Salty Spicy Beer

 

Salty Spicy Beer

Perfect for hot, sunny days.

• 1 slice lime
• 1 slice jalapeno
• 1 dish Kosher salt (shallow dish with salt)
• 12 ounce beer or lager

1. Wipe the rim of a glass with a wedge of lime

2. Dip the rim into the shallow dish of salt

3. Add the lime and the jalapeno

4. Pour a cold beer

   
   
   

Good non-alcoholic beers you can usually find are O'Douls and Becks.

Cheese In Cheese Out Burger

Per burger:

1/4 pound 90% lean ground beef
2 slices 2% milk fat American cheese
1 teaspoon clarified butter or Ghee
1 plum tomato
1 garlic dill pickle
Worcestershire sauce for seasoning
Spicy barbecue sauce
1 English muffin



Divide the burger meat into two thin patties. Cut one cheese slice into quarters and place on one patty. Cover with the other patty. Press together and seal the edges so the cheese does not leak out.



Season the cheesy patty with Worcestershire.

Cook in a hot pan oiled with the clarified butter. Cook time depends on several factors. Try three minutes on one side and two on the other for medium doneness. With one minute left, put the second slice of cheese on the burger to melt.



While you allow the burger to rest, toast the English muffins, nook and cranny side down, in the greasy hot pan.

To assemble:

• Barbecue sauce on the bottom bun


• Burger patty


• Sliced tomato


• Garlic dill pickle


• Press down the burger and slice in half

You can use the poke test to check for burger doneness. 

Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles are very garlicky. Polish dills can be garlicky as well. It might be tough to find but the garlic pickle is a key to this burger.

Mussels Fra Diavolo

Translated: Brother Devil Mussels. It's gonna get hot in here.

I haven't had this in a long time. It's real easy to make.

Get 2 pound of mussels. Rinse. Debeard the mussels if needed. Soak in salty water.

Make the spicy tomato sauce.

Simmer the mussels in the spicy sauce until they open.

Serve with crusty bread. Done.

Servings: 2 to 4 depending on how hungry. One pound was good for me.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds of mussels
1 28 ounce can of tomato puree
1-1/4 cups of water
1 large lemon
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 table spoons red pepper flakes - more or less to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
10 cloves garlic - thinly sliced like Paulie or finely chopped
1 loaf of buttered, crusty bread cut into wedges

Debeard the mussels if necessary. Rinse in a colander with cold water. Put the mussels into a big pot with salty, cold water.



The sauce is easy. Olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic until sizzling - or until the garlic starts to brown.

Add the tomato puree. Stir. Add the black pepper. Stir. Add the water with the juice of one lemon. Stir.



When simmering, add all the mussels. Cover and steam with another big pan on top.



When the mussels are all open it's time to serve. Discard the ones that did not open.

Plate with some chopped, Italian parsley. Chopped fennel and/or fennel fronds work too.

The dunk of the bread into that spicy, salty tomato broth is a little bit of heaven.

Notes

The mussels and their liquid should provide all the saltiness you need for the sauce. If not, add a little salt.

Marinated Chicken Legs

Game time. Snack time.

Prep Time: 2-8 hours

Cook Time: 40-50 minutes

Passive Time: 5 minutes rest

Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Hoisin marinade, slightly diluted
1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar, unflavored
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
2 pounds Chicken drumsticks

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Add the chicken to the marinade. Toss with a pair of tongs to coat marinade all over the chicken. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 8 hours would be great. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes - longer is you don't like to see pink near the bone. When finished eating, save all those bones. We're going to use them in the next recipe.
RECIPE NOTES
Roast on a broiler pan or wire rack. Don't turn.