Beefy skirt steak and plump gulf shrimp are chargrilled to perfection to make these tangy surf & turf fajitas.

There are a few key items to make this recipe work – first, the seasoning. You’re going to need to get your hands on a shaker of Hardcore Carnivore Tex Mex. I mean, you COULD use regular grocery store fajita seasoning, but why would you rob your tastebuds like that?! Second, try to grab the best grade of beef you can. Choice skirt is going to be better quality than Select, and Prime will be the tastiest of all. USDA grades generally equate to both flavor and juiciness. So the higher the grade, the better your eating experience will be. Finally, the bigger the shrimp, the better for grilling since they aren’t as easy to dry out as the small ones. I use large fresh Texas gulf shrimp for this – at least “extra large” size (or bigger if I can get em!).

Grilled Surf & Turf Fajitas

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• Author: Jess Pryles
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: serves 4

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Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 lb skirt steak
3 tablespoons Hardcore Carnivore Tex Mex (or other fajita seasoning)
12 flour tortillas
Optional garnish – limes, guacamole, pico de gallo and grilled onions.

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Instructions

1. Prepare a charcoal grill for medium high heat grilling, 400-450f.
2. Thread the shrimp onto long metal skewers, piercing each shrimp twice through the tail to make sure it’s secure.
3. Pat the skirt steak dry with paper towels, then season the steak and the shrimp generously with the Tex Mex seasoning.
4. Place the skirt steak over the coals, and cook by flipping every 30-45 seconds until it reaches an internal temperature of 135f (about 8-10 minutes).
5. Place the shrimp skewers on the grill, and cook for 2 minutes per side. Be cautious to use tongs or high heat gloves to turn them, as the metal will heat during cooking.
6. To serve, slide the shrimp off the skewers and slice the skirt steak across the grain into long pieces. Serve immediately with optional garnishes.

• Category: Main
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: Tex Mex

These grilled sumac chicken skewers with charred onion are inspired by the fragrant spices of the Middle-East.

You cannot beat chicken cooked on a charcoal grill. You just can’t! There’s something about the alchemy of the coals interacting to with the meat to create crispy chicken edges and that unmistakable chargrilled flavor. Even better when the chicken is coated in a fragrant marinade of exotic spices. In this case – cinnamon, allspice and sumac. Sumac is one of my very favorite “underrated” spices, subtle and mild with a lemony flavor. It’s not found at all grocery stores, but easily available online. I also recommend picking up flat metal skewers – this shape seems to prevent the meat from spinning, and of course the metal is reusable and will never burn!

You will need to configure your grill two zone cooking (I use a PK grill and the shape makes it perfect for a hot and cool zone). It sounds complicated, but it’s actually super easy. If the recipe instructions are not clear, you can check more detailed instructions here.

Grilled Sumac Chicken Skewers with Charred Onion

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• Author: Jess Pryles
• Prep Time: 3 hours
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: serves 4

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Ingredients

3–4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sumac
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 red onion

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Instructions

1. Cube the chicken thighs and place into a resealable bag. 
2. Add the oil, sumac, salt, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, garlic, and vinegar to the bag. Seal the bag then massage the mix to coat all the pieces. Place into the refrigerator and marinade for 2-3 hours. 
3. Preheat your grill for two zone cooking, with a full chimney of charcoal placed to one side of the grill, creating a hot and cool zone.
4. Peel the onion, then slice in half across the middle. Cut each half 6 times to create onion wedges.
5. Thred the chicken pieces onto skewers two at a time, alternating with a wedge of onion. (Pro tip: metal skewers work best since they do not burn!)
6. Cook the chicken skewers over the direct coals for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook a further 2-3 minutes on the other side. The chicken should have nice color and char, but not be burnt.
7. To finish safely cooking the chicken thoroughly, move the skewers to the indirect side of the grill, and close the lid. Cook until the chicken reads 165f on a meat thermometer (about 10-15 minutes). 

• Method: Grilling

Sometimes known as “poor man’s brisket”, chuck roast is a great alternative for making smoked chopped or pulled beef sandwiches.

It’s not that chuck roast is cheaper than brisket, it’s a matter of final weight and size. See, a whole packer brisket is usually going to run about 15 pounds. Whereas a decent sized chuck roast comes in around 3 pounds. So if you’re looking for that unmistakable flavor of rich, barky, salty and smokey barbecue beef sandwiches- the smaller chuck roast will still comfortably feed four without the need to commit to an enormous (and costly) piece of meat.

Not to mention that unlike the double digit cook times of a colossal brisket, a chuck roast can be smoked to pull apart perfection in just six hours. And then only thing better than great Texas style barbecue, is getting to eat it sooner.

Recipe notes:

1. I use my Hardcore Carnivore Black seasoning for any smoked beef dishes. It’s phenomenal in the smoker and helps give the meat a serious bark/crust.
2. Adding a little extra coarse black pepper gives the beef a classic Central Texas BBQ flavor.
3. I used coffee and beef broth for my liquids, but you can get creative here, as long as you’re adding about 4 cups total. Try adding soy sauce or cola, or keep things simple by only using stock.

Texas BBQ Smoked Pulled Chuck Roast

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• Author: Jess Pryles
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 hours
• Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: serves 4-6

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 3lb chuck roast (see note 1)
• 2 tablespoons Hardcore Carnivore Black seasoning
• 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
• half onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups brewed coffee (see note 2)
• Optional: buns, pickles & BBQ sauce

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Instructions

1. Preheat a smoker to 275f.
2. Coat the chuck roast in the seasoning and pepper on both sides, and edges. Place into the smoker and cook for 3 hours.
3. Place the chopped onion, garlic cloves, beef broth and coffee into a foil pan. Add the chuck roast, then cover the pan with foil and return to the smoker. Cook a further 3 hours until the meat is fork tender and easily pulling apart.
4. Lift the chuck roast out onto a board, then shred using two forks. Add a few spoonfuls of the pan juice onto the shredded meat to keep it nice and moist.
5. If assembling into sandwiches, toss the meat in some BBQ sauce, then stack high onto a bun with some pickles.

Notes

note 1: always buy the best grade of meat you can afford. Prime grade meat has the most marbling, which equates to both flavor and juiciness.

note 2: You can substitute the coffee for other liquids (see recommendations in the paragraphs above) or just use 4 cups broth total.

• Category: Main
• Method: BBQ
• Cuisine: American

THIS RECIPE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GOOD FOLKS AT THE BEEF LOVING TEXANS. For more beef recipes visit beeflovingtexans.com

Mixing salty and sweet is always a good idea – even better when it’s peanut butter and jelly glazed bacon!

Yeah, you read right. Peanut butter jelly bacon. NOT sandwiches. Just bacon. Rich salty bacon glazed with thick peanut butter and a drizzle of strawberry jelly. Caramelized in the oven until everything is spectacularly gooey and rendered. YES! Looking for more flavored bacon ideas? Try these (there’s sriracha and choc dipped, too!).

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bacon

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• Author: Jess Pryles
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: serves 6-8

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Ingredients

Units USM

12 oz bacon strips
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup strawberry jelly

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Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 375f.
2. Line a tray with foil and place a rack on top to allow air to circulate. Lay the bacon strips on the rack, then place them into the oven to start cooking.
3. Cook the bacon about 80% done (starting to render fat and develop color, about 10-15 minutes). Remove from oven to apply next layers.
4. Melt the peanut butter in the microwave to make it easier to apply, then brush onto the bacon strips.
5. Apply the jelly on top of the peanut butter – it’s easiest to use a piping bag and zig zag it across the bacon strip, but you can use a brush, too.
6. Return to oven to cook until peanut butter is bubbling and has turned a deeper brown, about another 10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-8 minutes before serving.

Notes

The cook time will vary depending on the thickness of your bacon. Keep an eye on it as it cooks to avoid burning.

• Category: Brunch
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: bacon

Traditional bacon is made from the belly, but you can DIY cure and turn a cheap pork butt into super flavorful buckboard bacon.

One of the most popular recipes I’ve ever published was my guide on how to make your own bacon at home. Turns out people really love the craft behind being able to make your own bacon from scratch. When you DIY, you also get to choose how thick you want it cut, and you can add some fun flavorings into the cure, too. Traditionally, American bacon is made from the belly only. Fun fact: Canadian bacon is made from pork loin, and Australian bacon is the loin with a bit of the belly left on it, too. You could even argue that traditional Italian jowl guanciale is a form of bacon.

So you see,  there’s not merely one type of bacon, or one cut it’s made from. Which brings us to Buckboard bacon. Also sometimes called Cottage bacon. This is made from the pork shoulder (aka butt), which is the same cut that is traditionally used for pulled pork. Shoulder is a tougher cut,  but is also known for having a richer pork flavor than some of the lighter cuts like loin. Pork butt bacon has an incredible depth of flavor and does taste quite different to belly bacon. The best part? Butt is cheaper per pound than belly is!

For this cure, I used an equilibrium dry cure method, which weighs the salt according to the weight of the meat, with a final salt percentage of 2.5%. The concept of an equilibrium brine relies on the accuracy of ratios, to ensure a consistent result (aka – the bacon will never end up too salty). I aim for a mix of 2.25% kosher salt to 0.25% pink curing salt, to bring the total to 2.5%. The other aromatic ingredients are not influential to the cure itself, so are not calculated as part of the ratio. My recipe below is for a 4lb pork butt, but you can use this handy calculator to adjust the quantities to your exact meat weight.

A note on pink curing salt: this is THE KEY to the cure. It is NOT the same as pink Himalayan salt. It actually contains sodium nitrate which is what actually cures the meat. It’s also extremely important to use it in the correct ratio of 0.25% of the total meat weight. You can find pink salt easily here online.

How to make buckboard bacon

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• Author: Jess Pryles
• Prep Time: 14 days
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 339 hours

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Ingredients

4lb boneless pork butt
45.36g/1.6oz of kosher salt
4.54g/0.16oz of pink curing salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper

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Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the salt, pink salt, garlic, onion and black pepper.
2. Rub this curing mix all over the pork butt, ensuring ALL of the cure ends up on the meat.
3. Place the butt into a large resealable bag, then place it into the fridge to cure for 14 days. Once a day, flip the meat over and massage the contents of the bag to keep the cure distributing.
4. After 14 days, remove the cured butt from the bag, and rinse under cold water.
5. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel, then place the butt onto a rack.
6. Place the rack into a smoker preheated to 180f for 2-3 hours, until the pork measures 160f internal temperature.
7. Remove from smoker and allow to cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. Slice bacon as needed, then cook as usual (oven baked or pan cooked).

Notes

Pink curing salt cannot be substituted, and is not the same as Himalayan pink salt. You can purchase it online here.

Keywords: bacon, pork butt

Delicious Chinese inspired crisp, cool lettuce cups filled with crunchy veg and beef mixture.

Let me start with an apology to connoisseurs of Chinese language. I call these lettuce cups San Choy Bao, but that it not entirely accurate, due to the phoenetic spelling from another language! Sometimes it may be written as Sang Choy Bow, and I’m sure there a handful of other versions, too. Any which way you pronounce it, these are tasty lettuce cups filled with a savory mixture of meat and veg. They’re pretty commonly served as a single cup appetizer (at least in Australian-Chinese restaurants!), and are usually made with pork. And that’s where I’m changing the game.

First, I like to combine several of these in one plate as a main course serving. Second, I substituted the traditional pork for beef. Ground beef has a wonderful umami richness and intensity of flavor that makes it the perfect non-authentic sub for this dish. When combined with delicious fillings like baby corn, water chestnut and mushrooms, it’s the perfect partner to the crisp, cool lettuce cups. A textural bite if ever there was one – hot, cool, chunky and crunchy.

If you want to make this a leaner meal option, you can use 90/10 ground beef. And if you’re looking for a richer flavor with a moist filling, I recommend 80/20 ground beef. If possible, I also recommend you go to the extra effort of procuring some dark soy sauce (instead of light, which is more commonly found). Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and has an incredible concentration of mushroomy and salty flavors.

THIS RECIPE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GOOD FOLKS AT THE BEEF LOVING TEXANS. FOR MORE BEEF RECIPES VISIT BEEFLOVINGTEXANS.COM

The post Beef San Choy Bao (Chinese Lettuce Cups ) appeared first on Jess Pryles.

It’s easy to customise your bacon to create fun and delicious flavors, from choc dipped to chili glazed.

Bacon is one of the most beloved meat products, and with good reason. It’s salty, crispy and packed with smokey flavor. We love wrapping it around things, siding it up to breakfast dishes and even using it as swizzle sticks in bloody marys. And just when you thought you couldn’t love bacon any more, now you can also hack it to create a variety of flavored bacons. It’s super easy, too.

If you’re looking for a way to make your own homemade bacon from scratch, you probably want to check out this recipe here. I’m sharing five different flavor hacks to make your own custom recipes using store bought bacon. Your creativity doesn’t have to stop at my recipes – you can use different hot sauces, sugar combos or dark instead of milk chocolate.

How to make your own customized flavored bacon:

All the bacon is cooked in the same method – a hot oven until it’s rendered. The hot/savory flavors can be applied before cooking, but sweet flavors will generally need to be applied midway through the cook so that the bacon renders, but the topping doesn’t burn. I line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup, then place a rack on top – this way the air can move all around the bacon to cook it faster and more evenly. If you want to add a double layer of smoke, these recipes can also be cooked in a pellet grill instead of an oven.

Smokey Black Pepper Bacon

• 8 oz thick cut bacon
• 1/2 tablespoon coarse black pepper
• Preheat an oven to 375f. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up, then place a rack on top. Layer the bacon onto the rack, then sprinkle the top with a generous amount of black pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the bacon is crisp and rendered.

Apple Jelly Glazed Bacon

• 8 oz regular cut bacon
• 1/4 cup of apple jelly
• Preheat an oven to 375f. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up, then place a rack on top. Hold one end of the bacon steady in one hand then twist the other end to create a bacon spiral. Lay this onto the rack then place into the oven to cook for 25 minutes (or until nearly cooked). Melt the jelly on the stove or microwave, then brush across the top of the bacon twists, and bake a further 5 minutes, then apply one more layer and bake 3-5 minutes again. The bacon should be mostly rendered before applying the glaze so that it’s crispy but will not burn with the jelly.

Hot Honey Bacon

• 8 oz regular cut bacon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder
• Preheat an oven to 375f. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up, then place a rack on top. Layer the bacon onto the rack then place into the oven to cook for 25-30 minutes (or until nearly fully cooked). Combine the honey with the chile powders, then brush over the top of the bacon. Cook a further 3-5 minutes to caramelize the honey, keeping a close eye to ensure it doesn’t burn.

Spicy Sriracha Bacon

• 8 oz regular cut bacon
• 3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
• Preheat an oven to 375f. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up, then place a rack on top. Layer the bacon onto the rack then brush the sriracha sauce on top of each slice.  Place into the oven to cook for 25-30 minutes until the edges start to darken and the bacon is rendered.

Choc Dipped Bacon

• 8 oz thick cut bacon
• 4 oz milk chocolate flavored candy melts
• 1 oz white chocolate flavored candy melts (optional)
• Preheat an oven to 375f. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up, then place a rack on top. Layer the bacon onto the rack then place into the oven to cook for 30-35 minutes or until rendered and completely cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Melt the milk chocolate melts in the microwave, then gently dip the end of the bacon into the chocolate to coat it, then lay onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to set. If desired, melt the white chocolate melts then use a spoon to flick the white chocolate over the milk chocolate dipped section to create a contrast garnish.
• (NOTE: you can use your favorite chocolate instead of candy melts, but the melts are designed to harden with a shiny finish, whereas melted chocolate chips do not always set firm).

The post How to create your own bacon flavors appeared first on Jess Pryles.

Learn how to perfectly cook a tomahawk (and ANY thick cut steak) using a smoke and sear method.

It can be intimidating to face an enormous steak and be tasked with the responsibility of cooking it perfectly. But it shouldn’t be intimidating, because it’s extremely simple. It just takes a smoker, a charcoal chimney, a beautiful piece of meat and a couple of easy steps. And I promise – you WILL end up with a perfectly smoked tomahawk.

The MAIN thing to consider is that you will need an accurate meat thermometer to nail the doneness of the tomahawk. To achieve a perfect medium rare, you’ll want to pull it off 10 degrees lower than your final desired doneness (in this case, medium rare 135f) to account for residual cooking. Please note – though this recipe calls for a pull temperature of 125f, the USDA recommends steaks be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F.

To get the gorgeous contrast color and seasoning you see in the photo, I used Hardcore Carnivore Black. If you don’t have it (though you can easily grab it online!) you can sub this out for 2-3 teaspoons of kosher salt.

The post How to smoke and sear a tomahawk steak appeared first on Jess Pryles.

Join Jess Pryles on August 7th, 2021 at the Texas Beef Council for an all-beef recipe cooking class and workshop!

LOCATION

@ Texas Beef Council in Austin, 78726

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

The post August 2021 Beef Workshop & Class – Austin, TX appeared first on Jess Pryles.

A whopping 1/2 lb patty is flame grilled to perfection and topped with fried onions and lots of buttery buffalo sauce.

I’ve always said, you’re in one of two camps when it comes to burgers. You either love the classic smashburger style with a thin patty and few condiments, or you want a BIG burger piled high with toppings. But, maybe I was wrong. Because while I stand firm that there are two definitive core styles of burger, it totally acceptable to love eating both of them. And while the smashburger is a convenient fast food style which is easy to eat with one hand, sometimes you just really find yourself craving a big ol’ hunk of beef. Thats where this burger comes in. It weighs in with an impressive half pound of ground meat per burger, and is piled high with toppings full of salty and savory flavors. American cheese, chunky cut pickles, fried onion strings and lots of buttery buffalo sauce.

When it comes to the beef itself, which is still arguably the star of the show, there are a couple of tips and tricks to be aware of. First, for a patty of this size I would always recommend grilling – the charcoal and flames help to brown the thick edges while the burger cooks, which is difficult to recreate in a pan. Second, take care with the ground beef you select. You can either grind your own beef at home or choose store bought, but the key is ensuring a decent fat percentage. I recommend at least and 80/20 lean to fat ratio. The fat is what keeps the burger nice and juicy and delivers a ton of flavor. So if you’ve even wondered why your lean beef burgers are dry like hockey pucks, now you know.

The post Grilled Buffalo Burgers appeared first on Jess Pryles.

A peppery, bright arugula pesto is a great accompaniment to beefy whole grilled tri tip.

The tri tip is the tensor fascia latae – given the name because of three distinct point on the muscle. It’s somewhere between a roast and a steak in size – and can function as both. Though some people do cut them into steaks before serving, I prefer to cook them whole to retain maximum juiciness. The tri tip is also unusual because the grain (or direction) of the meat changes halfway through the muscle.  So for maximum tenderness you need to know how to cut it properly. Don’t worry – I have you covered with this super detailed video tutorial.

My usual go-to for tri tip is this smoked recipe, but the grill produces a whole range of different flavors from the charcoal and maillard reactions. Grilling the tri tip is also faster, so it’s a great option for a weeknight meal solution. And if you can manage not to eat it all in one sitting- the thinly sliced leftovers make for incredible beef sandwiches.

This recipe will absolutely cover the basics for grilling this tasty cut, but what makes it really special is the arugula pesto. I use this just like a chimichurri and spoon in straight over the meat for the perfect bite. It’s packed with rich flavors like parmesan and textural crunch from walnuts, but the best part is the arugula itself with is fresh and peppery when paired with the beef.

Additional recipe notes:

• For best results, make sure when you grill your tri tip you rotate it on the grill to sear the thick end and the edges, not just the two main sides
• To get the gorgeous color and seasoning you see in the photo, I used Hardcore Carnivore Red. You can sub this out for 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (but if you like flavor, grab a bottle!)
• The trick to cooking this thicker cut is a two zone grill setup. You can find it described in the recipe below, but for more details and a visual, check out this guide.
• To check when the tri tip is cooked, I recommend using an accurate meat thermometer. Please note – though this recipe calls for a final temperature of 135f, the USDA recommends steaks be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F.

THIS RECIPE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GOOD FOLKS AT THE BEEF LOVING TEXANS. FOR MORE BEEF RECIPES VISIT BEEFLOVINGTEXANS.COM

The post Grilled Tri Tip with Arugula Pesto appeared first on Jess Pryles.

An extended marinade tenderizes the meat while layering on the flavor, before its charred to perfection on the grill.

Flank steak is such a perfect cut for grilling. The even thickness makes it easy to achieve an even cook, and though it is a more robust cut it’s packed with flavor. The trick to a tender flank steak is using a marinade to break down the proteins and tenderize it, AND to cut it across the grain before serving. The thinner you slice it, the more tender it will be! This marinade is packed with flavors like Worcestershire sauce and chipotle, but feel free to put your own spin on it. You can try adding soy sauce, flavorful oils like sesame, or using a broth instead of orange juice.

I like to pair this recipe with a roasted corn salsa which can also be made on the grill, it’s a great way to create a whole meat outside while your coals are warm. The main trick is the just keep flipping the steak, which will allow it to cook completely without overcooking on any one side.

To really nail the doneness, you should use a quality reliable meat thermometer to monitor internal temperature. You can use the following chart to achieve your preferred doneness, though I recommend you cook to at least medium rare- flank can be a little chewy when rare.

• Rare: 120-125f
• Medium rare: 130-135f
• Medium: 140-145f
• Well done: 150f+

The USDA recommends steaks be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F and allowed to rest for 3 minutes.

THIS RECIPE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GOOD FOLKS AT THE BEEF LOVING TEXANS. For more beef recipes visit beeflovingtexans.com

The post Flavorful Grilled Marinaded Flank Steak appeared first on Jess Pryles.

This quick and easy Mongolian beef recipe has all the flavor of Chinese takeout – sweet, salty and spiked with fragrant garlic & ginger.

I have no doubt that this beef recipe is completely inauthentic to Mongolian cuisine, but why swim against the tide? If you’re here reading this, you probably know how good Mongolian beef tastes, so let’s just go with what we know! If you’re not familiar, “Mongolian beef” is basically stir fried beef with a thick and semi-sweet soy based sauce.

Now, you can either make this recipe economical or luxurious, and that all depends on the beef cut you use. One way to get the best of both worlds is to use premium beef – I used Double 8 Cattle fullblood wagyu for this recipe, so no matter what the cut, you know it’s going to be rich, silky and delicious. Wagyu is a type of cattle breed known for it’s incredible flavorful marbling – and “full blood” just means pure bred. If you’d like to learn more about wagyu and exactly what it is, check out this article. A more economical option is to use their fajita meat strips as I did here, but you should expect that cut to have some chew to it. If you prefer a more tender ‘melt in your mouth’ result, I recommend picking up their strip steaks and just slicing them thin. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

Recipe notes:

• If you want more tender beef, substitute the fajita meat for thinly slices strip steak
• These cook times are based on full blood wagyu beef. Should you choose to use regular beef, you may need to cook a few minutes longer.

This recipe was sponsored by Double 8 Cattle Co. Sponsored recipes help keep the content on this site free.

The post Quick & Easy Mongolian Beef appeared first on Jess Pryles.

A fresh and bright side dish that’s perfectly matched with grilled meats.

Finished using your grill to cook the meat? Now it’s time to give the side dish a boost of flavor! This salsa salad hybrid is so easy to put together. The freshness is a perfect complement to grilled meats, or you can even use it as a taco topping. While it’s not exactly practical to fire up a grill for 5 minutes of corn roasting, it’s a great way to utilize a grill you’ve already warmed up for cooking other proteins. Plus, then you get to cook the whole meal outdoors, and you can prepare the salsa quickly while the meat is resting.

No grill? No worries. You can recreate the charred appearance using a broiler or one of these handy kitchen blowtorches. If you’re really in a pinch, you can even use thawed or canned corn. The only drawback there is that you won’t be able to roast or char the kernels. Three large ears of corn is about 2 cups of kernels.

The post Roasted Corn Salsa with jalapeno and lime appeared first on Jess Pryles.

These flanken cut beef ribs are made for the grill, and cook to perfection (complete with crispy charred edges) in a matter of minutes.

There’s more than one way to cut a beef rib. Usually, I would braise or slow smoke beef ribs. But cutting them ACROSS the bones, flanken style, opens up a whole new world of quick-cook grilling options. When sliced thinly, this traditionally tougher cut is transformed.  Tenderness is sometimes about perception – and the less resistance in a bite, the more tender we think it is. And when you cut the meat thin to start with, you automatically lower the resistance of the bite!

These flanken cut ribs, also called costillas de res, are marbled with flavorful ripples of fat which morphs into crispy goodness on the grill. I usually make these for a snack-style appetizer before the main grilled meal. You can cook them up fast, then slice between each bone to create a mountain of beefy morsels.

The glaze for these flanken cut beef ribs is also one of those amazing recipes that is extremely simple to make, with a huge flavor payoff. Let’s be honest, usually you have to choose one or the other. But I promise you, it’s easy AND delicious. The addition of tamarind paste along with the agave nectar balances the heat of the chiles, and really creates a tangy and warm finish with a beautiful deep red color.

Recipe notes:

• You will need to set up your grill for two-zone grilling for this recipe. Click here to find out more.
• Often flanken ribs are sold in various thicknesses, so try to look for the thinner ones. They should ideally be under 1/2 inch thick.
• If you don’t have agave nectar, you can substitute with honey. And if you prefer, you can use tequila rather than mezcal. The other glaze items cannot be substituted.

THIS RECIPE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GOOD FOLKS AT THE BEEF LOVING TEXANS. For more beef recipes visit beeflovingtexans.com

The post Flanken cut beef ribs with chipotle mezcal glaze appeared first on Jess Pryles.

Hanger steak is a best kept butcher’s secret no more! Pair this richly flavored steak with a bright salsa made with charred scallions, mint and crunchy peanuts.

Here’s a fun little fact – the hanger steak is one of the few steaks that is found inside the ribcage, and is actually the diaphragm muscle. It’s also called the Butcher’s Steak or Hanging Tender because it would literally hang from a side of beef (which does not really look that appealing). Butchers used to keep it as a treat for themselves rather than sell it, but the gig is up! Now we know that the hanger is one of the most interesting secondary cut steaks, both in terms of flavor and texture.

Hanger can have a somewhat minerally flavor profile, but is very bold in flavor. It’s deep grain make it perfect for holding a drizzled salsa, with all those nooks and crannies. Double 8 full blood wagyu offer a pre-trimmed hanger steak, so you can use it right of the bag without having to cut away the traditionally tough sinew that runs down the middle of the untrimmed steak. The richness of the wagyu fat is so suited to this cut!

As always, I recommend using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your meat to know exactly when it’s cooked to perfection. I use and recommend the Thermapen. Relying on an accurate temperature means no more overcooked steak!

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Perfect duck will have golden rendered crispy skin while the meat stays pink and juicy. Here’s how you do it.

Cooking duck to perfection actually isn’t difficult, but having the right tools can definitely help. First the duck itself – I love the Rohan duck breasts from D’Artagnan foods. They are exceptionally well priced and readily available, or you can order from them directly online. Secondly, you will need the right pan to really nail the crispy skin, and a non-stick pan will not cut it. I swear by my Butterpat cast iron skillet, or these five layer super stainless clad pans from Madein.

The real trick here is to score the skin prior to cooking, which will let the fat render a little faster. Then, it’s as simple as starting to cook that duck skin down – and probably for much longer than you’d think! Consider the skin and fat a protective barrier. It’ll buy you lots of time to perfect the golden crispy skin before the meat starts to overcook. So this cooking method is going to be 85/15 – cooked on one side for most of the time before it gets flipped.

Recipe note: rohan breasts are on the small side, which is why my cooking time is 15 then 5 minutes. You may need to cook slightly longer for bigger duck breasts, but make sure the extra cook time is while it’s skin side down, such as 20 then 5 minutes. It also helps to have a quality meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature.

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Work smarter and use your leftover ham bones to create this flavorful New Orleans classic.

Red beans and rice is a traditional New Orleans dish which is typically served on a Monday. This seemingly random day actually has two logical reasons behind it – first, Sunday was laundry day so there would be lots of time to soak the beans before cooking. Second, grand meaty meals (like a roast ham) were most commonly consumed for Sunday lunch, which would leave you with leftover trimmings and bones.

If you don’t have a ham bone to spare, don’t fret! You can still make this recipe using pork bones or smoked ham hocks. And, if I’m being completely honest, the Andouille adds a ton of smokey pork flavor, so in a pinch you could just default to leaving out the bone altogether.

Though red beans and rice is a simple dish, it’s pretty contentious in terms of texture. It’s often described as ‘creamy’, though there’s no added cream at all. Instead, the creaminess comes from the beans as they break down during cooking. You can also speed this along by using an immersion blender to whiz it up to desired consistency. But – some folks prefer their red beans nearly to the texture of refried beans, while others prefer a more intact bean with a stew-like consistency. You can experiment to find your favorite texture, just make sure those beans are tender!

Recipe note: red beans are not the same as kidney beans – they are smaller. If you can’t find them in your local grocery, you can purchase them online.

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Boost the smoky profile of your ham by double smoking it – it’s not too overpowering and works perfectly with a sweet heat jalapeno glaze.

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare ham, but it comes with a caveat. It’s important to be clear that double smoking is not the best method for achieving maximum juiciness on your ham, BUT the extra subtle smoke flavor is a nice addition. So, in some ways choosing to cook your ham this way is a bit of a trade off. Do you want it smokey, or do you want it mega moist? If you prefer to get the most moisture possible out of your ham, I recommend following the steps below and foiling the ham during the reheating process, then leaving it uncovered during the glaze. The smoke will be much more subtle with this method. You can use any type of smoker for this recipe – offset, drum, barrel, pellet grill etc.

How long do I cook the ham?

Technically, you’re not cooking the ham, just reheating it. Unless specifically sold as a “fresh ham”, most hams are already cured/cooked and have also been smoked. The “double smoke” in this recipe is because we’ll be reheating the already-smoked ham in a smoker! However, it’s still very important to reheat the ham to a safe serving temperature. A general guideline for cooking times is 12-14 minutes per pound, and the ham is ready when it reaches 140°F internal temperature. To measure the internal temperature, you will need a reliable meat thermometer or probe.

Do I need to use a spiral ham?

No spiral? No worries! You can use any kind of ham for this recipe – in fact, a non spiralized ham may even be a little more moist since it will not dry out from all the cut surfaces. Just make sure you cook it until properly heated.

How to make this ham in an oven:

You can easily ditch the smoker and follow the steps below (with some minor adjustments) to prepare the ham in an oven. If you choose to use an oven method, I recommend foiling the pan during the reheat steps) then leaving it uncovered to set the glaze. Obviously, choosing to use an oven means you will not get any additional smokey flavors.

How to make this ham on a grill:

If you prefer to prepare this ham on a grill, simply use the two-zone method to set your grill up with a hot and cool zone. It should still be running at a temperature of 275-300f. You can also nestle some chunks of wood into the charcoal to boost the smokey profile. The ham will be cooked on the indirect side of the grill to simulate the gentle indirect heat of the oven, just with much more flavor!  You can also place the ham directly onto the grate with a water pan added underneath instead of setting it in a pan with a rack.

Flavors and aromatics which you can use instead of chicken broth:

This recipe calls for some broth or liquid to be added to the bottom of the pan. The meat never really touches the broth, its more to provide additional moisture while cooking. Just like a brine, you can experiment with different flavors and aromatics in this liquid. Think: cloves, slices of orange, fresh herbs, star anise, cinnamon etc.  And if you’re trying to keep it as simple as possible, you can always just use water instead.

Where do I get the jalapeño jelly, and why do I need to add extra syrup?

There are lots of great jalapeno jelly recipes online, but since you’re just using it as a pour over, I recommend buying a pre-made version like this. Just be sure not to buy one with added bright green food dye – that color is not appealing on the ham! I also call for extra syrup in my glaze recipe, since many of the jellies will be set quite firm with pectin, and even reheating them doesn’t quite get them to the ideal glaze consistency. Adding in the extra syrup makes it perfectly pourable. You can use honey, corn syrup, agave nectar or even molasses, just make sure it’s nice and thick (maple syrup tends to be too watery).

Where do I get the seasoning for the glaze?

Glad you asked! You get the Red seasoning from my other website, hardcorecarnivore.com. Not only does it add an extra boost of seasoning, but the natural color helps make that glaze really pop.

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Broiling the salmon collars lets the meat cook perfectly while the skin crisps. Textural perfection.

Fish collars are making a comeback. For some hardcore pescavores, they never really went anywhere in the first place. More ‘traditional’ fish eaters will likely only have experience with the typical filets. MAYBE a whole fish occasionally, but even then they were probably only eating the main filet section. My husband is one such person. A lifelong fishing enthusiast, he was only ever taught to filet the fish. Sometimes leaving it skin-on to cook on the ‘half shell’.

The first time I grilled him a whole snapper, I reached in and dug out a perfect nugget of meat from cheek area and made him try it. He was skeptical at first, but once he tasted it he was totally on board. There are a few hidden pockets of fish-meat on a fish, and the other oft overlooked one is the collar. Collars are rich with large pieces of meat and gelatinous fatty deposits (ok, they sound gross but I promise they taste amazing). If you’re the type of person who loves gnawing on the bone and picking off all the delicious morsels, you’re going to love fish collars.

Best of all collars are extremely affordable. Being that they are considered a secondary or off-cut, they’re really well priced. And even better when you can get them off a primo fish. I get my salmon collars from Fulton fish market. They have amazing quality produce, and also have halibut and kanpachi collars available too. I pair the collars with an umami bomb butter made with miso and nori. Nori is a type of seaweed (the same one they use in sushi making) and it’s a great source for natural glutamates which are responsible for that umami flavor. A little goes a long way – I buy a pack of nori sheets then seal the rest for use another time.

I love serving these as a quick and easy appetizer. They’re fast to cook, and you can have the butter ready in advance.

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