1,001 Best Hot and Spicy Recipes (69 page)

Heat Scale: Medium

 

For the Cayenne-Infused Meat Marinade:
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cumin seeds
⅓ cup (79 mL) olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 mL) lemon juice (fresh preferred)
1 tablespoon (15 mL) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 mL) dry sherry
1 cup (236 mL) finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons (45 mL) finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon (15 mL) finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cayenne
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground paprika
2 teaspoons (10 mL) chopped fresh oregano
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) ground cinnamon
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

1.
Toast the cumin seeds on a dry skillet over high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes, taking care that they don’t burn. Remove the seeds from the heat, let them cool, and crush them. In a blender or food processor, combine the cumin with the olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, sherry, onion, parsley, ginger, garlic, cayenne, paprika, oregano, and cinnamon and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of the marinade for the rice.

 

For the Brochettes:
1½ pounds (680 g) boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1 large bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut in 1½-inch (3.5 cm) squares
1 small onion, peeled and cut in 1½-inch (3.5 cm) cubes
12 cherry tomatoes
12 cremini mushrooms, stems removed

1.
Transfer the marinade to a bowl. Add the lamb, toss well to coat, cover, and marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.

2.
Blanch the bell pepper and onions in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove them from the water, run them under cold water, and drain them. Remove the lamb from the marinade. Transfer the marinade to a sauce pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Thread the meat onto skewers, alternating with the pepper, onion, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Brush with the reserved marinade.

3.
Grill the kebabs over a medium-hot fire until medium-rare, about 15 minutes. Baste occasionally with the marinade. Cut a sample of the meat to check for doneness, and remove when it is a little underdone.

 

For the Nutty Rice Pilaf:
2 tablespoons (30 mL) boiling water
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
3 tablespoons (45 mL) blanched almonds
3 tablespoons (45 mL) shelled unsalted pistachios
½ cup (118 mL) vermicelli, broken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 cup (236 mL) uncooked long-grain rice
2½ cups (591 mL) Basic Beef Stock (page 45)
⅛ teaspoon (.6 mL) saffron
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) ground cayenne

 

1.
Place the saffron in a cup and add the water. Let sit for 20 minutes.

2.
In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the nuts and lightly fry them, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Turn heat to low, add the vermicelli to the pan, and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, stir to coat, and sauté until the kernels are opaque, about 3 minutes.

3.
Bring the beef stock, saffron, and cayenne to a boil and pour it over the rice mixture. Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, until the rice is done, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add the nuts. (The rice also can be baked, covered, in a 325°F [165°C] oven for 40 minutes.

4.
Serve the meat over the rice, accompanied by a sauce from Chapter 2, or make an additional half batch of the marinade and thicken it slightly with cornstarch.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

 

For the Habanero Marinated Ham:
2 tablespoons (30 mL) brown sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) red wine vinegar
2 habanero chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 teaspoons (10 mL) onion salt
¼ teaspoon (1.25 mL) ground turmeric
1 pinch ground cloves
1 (4-pound [1.82 kg]) fully cooked ham

 

1.
In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, oil, vinegar, chiles, onion salt, turmeric, and cloves and mix well. Score the ham through the fat side about ½-inch (1 cm) deep. Rub the marinade all over the ham, making sure it penetrates into the scoring. Marinate the ham in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight.

2.
Allow the meat to come to room temperature. Smoke the ham for 3 hours at 200 to 220°F (100 to 110°C). Remember, the ham is already cooked and you are just adding heat and flavor.

 

For the Rum Glaze:
¼ cup (59 mL) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) dark rum
1½ tablespoons (22.5 mL) butter
1 tablespoon (15 mL) pineapple juice
2 teaspoons (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground habanero chile

 

1.
In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, rum, butter, pineapple juice, mustard, and chile and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. During the last hour of smoking, brush the ham with the glaze every 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Medium-Hot

 

1 cup (236 mL) Harissa
1½ pounds (680 g) boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
4 pocket pita breads
Chopped cucumber for garnish
Chopped onion for garnish
Chopped tomatoes for garnish
Shredded lettuce for garnish

 

1.
Reserve some of the Harissa to serve with the meat and place the remaining Harissa in a plastic bag. Add the lamb, mix them together with your hands, and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Save some of the Harissa to serve on the side.

2.
Bring the meat to room temperature, thread the cubes onto skewers, and grill over a medium-hot fire for about 15 minutes, turning often.

3.
Serve the lamb cubes in the pita bread with a little reserved Harissa, cucumber, onion, tomato, and lettuce.

Yield: About 20 servings, depending on the individual brisket and the size of the appetites of the guests

Heat Scale: Medium

Okay, okay, I borrowed a Texas technique and changed the rub to reflect my chilehead tastes. For years I have been perfecting recipes using a smoker known as an Oklahoma Joe’s. It is a horizontal, cylindrical smoker about 3
½
feet (1 m) long and about 14 inches (35 cm) in diameter. It has an attached, dropped fire box that allows smoking with fairly cool smoke because the fire is separated a bit from the smoking area. Because smoking is so time consuming, it makes sense to smoke several things at once. Some cooks use the basting sauce as a mop during the smoking process and eliminate the long marinade at the end of smoking. Leftovers, if there are any, make the best barbecue sandwiches when served on a crusty hard roll with your choice of sauce from Chapter 2.

 

1 (9-10-pound [4.1-4.5 kg) brisket (“packer trimmed” preferred)
½ cup (118 mL) lemon juice
2 cups (473 mL) ground mild red New Mexican chile
1 tablespoon (15 mL) ground cayenne
2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (59 mL) garlic powder
Deep, Way Deep in the Heart of Texas Barbecue Sauce (page 74)

 

1.
Thoroughly coat all surfaces of the brisket with lemon juice, and rub it in well. Combine the ground chile, cayenne, black pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl, and sprinkle this mixture generously all over the brisket, rubbing it in well. Make sure that the brisket is entirely covered. Marinate for at least an hour before smoking.

2.
To smoke the brisket, build a hardwood fire in the fire box using pecan, oak, or any fruit wood. When the fire is smoking nicely, place the brisket on the rack fat-side up, to let gravity and nature do the basting. Place the breast as far from the heat source as possible and close the smoker. During the smoking, do nothing to the brisket. The smoking will take approximately 8 hours at 200°F (100°C) smoke temperature. This means a lot of beer will be consumed while you wait and tend the fire.

3.
After the brisket has finished smoking, remove it from the smoker, slather it generously with the barbecue sauce, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, and return it to the smoker. Close off all of the air supplies to the fire, and allow the meat to “set” in the pit for about 2 hours.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Heat Scale: Mild to Medium

 

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegetable oil
3 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
⅓ cup (79 mL) lime juice
⅓ cup (79 mL) soy sauce
⅓ cup (79 mL) red wine
2 pounds (1.1 kg) skirt steak
8 flour tortillas
Grated Monterey Jack cheese for serving
Cheddar cheese for serving
Sour cream for serving
Guacamole for serving
Grilled onions for serving
Deep, Way Deep in the Heart of Texas Barbecue Sauce (page 74) for serving
Pico de Gallo Salsa (page 69) for serving
Commercial hot sauce to taste

 

1.
In a bowl, combine the garlic, oil chiles, lime juice, soy sauce, and red wine and mix well. Place the steak in a glass dish and pour the marinade over it. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

2.
Remove the steak from the marinade. Grill the steak over a hot fire until medium-rare, about 10 to 15 minutes (the internal temperature should reach 150°F (75°C). You can also check for doneness by cutting into the steak. Remove the steak from the grill and slice thinly against the grain.

3.
Quickly heat each tortilla on the grill. Serve the sliced steak wrapped in a tortilla and topped with your choice of the toppings.

 

Variation

Sauté onions, bell peppers, chiles, and tomato wedges in hot oil as a topping for fajitas.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

 

1 cup (236 mL) Memphis Rib Rub (page 10)
3 slabs baby back ribs, about 4 pounds (1.82 kg) total
1 cup (236 mL) Memphis-Style Finishing Sauce (page 77)

 

1.
In a large, shallow pan, pour the rub over the ribs and massage it into the meat on both sides. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature.

2.
If smoke-grilling the ribs, build a fire that is 300 to 350°F (150 to 190°C). Cook the ribs, covered, for 1 hour, turning often. Smoke-grill, basting the finishing sauce on the ribs with a brush, for another 30 minutes.

3.
If smoking the ribs, maintain the smoke at 200 to 220°F (100 to 160°C) and smoke for 2 hours. Brush the finishing sauce over the ribs several times during the last hour of smoking, and turn the ribs occasionally.