Living in Colorado, we are surrounded by states that embrace southwestern flavors. Whether visiting New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, or our own state, southwestern flavors can be found everywhere. Tacos, burritos, Huevos rancheros, enchiladas, guacamole, and all kinds of peppers can be found on menus in almost every city. We have tried to recreate several of the dishes that we’ve had during our travels throughout the area as well as we have some of our own that we’ve grown up eating.
Crab Queso in Austin, TexasCon Carne Burrito in Steamboat Springs, ColoradoHuevos Rancheros in Sante Fe, New Mexico
Southwestern food is full of spices and packed with flavor, but usually it is just a mild heat. Some places offer the choice of sauce to put over your food, usually ranging from mild to hot, with the green sauce usually being the hottest. One nice thing about southwestern food is that the same flavors work with different types of proteins like pork, beef, and shrimp, but it can also be made to be vegetarian as well. Since we like to share anyway, the portions are usually large enough for us to still have leftovers to take home with us.
Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Chili RellenoPork Burritos with Spicy Green Chili SauceChili Pork Verde
As we get ready to leave for Moab, Utah tomorrow, we expect that we will likely find many southwestern options available to us when we arrive. Hopefully we’ll find some of the creative dishes that we found in Scottsdale, Arizona and Sante Fe, New Mexico. We don’t have a favorite type of food, but we certainly enjoy good southwestern dishes when we are in the mood for something a little spicy.
Grilled Corn and Chipotle Soup from the RestaurantCarnitas Burrito Served Enchilada StyleOur Version of Southwestern Corn Chowder
We spent the weekend in Denver where we went to the 2nd annual Denver BBQ Festival. With 11 different pit masters, live music, cooking demonstrations, beer and drinks, as well as games for the family, it was definitely a fun time. Entrance is free and you can purchase items that you want or you can purchase a VIP pass that allows you to eat and drink all that you want. We chose to get the VIP pass so that we could try as many different barbeque options as possible. There were pit masters from all over the country including Kansas City, St. Louis, New York, Nashville, Texas, and Colorado.
Leg of Lamb with PeppersFood Being PreppedCooking DemonstrationTender Ribs and Baked BeansPulled Pork and a Loaded Potato Salad
If you are a fan of barbecued food, this event is certainly for you. With choices that include leg of lamb, ribs, chicken, brisket, pork belly, whole hog, pork chops, and lamb ribs, there are options for every type of food lover. It wasn’t just about the meat, though, as there were side dishes that include baked beans, potato salad, carrot and raisin salad, bloody Mary salad, and, of course, coleslaw. To be clear, although we tasted just about everything that there was, we certainly did not sit down and eat full portions from each of the food stations. Even with just tasting small samples from each of the pit masters, we still had more than enough food to make us full.
Different Bands Throughout the DayTender Beef BrisketServing the Large CrowdsMini-TacoChicken Wing and Coleslaw
We think that beer pairs really well with barbeque, but there were many options available to drink. From mixed drinks made with Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Tito’s vodka to make margaritas, as well as non-alcoholic drinks, no one was going thirsty. It was a hot day, so an ice-cold beer certainly hit the spot and we chose to have a Colorado Lager from Odell’s Brewery. The festival took place in the parking lot of Mile High Stadium and it was certainly a very popular event.
Ice-Cold BeerSausage and BrisketGetting the Food OutLooking Out Over the FestivalRibs with a Dry Rub and a Sauce
It is hard to choose a favorite with all of the different dishes that we tried, but there was a beef brisket from Pappy’s Smokehouse that was so tender that it fell apart. The leg of lamb from Sugar Fire Smokehouse was also wonderful. The pork belly from Joe’s KC BBQ was one of the first things that we tasted and also one of our favorites. And finally, the ribs from Peg Leg Porker BBQ were definitely worth eating again and again. That doesn’t mean that we didn’t enjoy everything that we tried, including those from Salt Lick BBQ, GQue BBQ, The Shed, Ubon’s BBQ, Memphis BBQ, and Jean-Paul Bougeois.
Lamb Ribs and Carrots and RaisinsPeople Lining UpChicken and Bloody Mary SaladSalmon, Slaw, and GuacamolePork Belly and Pork Rinds
We will definitely put this on our calendar for next year. There isn’t a better way to spend a summer afternoon than eating delicious barbeque, drinking a beer, listening to music, and getting grilling advice from the experts. The Denver BBQ Festival is certainly an event that is fun for the whole family.
We had goulash a couple of different ways when we were in Budapest and neither of them were anywhere close to what we’d eaten before. In Hungary, goulash is actually a soup with beef, potatoes, and carrots in rich broth. We also found restaurants that offered a heartier version of the dish that is served as a stew, which is what westerners envision when they hear the word goulash. The key to the dish is the paprika, which comes in mild, medium, and hot varieties. For our version of goulash stew, we chose to use hot paprika, which we brought home with us from Budapest. Another thing that we found common in Hungary was to have both potatoes as well as rice, noodles, or dumplings in addition, which helps to soak up all of the flavor of the sauce. We think that the dish turned out to be quite delicious and will certainly make it many times in the future.
Simmering the Goulash
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs Beef Bottom Round Roast – trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
Heat the oil in a Dutch Oven (or stew pot) on the stove to medium-high heat. Add the meat to the oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Sautee the meat until it is browned on all sides. While the meat is cooking, sprinkle it with the flour and continue to stir to even out the flour and remove any lumps. If necessary, add more oil to keep the meat from sticking. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, and paprika and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, tomatoes, and beef stock to the pot and stir. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate anything that might have gotten stuck when the meat sautéed. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper if necessary. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Serve with rice.
Beef Dusted with FlourRoasted PeppersPeppers, Onions, and BeefOur Version of Hungarian GoulashThe Original Goulash Stew in Budapest
