OT: Your Best (simple?) Recipe

1) Call up local pizza place

2) Eat Pizza

3) ?

4) Profit

Wait... that can't be right...

Being a dark meat connoisseur, boneless, skinless chicken things are one of my favorite grilling meats. With this easy marinade and seasoning, they taste amazing off the grill either pre-game or for a good dinner.

What you'll need

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Lemon Juice
• 1 can light beer (I usually use Stroh's or some kind of Pilsner)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Famous Dave's Chicken Seasoning (easier than combining your own spices

Dry your chicken thighs then allow them to soak in a mixture of beer and lemon juice for about an hour (I have used Summer Shandy here before to mixed effect)

Remove from marinade and pat dry, drop them into an airtight container and douse in as much seasoning as you like with some olive oil to help the seasoning stick. Shake the living hell out of it until well coated and throw onto a hot grill.

The result is a savory grilled chicken that pairs with almost any kind of vegetable or side, I have also used them on sliders with some tangy slaw and bbq sauce. Enjoy!

2 cups vanilla greek yogurt 3 bananas 10 frozen strawberries 3-4 cups orange juice depending on desired consistency Blend. Add rum if it's after work.

Simple marinade 2-4 hours:

- Italian dressing

- Lemon pepper

- Garlic salt

I like to grill 4 or 5 bone-in chicken thighs on medium to high heat for about 30 minutes to get that great grill flavor and crisp the skin. Then pre-heat oven to 325* and bake for about 1-1.5 hours. I also like put some potatoes and veggies underneath the chicken to soak up flavor. 

 

It's a longer process, especially for just chicken thighs but the results are worth it. Something about pulling meat off the bone is great.

Salt, pepper. Bring to room temperature. Small amount of grape seed oil in cast iron. Heat up cast iron until it's ripping hot (oil will start to smoke). Sear the shit out of the steak. Will turn a nice mahogany color. Take out of pan and rest at least 10-15 minutes. Return to pan and add butter two cloves of garlic (smashed), sprig of thyme, and sprig of rosemary. Baste that bad boy until up to temp. Rest a minute or two and enjoy.

Grilled marinated asparagus. Zip lock asparagus with low sodium soy sauce, minced garlic and olive oil. At least an hour.

1 lb. of YOUR liver

1 nice bottle of Chianti

"Some" Fava beans

Enjoy! 

Kinda like spaghetti, but I use italian sausage and hamburger, and i simmer the sauce for awhile...peppers, onions, mushrooms, carrots...i use a penne or a short cut noodle.  Cook, bake, and top with Parmesan. 

 

Working on a gumbo, but I can't get my roux right. Would live tips.

1 part cream sherry, 4 parts beef stock. Burn off all the alcohol from the cream sherry (it will flame up so make sure not to scorch your microwave.) Once flame has disappeared add beef stock and reduce by 2/3. Add thyme, smashed garlic cloves, rosemary and salt (to taste) cover and let steep for an hour. Pass through chinois and serve!

• 3 pounds (ish) pork loin
• one large onion (not red)
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 0.5 cups honey
• 0.25 cups red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

mix dry ingredients in a bowl. separately, mix liquid ingredients. mix dry ingredients into wet ones to form a paste. cut onion into thick rounds and place on bottom of crock pot (should cover the bottom of the pot). cut pork loin in half and place on top of onions. pour paste over pork loin more or less evenly. cook on low for 8 hours.

Use regular Rice Krispie treat recipe but add 1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder, tsp vanilla extract, and a little salt. Not bad. The quantities are estimates as I am too lazy to measure. Was pretty good.

Honestly, I have tried a ton of different recipes, this is the best. 

(1) 1 part Tequila (must be 100% agave - kirkland totally fine)

(2) 1/2 part Agave nectar

(3) bit less than 1 part Fresh lime juice (NO bottled stuff)

Important note: NO FUCKING TRIPLE SEC

You will probably will need to tweak your own measurments. The beauty of this is it's simplicity.

I smoke baked beans...it is truly special, and pretty easy.  I have an electric smoker, so that makes it quite a bit easier.

Ingredients:  Baked beans (32 oz.), Black beans, drained (16 oz), bacon 4-5 strips, 2 boneless chicken thighs.

 

1)  Mix beans in foil pan, and cover chicken in bbq rub.

2)  Place in smoker at 275 on a middle rack.  Place the chicken above the beans, so they drip yumminess into the pan.  SMOKE SWEET SMOKE  (about 3 hours is right...depending on how much smoky flavor you like.)

3)  Bake bacon at 375

4)  Chop up bacon and chicken into smallish bits.  Add it to the beans and stir.

 

DONE!

Rigatoni with sun-dried tomato and fennel sauce. Box of rigatoni 1 medium bulb course chopped fennel 3-4 cloves minced garlic 1tbsp olive oil Handful of sun-dried tomatoes in oil 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup water Salt to taste About 1 tsp rep pepper flakes (more if you like it a bit spicier) Cook the pasta Sautée the fennel for about 5 minutes. Throw in the garlic till you get that nice garlicky smell. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the simmer, dump that all in the blender and purée. Mix that in with the pasta and devour. Usually make that with a nice steak and some grilled veggies.

Recipe is easily googled.

 

1 lb bacon (regular, not thick)

1 lb ground sausage

Deli-style sliced cheese of your choice

Rope smoked sausage (optional)

BBQ sauce

BBQ rub (optional)

 

Weave a bacon mat, 6 slices in each direction. Fry the rest crispy and set aside. Smash the ground sausage onto the mat in an even layer, leaving about an inch around the sides. Place 4 slices of cheese on the sausage. Crumble the fried bacon and sprinkle on top of the cheese. Add some BBQ sauce. At this point I like to put in a piece of smoked sausage that is the same length end-to-end as your ground sausage layer. Roll the monstrosity into a tube - PROTIP: roll the ground sausage layer first with everything rolled up inside it, then roll the bacon mat around it. Add BBQ rub to the outside if desired. Secure your meat tube; I use high temp silicone cooking bands. Throw it on the grill for an hour or so, until the bacon on the outside is good and crispy. Directly over the coals will crisp up the outside nicely, but it will flare up. Slice and serve. 

stick of butter

1/4 C lemon juice

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/2 celery salt

1 T dried rosemary

1/4 garlic powder

diced small onion

I put it on a pan on the grill off heat and dunk the chicken into it after it is no longer pink each time that I flip and move them around

If you're not finishing your steaks with a finishing butter you're doing it wrong! Let one pound of butter come to room temp. Should be able to easily mix ingredients 5grams each parsley, tarragon, chervil finely chopped 2 lemons juiced 2 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon espelette Mix and brush over and steak fresh off grill or skillet

Cut red potatoes into the size of dice. Toss in a bag with olive oil and dry Lipton french onion soup mix. Double wrap in aluminum foil. Grill both sides 20-30 minutes depending on grill heat. Simple and fantastic. They are known as "Michigan Potatoes" to all my friends out here in California.

Cut jalapenos in half.  Scrape out seeds.  Leave on stems (the mouse tails)

Mix shredded chicken, 2 blocks of cream cheese and a baggie of El Paso fajita mix.

Fill halved jalapenos.

Top with pre-cooked bacon slice.

Grill until done (jalapenos soft, bacon bubbling and chicken mixture is hot).

Cheapest 3-4 lb beef roast you can find. put in crockpot with one jar of pepperocini / banana pepper rings (brine included), 4-10 cloves of garlic, and 2 cups of beef broth (1 16 oz can, or 16 oz water with 2 buillion cubes) and a little pepper. Cover and set on LOW for 8 hours. 

Serve on buns, bread, rolls, tortillas, wraps, rice, noodle, whatever with provolone cheese and a good bottle of gardineira. Save the gravy in the pot for dippin'.

Marinate pork tenderloin in Frontera Al Pastor marinade overnight and throw it on a good hot grill. don't worry about blackening; keep drizzling extra marinade over pork as you turn it. Get it to 145, slice it thin and fill your face. Meat candy.

I love getting chicken breast and throwing them in a slow cooker with some Frank's Redhot and ranch. I usually shread it up and put it on a bun. I also like putting chicken in a slow cooker with whatever beer I have around. Used to be my go to as a single guy. 

Steak, internal temp of 145.

Get 2 whole pork tenderloins.  Remove silverskin.

Mix the following with a wisk:

-1/2 cup olive oil

-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (strawberry balsamic is fantastic with this)

-1 tsp or Worcestershire

-sprig of fresh thyme (bruised to get more flavor out)

-Bit of fresh rosemary (I say a bit because use it to taste . . . . also bruised)

-4-8 cloves of minced garlic

-Freshly ground black pepper (I use a tablespoon but some people don't like pepper that much)

-Dash of salt (smoked salt is good here)

Once mixed, put in 1 gallon ziploc bag with the 2 tenderloins.  Marinade a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge.  I always marinade overnight.  Put on the grill, off the coals.  You don't want to char the meat.  I usually put tenderloins in the back of the grill and cook burgers/hotdogs/brats/chickenm over the coals.  Drizzle/brush the marinade over the pork as it is cooking.  Cook until internal temp is ~150F.  Rest 5-10 min then slice.

Easy, delicious, versatile sides. Keep it simple (brush with olive oil and then salt/pepper) or match to other grillables with a marinade. Grill time: 3-5 minutes on the asparagus, 8-10 on the squash (slice these the long way in prep). Serve alongside your meats and receive compliments on what a well-rounded grill man you are.

Take 1- 1.5 pounds of fresh salmon. Put on aluminum, Generous rub of extra virgin olive oil. Skin side down now and sprinkle w Emeril total spice. Cover top w Aluminum and seal.

Throw on hot grill 13 minutes. Done ,,,fresh fish. moist tasty  Salmon skin loved by dog.

Add a red wine vinegret salad and fresh lightly toasted bagette and Voila.  Delicious. Easy.

vino of choice, and you are laid.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 chopped onion

1 can Campbell's Chicken Gumbo Soup

Mustard

Fresh Rolls

Cheese

Directions:

1. Combine ground beef and onion in large skillet.  Brown over medium heat, stirring occasionaly.  Drain fat.

2. Stir in Chicken Gumbo soup and mustard (more mustard = more flavor)

3. Serve on buns/rolls with slice of whatever cheese you prefer (I use apple smoked cheddar)

Whitefish (any kind really)

Drakes Crispy Frymix

Pico De Gallo

Cabbage

Spicy Ranch 

When I was in college, I'd take a can of hormel, a bag of shredded "mexican" cheese, and melt it all together, then eat it with frito scoops or tostito scoops.  SO GOOD

If I even bought hormel or shredded cheese now, I'd probably hit a pretty hard shame spiral.

The criteria here is simple.  This is simple, hearty, and pretty good:

• 1 lb stew meat
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tsp thyme 
• Salt/pepper to taste

Throw everything in the slowcooker and go away, 4 hours on high, 8 on low.

Server and garnish with whatever.  I like shredded parmasean cheese.  And hot sauce.

My wife is a born and raised Filipina, and adobo is a popular dish with either chicken or pork.  She really enjoys these wings when I make them.

 

What you need:

Some wings, whole or split.  

1-2 tbsp butter or oil

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1/2c apple cider vinegar 

1/4c good soy sauce 

2-3 tbsp brown sugar

Black pepper

1-2 bay leafs

Red pepper flakes

 

I usually cook these in the oven, but you can also grill them.  The goal is a wing with a crispy skin.  For the oven, I place the wings on a cooking rack in a cookie sheet or sheet pan lined with foil.  I season with salt, pepper, paprika and cumin (you could also use smoked paprika, or omit the paprika/cumin if cooking on a charcoal grill).  Bake at 425 for 40-45 minutes until skin is crisp.

Meanwhile, while wings are cooking, prepare the sauce.  Heat the butter/oil and lightly fry the garlic.  Add vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and seasonings.  Add red pepper flakes to taste depending how hot you want it.  Bring mix to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.  The sauce will thicken a bit as it cooks down but still be fairly thin.  Remove from heat.

When your wings are cooked, remove them from the oven, reduce heat to 350.  Place the wings into a baking dish, like a rectangular cake pan, and brush with the sauce to cover thoroughly.  Don't worry if you don't need all the sauce.  Place the wings back in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, remove and enjoy.

 

my go-to is sausage (whatever you like) siced into inch-thick pieces, placed into a pan/skillet, covered with Vernors and stirred over med-hi heat until the Vernors carmelizes over the meat. 2 ingredients, smells great while preparing, simple and delicious.

 

Favorite recipe that isn't as simple is mac-n-cheese, but I'll hold that for an appropriate time.

A quick way to make a nice spicy chicken kabob. 1/2C packed brown sugar 1/2C unseasoned rice vinegar 1/3C hot chili paste 1/4C fish sauce 1/4C sriracha 2t finely grated peeled ginger (just use the stuff in a tube) 1.5lb boneless chicken (thigh works nicely) Wisk brown sugar, vinegar, chili paste, fish sauce, sriracha, and ginger in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Thread chicken on skewers. Transfer marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer until reduced to about 1 cup. (7-10 minutes) Grill chicken on med-high heat, turning and basting often with reduced marinade until cooked through (8-10 mins.) The meat gets nicely charred on the edges with a red tint from the hot sauces. Pretty simple and tastes great.