Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Kickin' Sliders



So good, you really will want more!! 
I invite you to experiment with different 80/20 to 84/16 meats and maybe different Aioli’s.  It's best to modify the burgers to match the bun size you find at your local grocer or bakery.  The reason I used the different liquors because I found different inspirations for each and wanted to see what the combinations might taste like.  I would say this recipe was influenced by Jose Garces' creative use of ingredients that to me, on their own may not work well, but somehow do.  It was at one of his restaurants on a recent trip to Philly that I realized this.  I look forward to experimenting with some spices found on that same trip and I hope to try and recreate some of the different foods I tried!!



Kickin’ Sliders w/Bourbon Onions
By Ted Slee

Servings: Approx 12 Burgers – 6 to 8 People
Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cook Time:  20 mins


Ingredients

The Bourbon Onions:
2 tbls extra-virgin olive oil
2 Vidalia onions, sliced paper thin
2 tbls bourbon
3 tbls unsalted butter
2 tbls granulated sugar
Sea Salt and Black Pepper

The Kickin’ Aioli:
2 cups of mayonnaise
1 tbls tequila
2 tbls fresh lime juice
3 tbls pickled jalapenos
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sea Salt and Black Pepper

For the Sliders:
3 pounds ground Angus beef, divided in to 3-4 oz patties, 1/2” thick (palm size).
Vegetable oil, for the grill
Garlic salt and Black Pepper
12 Dinner rolls or Mini buns
Unsalted softened butter, for toasting up rolls


Preparation

The Bourbon Onions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on med-high until glistening.  Gently add onions stirring to coat and reduce heat to low, cooking till golden brown.  When goldenly gorgeous, take off the heat and stir in the Bourbon.  Heat on low and add butter until melted then stir in sugar, cook until most of the liquid is gone.

The Kickin’ Aioli:
Pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until combined.  Can be refrigerated until ready to use.

The Beef:
Brush Vegetable Oil on a preheated grill set to med-high.  Season with the garlic salt and pepper to taste. Grill until browned and cooked halfway through, 3 to 4 minutes.  Flip the beef, top with some of the caramelized onions and cook 3 more minutes for medium (or to desired doneness).

The Buns:
Spread butter on the insides of the buns, toast on the grill until golden brown, about 1 minute.

The Presentation:
Liberally spoon a tablespoon of Kickin’ Aioli on the inside of the bun tops.  Assemble with the burgers & onions and pierce with a skewers.


Sunday, February 6, 2011

Guacamole & Fresh Chips



Guacamole & Homemade Tortilla Chips
Prep Time: 15 – 20 mins
Servings: 6 – 8 People

Ingredients
Guac:
2 Haas Avocado
½ Vidalia Onion (minced)
3 Tbs Habanero Salsa
2 Tbs Cilantro Chopped
1 Tsp Minced Garlic
½ Lime Juiced
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Chips:
2 12” Flour Tortillas
Vegetable Oil (Enough to fill stock pot 1” deep)
Sea Salt


Preparation
Guac:
Mix all ingredients by hand or stand mixer on low with whip attachment.

Chips:
Put oil in pot on med/hi until glistening.  Test with a tortilla strip to see if oil is ready to fry strips.  Cut tortillas into random strips or triangles around 1 ½” in size.  Fry in small batches.  Cook strips only 20 – 40 secs per side or until golden brown.  Drain cooked chips on paper towels and sprinkle sparingly with sea salt.

How to Survive a Superbowl Party

So the superbowl to me is more than a game.  It’s about getting friends together sharing some great food.  I have hosted many a Superbowl game in the past, especially when my New England Patriots were playing.  They key to any good superbowl party is spreading the love…  What I mean is, asking friends to bring a dish each which has usually been assigned.  This is key, especially if you want to be able to relax and enjoy the game and not be slaving in the kitchen!!  Since this is a Super Bowl party, if it doesn’t fit on a small plate it doesn’t make the cut.  There is nothing worse than 30 people trying to sit in front of the TV, watching the game while trying to each with a fork and knife with the plate on their lap.  I love making guacamole with home made tortilla chips.  I like a little heat in my guac and I have come up with a recipe that uses some shortcuts.  I use habanero or chipotle based salsa instead of diced tomato.  The heat plays well against the creamy avocado.  A Vidalia onion, some cilantro and fresh lime make it game time!  The tortilla chips are made from store bought flour tortillas cut into any shape you want and then pan fried in oil, then sprinkled with sea salt.