Spain Meets Colorado – Steak with Spanish Dry-Rub

On March 9, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes13 Comments

When we travel, we try to taste as much of the local flavors as possible. Then, when we’re back at home, we try to replicate some of the things that we tried during our trips. We certainly aren’t culinary experts, but we are a couple that enjoys cooking and trying different foods. This particular dinner is obviously very easy, but if you’re a meat lover, it is extremely delicious. If you ever come to the western United States, to states like Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana, you’re going to find some great steaks. We have gotten used to the portions that restaurants serve, which is why we always split a meal when we go out and even then usually have food leftover to take home with us.

When we had first moved to Colorado, we took a trip the Alamosa, in the southwestern portion of the state, and had gone out to dinner and ordered a steaks. We’d each ordered our own meal, so when the server arrived with our food, we almost went into shock. A large plate was placed in front of each of us and on this plate was a huge steak. That was all that was on the plate because that was all that could fit on the plate. Then smaller plates with baked potatoes and vegetables were placed next our enormous steaks. Each steak could easily feed a family of four, but apparently steak portions tend to be fairly large in the western states.

So, we picked up a nice, thick rib-eye steak from our favorite butcher at the Cowboy Star restaurant where we can get our steaks cut to order. We marinated it with the Spanish dry-rub and grilled it to a nice medium rare. To complete the Spanish experience, we paired it with a Monastrell wine from the Taringa vineyard in Jumilla, Spain, which was bold and spicy enough to stand up to the flavor of the steak. We served with a side salad, just to try to pretend that we were being a little healthy.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp Spanish Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1 tsp Ground Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Boneless Rib-Eye Steaks (about 10 – 12 oz each)

Instructions

Mix the spices in a small bowl. Brush the steaks with the olive oil and then rub the spices all over the steak, making sure to coat both sides equally. Let the steaks stand at room temperature, coated with the spice rub, for about 20 minutes to let the aromatic spices penetrate. Cook the steaks on a grill, grill pan, or in a cast iron skillet until it reaches the desired temperature. Let the steaks rest, tented with aluminum foil, for at least 10 minutes. Cut the steak into strips or serve whole. Serves 2 to 4 people.

Chili Mac – Traditional Comfort Food, Non-Traditional Recipe

On December 16, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

This is one of our favorite winter time recipes. This might not be what you typically think of when you think of chili mac, but it is really, really delicious. 🙂 There is something about the tang of the vinegar combined with the spice of the chili powder that makes this dish stand out. Obviously you could use macaroni noodles, but the spaghetti noodles work so much better because they simply add a layer of flavor because they aren’t as thick as macaroni noodles. It is also a one pot dinner where we use a short cut to make it easier, but you certainly could make the chili from scratch if you’d like. If you’re willing to give it a try, we think it might become one of your favorite recipes as well.

Ingredients

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
3 – 15 oz Cans of Chili (you’re favorite brand)
4 tbsp Chili Powder (half hot and half regular if available)
1 1/2 tbsp Granulated Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
8 oz Thin Spaghetti Noodles (half of a 1 lb package)

Instructions

Add the ground beef, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a large sauce pot and brown the ground beef on medium-high heat. Browning the ground beef with the spices will allow the meat to absorb the flavor as it cooks. Add the three cans of chili, retaining the cans. Stir the ground beef with the chili. Fill each chili can three-quarters of the way to top with water, swirling the water as you fill them to get any additional sauce from the sides of the can. Add the vinegar and the water from the three cans to the pot. Stir in the cayenne pepper and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat low. Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Increase the heat to medium-low and add the spaghetti noodles in small batches to the pot (you can break the long noodles into shorter pieces, if you prefer), stirring them in as they are added. If you add the noodles all at once or in large handfuls, they will stick together and not fully cook. If there isn’t enough liquid to cover the noodles, add enough hot water to ensure that the noodles have enough liquid to absorb. Cooking the spaghetti noodles in the liquid from the chili will allow them to absorb all of the spices and flavors from the chili while they cook. Cook the noodles until they are at the desired tenderness.

Asian Roasted Duck

On December 9, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes5 Comments

We love duck, but it isn’t the easiest thing to prepare and have it turn out to be moist and tender. After doing some research, we found that either simmering or steaming the duck, prior to roasting it, renders out the fat and produces a moist duck with crispy skin. We decided to go with an Asian influenced recipe and the flavor couldn’t have been more delicious. It took a little work, but really wasn’t too difficult and well worth the effort. We adapted our recipe from one that we found from Tyler Florence, which called for the duck to be steamed and, based on the results, we’ll use this method every time going forward. This recipe turned out to be extremely tasty and one that we hope that you’ll enjoy.

Ingredients

1 Whole Duck (5 – 5 1/2 lbs)
1 tbsp Chinese Five-Spice Powder
2 tsp Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Salt
5 Large Slices of Fresh Ginger
3 to 4 Garlic Cloves
4 Green Onions
1 Tangerine Peel – cut into large strips
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 cup Soy Sauce

Instructions

Remove the giblets from the duck and cut away any excess fat from the neck and cavity area. Wash the duck inside and out and pat completely dry inside and out with paper towels. Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spices over the entire duck, inside and out. Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics, the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel. Fold the wings under the back, this will keep the tips of the wings from burning. Tie the legs together with some kitchen string and then poke the skin of the breasts and thighs several times with a skewer or knife. This will allow the fat to escape as it renders as well as allow the seasonings to flavor the meat below.

Place the duck onto a rack, breast side up, and into a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with water until it is almost touching the bottom of the rack with the duck. Cover tightly with foil. Place the roasting pan over a large burner on the stove and turn the burner onto medium heat. Once the water starts to boil (you’ll have to listen to it or peek inside the foil), turn the burner down to low and steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking occasionally to see if you need to add water. Steaming the duck allows some of the fat to melt away and shrinks the skin.

While the duck is steaming, combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Cook the glaze on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, then set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the roasting pan from the burner and remove the foil. Remove the rack with the duck from the roasting pan and pour out almost all of the liquid, leaving about an eighth of an inch of liquid in the pan. Put the rack with the duck back into the pan and liberally brush the duck with the glaze, ensuring that the skin is well coated. Put the roasting pan with the duck into the oven and roast for 1 hour, basting periodically with the glaze.