1,001 Best Hot and Spicy Recipes (66 page)

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Authors: Dave Dewitt

Tags: #Cooking, #Specific Ingredients, #Herbs; Spices; Condiments

BOOK: 1,001 Best Hot and Spicy Recipes
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3.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour. With a butter knife, scrape the sauce off the roast and back into the pan. Drizzle the pork with the vegetable oil.
4.
Roast the pork for 1½ hours, basting every 20 minutes with the sauce in the pan.
5.
Transfer the roast to a heated platter. Remove as much fat as possible. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and boil it until it is thick and rich.
6.
Slice the meat and serve the sauce on the side.
Hoisin Beef Ribs
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Medium Hot
This is my version of a Korean rib dish. If these ribs were going to be smoked, I would not boil them first, but since they tend to be fatty, I do boil them before grilling. Serve the ribs with fried rice, stir-fried vegetables, and cucumber slices sprinkled with ground hot red chile.
 
3 pounds (1.36 kg) beef ribs
3 tablespoons (45 mL) hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons (45 mL) chopped green onion, green parts included
2 tablespoons (30 mL) rice vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) orange juice
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Asian chile sauce with ginger
2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped ginger
1 tablespoon (15 mL) crushed chile piquin or other small, red chiles
1 tablespoon (15 mL) brown sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) orange zest
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
 
1.
Cut the ribs into individual pieces. Place them in a pot, add water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove the ribs from the heat and drain them.
2.
Combine all the remaining ingredients and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature while the ribs simmer.
3.
Grill the ribs over a medium fire for about 10 minutes without basting. Move the ribs away from direct flames and cook about 10 minutes longer, basting with the sauce, until crisp.
Sichuan Beef with Hot Sauce
Yield: 2-4 servings
Heat Scale: Varies, but usually Medium
The most important thing to remember in preparing this classic Sichuanese recipe is that the beef should be stir-fried until it is dry and crispy, but not burned. Use the shredding blade of a food processor to cut the celery and carrot. Serve over steamed rice.
 
For the Marinade:
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) cornstarch
2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 mL) dry vermouth or white wine
8 ounces (224 g) flank steak, cut with the grain into 2-inch (5 cm) julienne
 
1.
In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade and stir well. Add the beef and toss to coat. Let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
 
For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 mL) dry vermouth or white wine
1½ teaspoons (7.5 mL) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 mL) hot bean sauce
1½ teaspoons (7.5 mL) sweet bean sauce
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) sesame oil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) Asian chile paste
 
1.
In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well.
 
For the Stir-Fry:
¼ cup (59 mL) peanut oil, divided
1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced ginger
1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced garlic
1 green onion, white part only, minced
1 large celery rib, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
2 green New Mexico or poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, julienned
Asian chile paste to taste
 
1.
Heat a wok over high heat and add 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of the peanut oil. Just when it begins to smoke, add the beef and stir-fry until the beef is browned to the point of being crispy. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set it on paper towels to drain.
2.
Heat the remaining peanut oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and green onion and stir for 15 seconds. Add the celery, carrot, and chile. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the beef. Stir briefly to mix the beef with the vegetables, add the sauce, and stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Adjust the heat with more Asian chile paste.
Mongolian Beef
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Medium
This Mandarin recipe also goes by the name of Beijing Beef. The crispy noodles add texture to this simple stir-fry. Some recipes call for soaking the noodles before frying as the only way to get really crisp noodles, but putting wet noodles in hot oil will cause the oil to spatter and may cause burns, so I don’t recommend frying them this way. Just be sure they are crisp before removing and remember that they puff up quickly, so don’t put too many in the wok at any one time.
 
For the Marinade:
2 tablespoons (30 mL) dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons (10 mL) cornstarch
1 teaspoon (5 mL) sesame oil
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) sugar
 
1.
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
 
For the Beef:
1 pound (454 g) flank or round steak, thinly sliced in 1½ × ¾-inch
(3.5 × 1.5 cm) pieces
2 cups (473 mL) vegetable oil
2-3 ounces (56-84 mL) rice vermicelli noodles
4 small dried red chiles, such as piquin or Thai
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon (15 mL) hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon (15 mL) hot bean sauce
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) cornstarch
8 green onions, cut in 1½-inch (3.5 cm) lengths
 
1.
Slice the beef across grain and at an angle into thin strips. Add the beef to the marinade. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.
2.
Heat a wok until hot. Add the oil and heat to 375°F (190°C). Gently loosen the roll of noodles with your fingers and break it into 3 portions. Carefully lower one of the noodle portions into the oil with a slotted spoon and press the noodles under the oil for 2 seconds until they are puffed and crisp. Immediately remove the noodles from the wok and drain them. Repeat with the remaining noodles.
3.
Pour off all but 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) of the oil and reheat it over medium heat. Add the chiles and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the beef and stir-fry until it is lightly browned.
4.
Add the hoisin sauce, hot bean sauce, cornstarch, and ½ cup (118 mL) water to the wok. Bring to a boil over medium heat and add the green onions. Simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken the sauce so it clings to the meat.
5.
To serve, place the noodles on a platter and top with the meat.
Smokin’ Chilli Mullumbimby
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Medium Hot
My friend John Boland is Australia’s number one hot sauce manufacturer. He lives in Byron Bay, New South Wales, and he writes, “Mullumbimby is our nearest town. It is hot and tropical, like our Mango Chilli Sauce with Smoked Jalapeños.”
 
2 teaspoons (10 mL) vegetable oil
2 pounds (1.1 kg) lean pork or beef, cubed
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 (8.5-ounce [238 g]) bottle Byron Bay Chilli Co. Smokin’ Mango Chilli
Sauce with Chipotles (or substitute your favorite mango-based medium
hot sauce)
 
1.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook until it is browned on all sides.
2.
Add the onion and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
3.
Stir in the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Check the pot occasionally. If the sauce gets too thick, add water as needed.
4.
Serve this dish over cooked rice or use it as a filling for warm tortillas.
NINE
Bodacious Barbecue
I use the word “barbecue” in three ways. First, in the most general sense, it is a gathering of people where food—especially meat—is cooked outdoors rather that inside or on a stove. At most family barbecues, the meat is grilled—that is, cooked on a grate directly over the heat source. The second definition of barbecue, in the technical culinary sense, is meat cooked indirectly by the heat source and flavored with smoke. Finally, the grilling apparatus, no matter how modest or sophisticated, is called a barbecue. The apparatus for producing true barbecue is not called a barbecue but rather a smoker or a pit. Go figure.
Part 1 of this chapter is my take, with the help of Nancy Gerlach, on international combo barbecues. Part 2, fired-up American barbecue classics, requires a little explanation. In the midst of all the wars that exist among regions of the United States famous for their barbecue, a few food historians have noticed that there tends to be a common denominator in regional barbecue: the overwhelming tendency to use chile peppers to spice up the smoked meats. So, traditional American regional barbecue is true fiery food, with chile peppers appearing in rubs, sops, marinades, and barbecue sauces from all over the country.
Despite the tradition of chiles in barbecue, purist critics might complain that I have altered hallowed, sacred, and traditional regional recipes by spicing them up too much. To counter that charge, I reply that home cooks are not stupid. By reading the recipe first and noting the heat scale, you can easily adjust the amount of chile in the recipe to taste.
So, grab some chile pods from the garden, fire up the smoker, and turn on the gas grill. Oh, and better grab a beer before you go, ’cause it’s gonna get hot.
Grilled Green Chile-Stuffed Pepper Steaks Wrapped in Bacon
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Medium
This is one of my favorite ways of grilling steaks. I find myself using the basic recipe and altering it again and again. Leftovers can be turned into a fabulous Southwest Steak Sandwich by thinly slicing it and layering it on sourdough bread with Muenster cheese and more chile. (Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.)
 
4 boneless rib eye steaks (or substitute fillet mignon or sirloin steaks,
1-2 inches [2.5-5 cm] thick)
4 roasted and peeled green New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed
4 strips raw bacon
2 tablespoons (30 mL) red peppercorns
2 tablespoons (30 mL) white peppercorns
2 tablespoons (30 mL) black peppercorns
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Caribbean habanero sauce
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 mL) rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) garlic powder
 
1.
Slice the steaks horizontally to create a pocket in each. Do not cut all the way through the steak. Place a green chile in each pocket. Wrap a strip of bacon around each steak horizontally and secure with a toothpick.
2.
Place the peppercorns in a towel and pound them with a hammer or a mortar until roughly crushed. Press the crushed pepper into each side of the steak.
3.
Combine the habanero sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder. Place the steaks in a nonmetallic pan, pour the marinade over the meat, and marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Bring the steaks to room temperature before grilling.
4.
Grill the steaks over a medium-hot fire. For medium-rare steaks, the internal temperature should be 150°F (75°C). Feel free to slice a steak to check for doneness.
 
Variation
For those not enamored of peppercorns, omit and wrap the steaks in peppered bacon.
Chimayó Chile Steaks with Chipotle Potatoes
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Mild
From the little village of Chimayó, New Mexico, comes what many chileheads consider to be the finest tasting red chile. I use it in my enchilada sauces and for making rubs such as this one. The smoky taste of the chipotle potatoes is a nice complement to the grilled steak. Serve the steak and potatoes with mixed green and yellow snap beans and Jalapeño-Cheddar Blue Cornbread (page 143).
 
For the Chimayó Rub:
2 tablespoons (30 mL) ground red New Mexican chile (Chimayó preferred)
1 tablespoon (15 mL) sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground coriander
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) ground cumin
¼ teaspoon (1.25 mL) ground thyme
 
1.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
 
For the Chipotle Potatoes:
2 large baking potatoes
2 tablespoons (30-45 mL) milk, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon (15 mL) chipotles in adobo, chopped
¼ teaspoon (1.25 mL) garlic powder
Chopped chives for garnish
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
 
1.
Bake the potatoes until just done. Scoop out the potatoes into a bowl and set the skins aside. Whip the potato flesh with the milk, chipotles, garlic, and just enough additional milk to hold them together.
2.
Spoon the potatoes back into the skins. Place the potatoes on the grill, away from the direct flame, and heat the grill.
 
For the Steaks:
Olive oil as needed for brushing
4 New York Strip steaks
 
1.
When the grill is hot, brush the steaks with the olive oil and liberally coat them with the dry rub. Grill the steaks for about 12 to 16 minutes, turning often, for rare, or 15 to 20 minutes for medium rare (the internal temperature should reach 150°F [75°C]). You can slice the steaks open to check for doneness, too. Serve with the potatoes.
Chipotle Barbecued Ribs with Chile-Grilled Potato Wedges
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Medium-Hot
There’s something magical about chipotle chiles and grilling—maybe it’s the fact that these chiles were created with smoke. Serve with spicy black bean and corn salad and buttermilk biscuits. And pick a dessert from Chapter 14 to finish off the meal.

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