak.
Ingredients
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (about 15) peeled garlic cloves
1/3 cup Sherry wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 1 1/2-pound flat iron steaks
3 cups oak- or hickory-wood smoke chips, soaked in cold water at least 30 minutes, drained
1 8-inch square disposable aluminum foil baking pan
Preparation
Finely chop first 7 ingredients in processor. Set sauce aside.
Cook butter in small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until brown, about 2 minutes. Add sauce; stir 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Place soaked wood chips in foil pan. Place foil pan directly atop coals on barbecue. When chips begin to smoke, place steaks on grill rack directly over chips and cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove steaks from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Thinly slice steaks across grain. Serve with chimichurri sauce.

The Flat Iron cut was suggested to me by Betty in Miss.

BARBECUE TRI-TIP WITH CARAMELIZED RED ONIONS

Ingredients
Caramelized red onions

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 pounds red onions (about 4 medium), halved, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Tri-tip

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-pound beef loin tri-tip roasts, trimmed of all but 1/4 inch of fat

2 tablespoons olive oil

Red Wine Barbecue Sauce

Preparation

For caramelized red onions: Melt butter with olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until deep golden brown, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from heat. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Rewarm over medium heat before serving.) Stir in chives.

For tri-tip:

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Mix garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Brush both sides of tri-tips with oil and sprinkle with garlic-powder mixture, pressing to adhere. Grill tri-tips 5 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium-low, or if using charcoal grill, move meat to cooler side of grill. Cover and grill until thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125°F to 130°F for medium-rare, brushing with barbecue sauce and turning every 10 minutes, about 30 minutes longer.Transfer tri-tips to work surface; let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat crosswise into very thin slices; arrange on platter. Surround with caramelized onions and serve.

Oven Roasted Tri-Tip

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

Dry rub or marinade of your choice.
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pound beef tri-tip, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch

Pan Sauce: (do not make if you use a wet marinade)

1/2 cup beef or chicken stock

1/4 cup red wine

1 teaspoon chopped fresh herb of your choice such as thyme or rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Flavor Step: If you're using the garlic rub or a dry rub, combine all ingredients and generously season or rub the meat all over and let it stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Or cover the roast and leave it overnight in the refrigerator; let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours before cooking. If you're using a wet marinade, puncture the meat all over with a meat fork or skewer. Place it in a zip-lock bag or large bowl and pour the marinade over the meat. Marinate (cover if using a bowl), for up to 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. If the meat has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry. Discard the marinade. Place the tri-tip, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, then begin checking the internal temperature: You should remove the roast at 115 degrees to 120 degrees for rare, 120 degrees to 125 degrees for medium-rare.

Transfer the meat to a carving board or platter, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving to allow the residual heat to complete the cooking and the juices to stabilize.

Meanwhile, make the optional pan sauce: Pour off any fat from the roasting pan. Place the pan over a burner and add the stock, wine, and herbs. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the sauce almost to a syrup. Whisk in the mustard and taste for salt and pepper.

Slice the meat into thin slices across the grain. If you made the sauce, pour it over the sliced meat, and serve.

Source: Bruce Aidells is the owner of Aidells Sausage Company & has written and co-authored nine cookbooks including meat and poultry chapters for, The New Joy of Cooking.

Japanese-style potato salad

Ingredients:
1 pound russet potatoes
1/2 cucumber (see directions)
1/2 small white or yellow onion, thinly sliced (see directions)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard (a touch of Dijon mustard is also nice)
3 large sandwich slices of ham, cut into small squares
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
Boil the unpeeled potatoes. Meanwhile, cut the cucumber lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut the cucumber into thin slices and place them in a small bowl. Add one teaspoon salt and mix well. Cut the onion into thin slices and soak them in cold water until you're ready to use them. When the potatoes are done, remove the skins and cut the potatoes lengthwise, then cut them into pieces about 1 inch wide. Wash the cucumber with water and squeeze the water out. Also squeeze the water from the onion. Place the potatoes, cucumber and onion slices, ham, and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Servings: 4

This potato salad tastes very close to the kind you buy in Japan. You could also add chopped apple slicesurprise your taste buds.

German Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:
12 slices bacon
2 sliced hard cooked eggs
6 cups hot diced cooked potatoes
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
chopped parsley for garnish

PREPARATION:
Dice 6 slices of the bacon. Fry diced bacon along with the 6 whole slices in a heavy skillet. Remove whole slices to drain on paper towels; set aside.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, vinegar, and water; slowly add to diced bacon and bacon grease in the skillet, cooking and stirring constantly over medium heat until thickened.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks (beaten)

1/2 pint milk

1 pint double/heavy cream

4 oz sugar

2 cups of strawberries

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1/4 teaspoon salt

Take the strawberries and mash them in with half the sugar in a bowl. Place in the refrigerator whilst making the rest of the recipe. In a separate saucepan, mix the egg yolks with the milk, salt and the remaining sugar. Place over a medium heat just to boiling point (stirring all the time). DO NOT LET IT BOIL.

Transfer the mixture into a chilled bowl to cool. When cool place in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours, remembering to stir the mixture from time to time. When cool, stir into the mixture the cream and vanilla essence and then blend in the strawberry/sugar mixture.

Transfer the complete mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN

INGEDIENTS:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons garlic salt

3 tablespoons MSG

1 tablespoon celery salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dry mustard

4 tablespoons paprika

2 cups plain flourDried breadcrumbs (commercial)

2 eggs

Chicken pieces (your choice)

Vegetable oil

MATERIALS:

Aluminium foil

Large roasting pan

PREPARATION:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl except for the breadcrumbs, eggs, chicken and oil.Put your dried breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.Beat the eggs well in a bowl.Now begin to dip the chicken pieces in the egg, one at a time, making sure they are well covered in egg.After you dip a piece of chicken immediately turn them over in the breadcrumbs making sure they are well covered with breadcrumbs.Now that the chicken is covered in breadcrumbs plunge them into the Kentucky spice mix making sure they are well covered with the spice mix.

COOKING:

Place the spiced chicken on the lightly oiled roasting tin.

Cover the roasting tin with the aluminium foil making sure the foil is on shiny side out.

Now cook for 40 minutes

After 40 minutes remove the foil and cook for a further 35 minutes.

After 35 minutes lightly baste the chicken pieces with the oil and cook for a further 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes remove the cooked chicken and let stand for 5 minutes.

Your chicken is now ready to serve.

Southern Stuffed Eggs

12 hardboiled eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/5 teaspoon pepper

5 slices bacon, crisply fried and finely crumbled

1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 to 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Paprika

Cut peeled eggs in half lengthwise. Take out yolks and mash with fork. Mix in salt, mustard, pepper, bacon, mayonnaise and vinegar. Fill egg whites with yolk mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Keep covered in refrigerator.

NOTE: 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet pickles may be substituted for bacon for a different flavor.

Hushpuppies
6 cups peanut oil
1-1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten

Using a deep pot, preheat oil for frying to 350 degrees F. Using a mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the onion. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and egg. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Drop the batter, 1 teaspoon at a time, into the oil. Dip the spoon in a glass of water after each hushpuppy is dropped in the oil. Fry until golden brown, turning the hushpuppies during the cooking process.

Southern Fried Catfish

8 (5 to 6-ounce) catfish fillets, skin removed
Salt Crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal Oil, for frying

Heat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with oil to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle both sides of each catfish with salt and crab boil seasoning. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the cornmeal. Dredge the catfish in the flour mixture and place in fryer. Deep fry for approximately 7 to 8 minutes until done. Drain on paper towels.