Thrill of the Grill + Smoked Bacon BurgerThere are few foods as compelling as a piece of meat or fish charred over open flames. The skin contracts and crisps, turning crackling and brown, the juices drip and run; the flesh becomes sweet and intense. Strong, robust, heavy, flavors that, along with the heat and smoke from the grill, give food an unmistakeable sense of high summer. In the latest edition of the duPont Registry, Heather Stalker sat down with three local chefs—Tom Pritchard of Salt Rock Grill, Gary Moran of Datz Tampa and Mark Heimann of Marchand’s Bar & Grill at The Vinoy—share their savvy summer secrets. You can find that story here. As an added bonus, however, Chef Gary shares this recipe for Datz’s Smoked Bacon Burger. Smoked Bacon Burger with smoked tomato mayonnaise and jalapeno relish Mix together garlic powder, onion powder and worcestershire and fold into the combined ground chuck and ground bacon. Form into 8-ounce patties and place into the freezer for one hour, to set. While the patties rest, prepare your favorite smoker and bring to 130-140 degrees. You will want to smoke the burger low and slow under the 140 degrees mark until the internal temperature is 110 degrees. This will give you a smoked rare burger which you can either pan fry or grill to desired temperature. Serve with smoked tomato mayonnaise, jalapeno relish and white cheddar cheese. Smoked tomato mayonnaise While the smoker is going, add the peeled tomatoes and smoke for 30 minutes. Remove from the smoker and combine the tomato with the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Be sure to while you have the smoker going throw in a few peeled tomatoes. combine with a good quality mayo. Throw into food processor and season with salt, pepper and sherry vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Jalapeno Relish Toss the jalapeños in olive oil and place on a hot grill (or under the broiler) and char till black on all sides. Put in a paper bag until cool, then peel the skins under running water*. Remove stems and chop, seeds and all. *Note: Peeling the skins under running water does dilute the flavor a little bit, but with so much heat in the jalapeno, we’ve found that it works best in this application. |
Italian Mushroom Toasts with Eggs2 T unsalted butter Heat the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms are warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the chives. Remove the mushrooms from the heat and keep warm. Preheat the broiler. Brush one side of each bread slice lightly with olive oil. Place the bread under the broiler for about 1 minute per side to toast lightly. Set aside while you cook the eggs. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into pan and cook 2-3 minutes. Cover with a lid and cook an additional 2 minutes until whites are set, then remove the skillet from the heat. Place one egg on each toast, then top with the mushrooms and chives. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika, and serve warm. |
Midnight PastaIn big Italian families it’s always smart to have handy something quick that you can put together for a simple supper, or for unexpected guests. (It’s nice to be known as the host who always graciously offers something good to eat). 1# Decarolis Riccia pasta Preheat the oven to 350° F. Drain the San Marzano tomatoes and cut each tomato in half, lengthwise. Place the tomato halves face up on the baking sheet, keeping them close together. Sprinkle Midnight Spice Blend over the tomatoes and roast for about 2 hours. The tomatoes will shrivel and caramelize a bit. Remove from the oven and cool completely. |
Food News of the WeirdFirst there was Glaceau’s Fruit Water. Now there’s MeatWater, which comes in such delectable flavors as cheeseburger, barbecued chicken wings, and Italian sausage, as well as the more diet-friendly poached salmon salad (shown below), grilled chicken salad and spicy thai beef salad – which is just interesting enough in theory to consider sipping… |
Fired Up with Dave Hirschkop
You’re known as the hot sauce guru who created the hottest sauce in the universe. Have you always loved the searing pain of hot sauce? What’s the allure for you? How did you go from a targeted hot sauce line to carrying more than 70 specialty items, including organic and heirloom pasta sauces? What is the most satisfying or challenging part of your job? When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Aside from your products, what three food items can you always find in your kitchen? |
Pea is for Prosperity…
Hoppin’ John Recipe Put the black eyed peas, the halved onion, the carrots and 3 bay leaves in a large pot. Cover it all with about three inches of water (you’ll need about 2 quarts). Put the pot over high heat, bring it to a simmer, then turn the burner to medium low and continue to cook until the beans are tender, about 60 to 90 minutes. Add two or three teaspoons of salt midway through the cooking. Strain the peas (reserving two cups of the cooking liquid); discard the onion, carrots and bay leaves. While the peas are cooking: in a pot big enough to hold the beans cook the bacon over medium low heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook over until the onion is softened and translucent and beginning to brown, five or ten minutes. Add the cumin, pepper flakes and black pepper, turn the burner to medium and stir to combine the seasonings with the onion. Add the tomatoes and all the juices from the can. Add the last bay leaf. Bring this to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or so to thicken the sauce. Stir in the black eyed-peas, and cook to heat through. Add some or all of the reserved bean liquid to make it as soupy or stewy as you would like. Then taste and season, whether that be more salt, pepper, or around here, more red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Maybe even siracha. Serve immediately with rice and cornbread. |
Wild Rice & Lentil Salad RecipeLunch Box: Summer Salads Ingredients: · 1 C vegetable or chicken stock Method · Combine 1 cup water and the stock in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover and simmer over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. · Meanwhile, place lentils in a saucepan over medium heat and cover with 11/4 cups water. Simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool. In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked rice and lentils. · Prepare a vinaigrette by whisking together the walnut oil olive oil, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the lentils and rice. Add the red onion, dried cranberries and slivered almonds. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. * These products are available for purchase at Datz. Have some fun while you eat lunch and learn how to cook something new! Sign up for a Lunch Box lesson this week. You can find registration information on our website at www.datzdeli.com. |
Watermelon, Mint & Feta Salad RecipeFrom Lunch Box Monday July 26: Homage to Jacques Pepin Ingredients
Method
* These products are available at Datz Cook’s Note: For a fun serving suggestion, reserve the scooped out watermelon rind and use as a bowl for the salad. Great for picnics! Be sure to sign up for one of our weekday Lunch Box lessons. You can find more information and register on www.datzdeli.com. |













