Sriracha Bacon

This is good for breakfast with something sweet like banana pancakes.  It’s also really good on burgers.

 

INGREDIENTS

Bacon*

Sriracha Sauce

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 360 degrees (no, not 350.  No, not 375)**

1. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil
2. Lay strips of bacon across the baking sheet.
3. Place in 360 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Bacon should be just beginning to brown.
4. Remove from oven and brush liberally with sriracha sauce
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and drain on a paper towel.

*When I say “bacon” I mean “decent bacon” – preferably thick cut and pepper crusted.  Do not, under any circumstances, try to make this recipe with that cheap, crappy Oscar Meyer stuff that dissolves into little, shriveled scrotae of bacon when you cook it.  Have some dignity.

**360 degrees is the setting for our oven that cooks bacon in 30 minutes.  YMMV.  The important thing is to not let the sriracha sauce stay in the oven for too long – more than 10 minutes or so and it will burn.

Moroccan Barbecued Lamb

Made this for Sophie’s birthday.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup of butter, melted

3 T. olive oil

2 t. each of ground cumin, coriander, and paprika

1 T. thyme leaves

3 garlic cloves, crushed (or more…  MORE!)

Zest and juice of one lemon

3t. harissa

1 t. salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1 leg of lamb, butterflied

300 g. Greek yogurt

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

 

DIRECTIONS

1.  Mix the butter and oil in a bowl, then add the spices, thyme, garlic, lemon zest and juice.  Add 2 t. harissa, 1 t. salt, and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.  Mix until thoroughly blended.

2.  Place the lamb in a shallow dish and spoon over marinade, making sure to coat all sides.  Rub the marinade into the meat with your fingers to make sure every bit is coated.  Cover with plastic wrap or foil, and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to three days.

3.  On the barbecue, grill at high temperature for 5 minutes on a side, then place on smoking rack or move coals to the sides of the grill, and allow meat to cook for 45 minutes, turning occasionally.  This will give pink meat.

4.  Remove meat from grill, cover lightly with foil, and allow to stand for 15 minutes before carving.

5.  To prepare the sauce, mix 1 t. harissa into yogurt, add chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt.  You can make this the night before, or add more harissa if you want a stronger flavor.

6.  Carve lamb into thick slices, and serve with sauce and couscous.

_____

I added an additional t. of harissa to the marinade to give the lamb a somewhat stronger flavor.  Also, I recommend letting the lamb sit for up to a couple of days, since there is not that much salt in the marinade.  If you want a faster marinade, add an additional t. of salt.
From http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1415685/.  No copyright infringement intended.

Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic marinade

4 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup sesame or olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 t. fresh rosemary

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 lb of chicken, beef, or lamb, cut into chunks for grilling

In a pan, heat the oil to medium heat, then cook the garlic until browned.  Remove garlic.  Remove oil from heat and allow to cool.

Mash garlic in garlic press and add to the oil.  Add lemon juice, rosemary, and salt & pepper to taste.  Add the meat and mix thoroughly until coated.  Marinate for 24-48 hours.

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients

1 lb sirloin or flank steak

Marinade:

1 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. chile oil
1 T. minced fresh ginger
1 T. cornstarch

Vegetables:
2 bunches green onions, sliced into one-inch diagonal pieces
4 leeks (white part only) sliced into 1/4″ thick rounds
2 Anaheim peppers, diced (seeds and veins removed)
Chinese or other hot peppers to taste.
3 garlic clove, minced

Sauce:
3 T. hoisin sauce
1 T. water
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. dark soy sauce
2 t. rice vinegar
1/4 t. chile paste, or to taste

Sesame oil for stir-frying

Directions:

Slice the beef into long strips against the grain and place in a bowl or plastic bag.  Mix the marinade ingredients together and then pour over beef.  Allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 8 hours.  Drain on a rack or paper towels for 10 minutes.

Heat 2 T. sesame oil in wok on high heat.  Add the beef and stir fry until browned.  Remove and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the wok if necessary, then add vegetables.  Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.  Add sauce and bring to a boil, allowing sauce to thicken somewhat.  Return the beef to the pan and combine with the sauce and vegetables.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Marinated Rosemary Lemon Chicken

From allrecipes.com

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 lemon, sliced

Directions

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, and rosemary. Place the chicken and lemon slices in the bag. Seal, and shake to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 8 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Don’t worry about the rosemary sticking to the chicken, it tastes great when it’s grilled. If you use fresh rosemary sprigs, throw the stems onto the coals – they give the chicken even more of a smoky rosemary flavor!

This is what I am marinating the chicken for tomorrow’s barbecue in.

Beer Marinade for Steak

From Discovery Fit and Health

1 12-ounce bottle pilsner beer

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Just sprinkle the steak with salt (not too much!) and fresh pepper, very lightly coat with heart-healthy olive oil, and place in a large plastic bag. Pour in marinade, making sure steak is entirely submerged. Marinate for at least two and up to six hours — then throw on the grill, cook to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit for safety, and enjoy!

I just threw all the ingredients in a food processor and wazzed them all up together.  Took about 5 minutes.

Also, I decided to salt and pepper the steaks after marinating them.  I know the marinade won’t penetrate as well without the salt, so I am upping the marinade time to 24 hours.  I usually like to marinade for at least 24 hours anyway, because I think all the stuff about 8 hours being all it takes is horseshit.  No, I don’t care what Alton Brown says.  Or America’s Test Kitchen.  

My Mom’s Flank Steak

This was a favorite at our house growing up.  Really easy to make.

(Not a photo of my flank steak. But doesn't it look yummy?)

INGREDIENTS

1 flank steak

1/4 cup soy sauce (reduced salt)

1/4 cup mirin cooking wine

1 T. rice vinegar

Mix together the soy sauce, mirin, and rice vinegar in a plastic bag.  Marinate the steak in the liquid for 8-24 hours, turning occasionally.  Remove from bag 15 minutes before cooking and let rest.

Broil the steak on the top shelf of the oven for 3-5 minutes per side.  Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then carve into thin strips.

Serve atop stir fried noodles with vegetables.

P.S.  The marinade makes a fine sauce for the noodles.  Just throw it in the wok when you stir fry the noodles.  Make sure it boils thoroughly