Turkey Meatballs and Pasta

Meatballs that don't neccesitate wearing track pants.

Your nonna may frown on this non-traditional twist, but your taste buds will scream mama mia! Take your meatballs on a healthy and tasty trip by using ground turkey instead of beef. Finish things off with some homemade marinara and your favorite pasta to turn any night into a red-checkered tablecloth event.

Equipment Needed: Frying Pan, 3 QT pot, 5 QT pot, Large Bowl, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Colander, Cheese Grater, Wooden Spoon

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Sangiovese, Chianti, Tempranillo, Malbec

Suggested Beer Pairing: Peroni, Light Ales

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey (about $5.99)
• 1/4 C Italian style breadcrumbs ($2.99/24 oz package)
• 1/8 C parmagiana cheese ($6/8oz)
• 1 egg ($2.50/dozen)
• 2 medium yellow onions ($.99/lb )
• 6 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 lb dry pasta (we like penne or rotini for this one) ($1.49/package)
• 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes ($2.99)
• 8-10 leaves of fresh basil (about $4/package)
• 1 TBSP crushed red pepper (about $2/jar)
• 1 TBSP sugar ($1/lb)
• 4 TBSP Italian seasoning (about $4/jar)
• Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• Balsamic vinegar (about $6/8 0z)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation

• Mince three garlic cloves and set aside, then mince the other three and set those aside as well (half will go in the meatballs and half in the sauce).

Ok, seriously, this might be the last garlic mincing pic we post. Just cut it small and call it a day.

• Put your pot over medium heat and pour in about 4 TBSP of olive oil. Dice 1 1/2 onions and set aside the remaining half. Throw half of the garlic cloves and the diced onions into the pot and stir regularly until softened (about 5-10 minutes).

Stir your onions and garlic until soft and aromatic.

• Put the ground turkey in a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, 2TSBP of Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic. Take your cheese grater and grate the remaining onion into the mixture.

Grating the onions make the pieces unobtrusive and release more flavor.

• Now comes the fun part. Get your hands in there and mix everything together until it’s evenly dispersed (we recommend a squeeze and twist approach). Wash your hands thoroughly before proceeding (raw poultry can make you much sicko, so you want to make sure you’re constantly cleaning your hands and other surfaces).

Squeeze your meat (yes, it's a double entendre).

• In the pot with your onions and garlic, add the tomatoes, about 3 TBSP of balsamic vinegar, a few pinches of salt and pepper, sugar and the crushed red pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer your sauce as you prepare to roll your meatballs.
• Put your frying pan over lower-medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. Make your meatballs by taking about a palm’s worth of the meat mixture and rolling your hands in opposite directions until spherical (think making snowballs). Put the meatballs into the pan and brown on all sides. [Brother's Note: Traditional Italian meatball recipes often tell you to put them into the sauce raw and simmer until cooked. Since we're using turkey in this case we want to be sure that things are cooked through. As we've harped on before, undercooked poultry is a mistake you only make once.]
• Once nicely browned, slowly slip the meatballs into the sauce and simmer everything away for another 20 minutes or so to cook fully. Stir occasionally and slowly, making sure not to break your balls (sorry, we had to). About 10 minutes into simmering, fill your other pot about 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add your pasta and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Drain, add sauce and meatballs, and go mmmmmmmm.

Lower the meatballs into your sauce and simmer away.

Roasted Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup

Slightly chunky and sexy, like a burlesque show in a bowl.

One of our favorite things about fall is that it gives us the excuse to make copious amounts of soup, and not that wimpy-assed cold cucumber bisque or gazpacho people fawn over in the summer. We’re talking meal-in-a-bowl-I-almost-need-a-fork-to-eat-it soup. Enter the Brothers’ roasted cauliflower and cheddar soup. The roasted veggies give this dish a rich flavor and toothsome quality, while the cheese…well, do you really need an excuse to put cheese in something?

Equipment Needed: Baking Sheet, 5 QT Pot, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Wooden Spoon, Cheese Grater, Food Processor (or Blender)

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 6ish (depending on who’s eating and how hungry they are)

Suggested Wine or Beer Pairing: Oaky Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pale Ales, English Ales

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cauliflower (don’t use frozen cauliflower, your soup will suck)(around $3)
• 8 oz cheddar cheese (about $4)
• 1 medium onion ($.99/lb)
• 2 C whole milk ($1.10/QT)
• 3 C chicken stock ($3.50/32 oz)
• 3 cloves of garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 TBSP crushed red pepper (about $2/jar)
• Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 400° F and start by cleaning and cutting the cauliflower into small 1-2 inch florets and spread evenly on your baking sheet.

Cut your cauliflower into even pieces.

• Mince the garlic cloves and cut the onion into quarters. Sprinkle the garlic and crushed red pepper over the top of the cauliflower. Place the onion quarters on the baking sheet with everything else, salt and pepper everything and finish it all off with an even coating of olive oil.

Oil those bad boys up.

• Put your veggies in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. At that point pull them out and flip everything over. Throw them back in for another 15 minutes until golden brown/slightly burnt.

• Once you put your veggies back in to finish roasting, pour the chicken stock and milk into your saucepan and put over low heat. You want to simmer the liquid to bring it up to temperature so you don’t have to lose any time reheating once you add the cauliflower. As you’re waiting for everything to finish, grate the cheddar cheese so it mixes easier when the time comes.

• When your veggies are done, dump them (carefully, you don’t want a hot stock burn) into the liquid and bring everything to a boil.

• Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Put the soup back in the pot and add your cheddar cheese. Stir until everything’s mixed, serve and sigh contently as the wind whistles outside.

Cheddar makes it beddar.

Blue Tomato Soup

Once you go blue, you never go back.

Blue tomatoes? Blasphemous! Jake, Thomas, why have I never heard of such a thing? Calm down, everyone, it’s nothing more than a (mildly) clever play on words. This delicious concoction marries the creamy bite of blue cheese (or bleu cheese if you wanna be pretentious) with the richness of roasted tomatoes, brought together in holy matrimony by the gratuitous addition of bacon. It’s not a fast meal to make, but it will vanish quickly from the bowls of you and yours.

Equipment Needed: 13 x 9 Baking Pan, 5 QT Pot, Frying Pan, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Vegetable Peeler, Wooden Spoon, Food Processor (or Blender)

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 6ish (depending on who’s eating and how hungry they are)

Suggested Wine or Beer Pairing: Dark Belgians or medium-bodied red wines (pairing with a soup like this is tough, so maybe just stick with your favorite drink)

Ingredients:

• About 3 lbs of tomatoes (around $3/lb)
• 6 oz blue cheese (about $7/lb)
• 2 medium carrots ($1.50/lb)
• 1 medium onion ($.99/lb )
• 3 C whole milk ($1.10/QT)
• 1 1/2 C chicken stock ($3.50/32 oz)
• 6-8 strips of bacon ($6/lb)
• 3 cloves of garlic ($2.99/lb)
• Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 400° F. Start your prep work by cutting the tomatoes in quarters (or eighths if you’ve got big ‘uns). Remove the seeds and put them in your baking pan.

Quarter your tomatoes and be sure to scoop out the seeds.

• Mince your garlic and sprinkle it evenly across the top of the tomatoes.

You should know what it looks like to mince garlic by now.

• Peel the onion and quarter it. Peel both carrots and cut them into 2 inch sticks about a half an inch wide; no need to get too precise but cutting them the same size will help them roast more evenly.

Don't cry, dry your eyes. Here come the Brothers with a soup surprise.

• Put the other veggies in the pan with the tomatoes and drizzle olive oil over the top. Throw them in the oven and roast for about 30-40 minutes, until they’re on the mushy side and you can clearly smell tomatoes wafting through your abode.

Oil those beautiful babies up.

• While the tomatoes are roasting, cut your bacon into half-inch pieces and fry it up over medium heat on the stove top. Drain and set aside for later.

Bacon money shot.

• With about 10 minutes left in your roasting time, combine the chicken stock and milk in your pot and place over medium-low heat on the stove top, stirring regularly. This will bring your liquids to temperature, making it quicker to mix everything together. Once the tomatoes et. al are done, pull them out of the oven and toss them into the pot. (HUGE NOTE: if you don’t peel the tomatoes, you will have little chunks of skin in your soup when you’re finished. We actually like this but if you want a smoother experience you’ll want to take a paring knife and gently try to remove the skin from each tomato piece. Just be forewarned this is extremely trying and time-consuming; you might be better off lazy and just call the soup “rustic”)
• Add the blue cheese and bring the mixture up to medium heat, stirring regularly for about another 5 minute to break everything down a bit. Next, pour the mixture into your blending/processing/loud-noise-making device of choice and blend until smooth. If your soup is too chunky for your liking, add more milk and keep blending ’til it evens out. You can either mix the bacon in now and serve (which we recommend) or get all fancy and use it as a garnish with some thin-sliced flat leaf parsley.

Pilgrim Pork Chops with Maple Roasted Squash

 

The lighting is bad, but the dish is good.

Fall is in full swing and so is the Brothers’ kitchen as we keep thinking of ways to reinvent some of our favorite comfort foods. Gussy up this stalwart of porcine cuts with some hints of Thanksgiving and a little alliteration. Maple roasted squash brings everything together with a sweet reminder that takeout is severely overrated.

Equipment Needed: 2-13 x 9 Baking Pans (or a Baking Pan and something to roast squash in; think baking sheet or roasting pan), Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Vegetable Peeler, Basting Brush, Plate, Cup or Bowl, Wax Paper, Rolling Pin (or heavy can), Meat Thermometer

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine or Beer Pairing: Pinot Noir, Old Vine Zinfandel, Oaky Chardonnay, Heavier Ales (think Bitters, Reds, Browns or dark Belgians)

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless center cut pork chops (about $5/lb)
• 1/2 C walnuts (about $8.99/bag)
• 1/3 C dried cranberries (about $6.99/16 oz)
• Honey, about 1/4 C ($3.99/12 oz)
• 1 large butternut squash ($)
• 3 TBSP Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup ($8.99/16 oz bottle)
• 2 TBSP butter ($2.99/lb)
• Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 35o° F before you start anything else. Trim and rinse the pork chops.
• Place the walnuts on a piece of wax paper and fold it over so they’re covered. Take your rolling pin or heavy rolling device and crush those nuts into tiny pieces so it becomes just slightly chunkier than breadcrumbs.

Walnut crushing, taking out your aggression from work since 1620.

• On an extra plate, mix together the walnuts and cranberries. Drizzle honey over each side of each pork chop and press the chop onto the mixture (again, both sides) to coat evenly. We suggest honeying one side at a time so things don’t get too messy. Toss those little piggies into your baking pan and let them do their thing in the oven for about an hour, or until the internal temperature is around 160° F. You can eat pork a little on the rarer side these days thanks to modern medicine, but you still don’t want it bloody.

Coat your chops.

• Once the pig is in the oven, peel your squash and cut it in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the guts and cut the remainders into 1-1 1/2 inch chunks.

Give your squash a seedectomy.

• Throw the squash into your other baking device and evenly coat the pieces in olive oil. Add a reasonable amount of salt and pepper and toss them in the oven too. Ideally you’ll do this about 10-20 minutes after the pork’s gone in; the squash will take around 45 minutes.
• While everything’s cooking, put your butter and maple syrup in your receptacle of choice and heat them in the microwave until they can be mixed with a fork. Make it easy on yourself and avoid boiling butter and splattering by heating it in 30 second intervals until ready. Once your squash has been roasting for about 30 minutes, take it out and brush the buttery maple goodness on every piece, then return them to finish cooking. Serve with mittens to get in the full fall mood. 

Better brush strokes than anything hanging in The Met.

Autumn Harvest Apple Sauce

...or you could just have some of that sh*t they sell in a jar at the grocery store, if you're into that kind of thing.

One of our favorite things about fall is homemade apple sauce. We refuse to let our beloved remain the afterthought of all side dishes, reserved for the three times a year you actually eat pork chops. Nay fair citizens, justice will be served once you experience how easy it is to make and how delicious fresh apples taste when they’re mashed up with obscene amounts of cinnamon. Join us and get blissfully sauced.

Equipment Needed: 3 QT Pot, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Vegetable Peeler, Wooden Spoon, Potato Masher

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: About 6

Suggested Wine or Beer Pairing: You probably shouldn’t be drinking if you’re only eating apple sauce. Drink whatever you’re drinking with dinner otherwise.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 medium apples (about $1.50/lb)
• about 2 TBSP sugar ($1/lb)
• about 2 TBSP brown sugar ($1.19/lb)
• about 1/4 C water (free, unless you’re using bottled water to cook with, weirdo)
• Cinnamon to taste (we use about 4 TBSP) (about $3/3 oz)
• Salt
• OPTIONAL: Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup ($8.99/16 oz bottle)

Preparation

You’re probably wondering why all of the ingredient measurements are approximate. The appropriate sweetness for applesauce is an acquired taste, as is the amount of cinnamon. The Brothers Brown use a heavy hand with the latter, and add sugar until we think it looks right. We’ll explain more in a bit.

• Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler. You can try to use a paring knife if you’re feeling badass but a peeler is safer and quicker. Be sure to remove any stems or those little leaf-like things at the bottom (not sure what they’re called, a Google search only yielded Apple Bottom Jeans).

Peel directly over the trash can; work smarter, not harder.

• Cut the apples in quarters and remove the seeds. Cut each quarter into smaller pieces about an inch wide.

Chop, chop, chop all day long. Chop, chop, chop while you sing this song.

• Put your pot over medium heat and toss the apples in. Add just enough water so they don’t stick to the bottom.

Add about a quarter cup of water so the apples don't stick and burn.

• Now here comes the “about” part of the recipe. Add white sugar so there’s a thin, even layer across the top layer of apples. This will probably be about 2 TBSP, but can be more if you want sweeter sauce. Add a little less brown sugar, a dash of salt to even everything out and coat the entire thing with cinnamon (we like to add it until you can’t see apple). Throw in a few tablespoons of maple syrup for another flavor dimension if you wanna get wild.
• Stir occasionally so the apples don’t stick to the pot. Once things start bubbling pretty well and the fruit softens (about 10 minutes or so), reduce to low heat and go to town with your potato masher. Mush all the apples up until it’s no longer chunky and has the consistency of oatmeal. You can serve it hot for shits and giggles or chill it for about an hour before diving in.

Now is a good time to take out any aggression from your day.

Best…Beer…Ever!

Liquid dessert

Oh the crucial decisions of life. Paper or plastic? Boxers or briefs? Mary Ann or Ginger? At least now you never have to ponder between another beer or delicious dessert. Ladies and gentlemen, let us present God’s gift to people that like drinking and custard, Southern Tier’s Creme Brulee Stout. We could get all snooty and tell you that the notes of caramelized sugar dance playfully on your tongue while bold overtones of vanilla get it on with a dangerous-on-the-outside-but-sweet-on-the-inside milk stout. In reality, all you need to know is that this tastes like drinking creme brulee, but with a 10% alcohol kick to it. We’ve only been able to find it at Whole Foods so far and suggest that you drop what you’re doing right now and go get some because we’re pretty sure it’s a seasonal release.

Oh, and this isn’t a paid endorsement, FCC, but you should get some for the office. Maybe then you’d lighten up a bit.

School Spaghetti

 

Don't pretend you don't want to grab a spork and dive in.

 

As we start to settle into fall we decided it would only be appropriate to make some classic comfort food. “But Jake, Thomas,” you say, ”I always hated spaghetti day in middle school.” Quit whining or we’ll give you a wedgie. This healthier version of the infamous cafeteria cop out (who knows what they used for meat, and what was that pasta made of, wallpaper paste?) is more Spaghetti alla Bolognese than slop-that-the-bully-dumped-on-my-head. Quick and easy to make, canned tomatoes and fresh basil lift take this dish from awkward memory to sure-to-please standby.

Equipment Needed:Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, two 3 QT Pots (or something close), Saute Pan (ok, frying pan), Wooden Spoons, Stove Top

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Sangiovese, Chianti, Tempranillo, Malbec

Suggested Beer Pairing: Peroni, Lighter Ales

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground turkey ($5.99/lb)
• 1 medium yellow onions ($.99/lb )
• 6 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 lb vermicelli (aka angel hair) pasta ($1.49/package)
• 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes ($2.99)
• 8-10 leaves of fresh basil (about $3/package)
• 1 TBSP crushed red pepper (about $2/jar) 
• 1 TBSP sugar ($1/lb)
• 1-2 TBSP Italian seasoning (about $4/jar)
• Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• Salt
• Pepper

Sauce Preparation

• It’s important to start this part first so you can allow the flavors to develop. Mince three of your cloves of garlic.

Mince that garlic!

• Then dice your onion. You want tiny pieces about a quarter of an inch each or less.

Dice that onion!

• Place one of your pots over medium-low heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. When it starts to shimmer add the garlic, onions and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir periodically until they’re pretty well softened (about 5 minutes).

Stir those ingredients!

• Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes and add the sugar, crushed red pepper and another dash of salt and pepper. Stir everything together and reduce the heat to low.
• Rinse and stack your basil leaves on top of one another. Roll them into a tube like a cigarette (or just a tube for those of you that have never rolled a cigarette), and slice it crosswise into thin strips. congratulations! You’ve just done your first chiffonade (Google it)!

Chiffonade that basil!

• Toss the basil into the sauce and stir it occasionally.
• Before you do anything else, add about two quarts of water to your other pot and place it over high heat. This will be for your spaghetti and you want to time it so that you can toss the pasta in to coincide with the turkey’s readiness.
• Mince your other three garlic cloves and put your your saute pan over medium heat.
• Pour in about three TBSP of olive oil an toss in your ground turkey and the rest of your garlic once that’s shimmering. Add a dash of salt and pepper and the Italian seasoning and allow the turkey to brown, stirring every so often so the meat cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. This should take about 10 minutes or so. 

Season and brown that turkey!

• At the same time, once your pasta water starts boiling, add a few dashes of salt and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil (if Italians do it, you should too). Toss in your vermicelli and stir occasionally (so much occasional stirring) so things don’t clump together. It’s done when the pasta is soft, but still has some bite to it (that’s al dente for you lay people). This should take about 5-6 minutes (the package will undoubtedly give a totally different time, but when was the last time you listened to a cardboard box?).
• Your meat is cooked properly if  it exudes clear liquid, something you can check by putting a couple pieces on a paper towel. Anything else is too bloody when you’re dealing with poultry and trust us, you don’t want to go down that road. Once cooked, pour in the tomato sauce that you’ve had simmering on the side and mix everything together.

Mix it up!

• Drain your pasta (but don’t rinse it, again..Italians don’t, you don’t). Use a bowl to serve and spoon some of that delicious meat sauce over top. Scarf down, sigh contently and repeat.

The Best New Food Show on TV

Food television is all but played out at this point—there’s the good (Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations), the bad (sorry Mario, but Spain - On The Road Again fell short), and the ugly (yes, we’re on the anti-Rachel Ray bandwagon too). But then, on the eighth day, PBS gave us Avec Eric and it was good. Revolving around the ever charismatic Eric Ripert, executive chef and co-owner of Le Bernadin (Google it if you don’t know), the show mashes the formulaic chef-cum-world traveler template with a dash of actual cooking. Mr. Ripert’s enthusiasm for food, its origins and the culture that surrounds it is readily apparent as he uses his travel experiences as inspiration for the dishes he creates. The result is an eminently enjoyable half hour of food porn, but the softcore artsy kind, not the hardcore sloppy kind (we’re looking at you Man vs. Food).  Consider this your weekend homework and check your local listings for showtimes.

(P.S. We promise this isn’t a shill, but if Mr. Ripert wants to pay us or cook for us, that’s cool too.)

Guinness Braised Short Ribs with Rosemary Infused Mashed Potatoes

If this doesn't make your mouth water, you should seek medical attention immediately.

We’re not gonna lie, this recipe takes time but is seriously worth the wait. Be prepared to slip into a blissful food coma after enjoying this hearty combination; a perfect dish for when the mercury drops and your appetite rises. Plus, you get to drink the extra Guinness as you cook, how can you go wrong?

Equipment Needed: Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, 5 QT Pot w/Lid, 3 QT Pot w/ Lid, Frying Pan, Tongs, Potato Masher, Stove Top

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon, Old Vine Zinfandel

Suggested Beer Pairing: Um…Guinness, Stouts, Porters, Scotch Ales

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. boneless beef short ribs ($6.99/lb)
• 1/4 lb. thick cut smoked bacon ($7.99/lb)
• 2 medium yellow onions ($.99/lb )
• 1 lb. cremini mushrooms (aka, baby bella or baby protabella) ($2.99/lb.)
• 7 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 2 lbs. red potatoes ($.99/lb)
• 1/3 C skim milk ($.99/qt)
• 3 TBSP butter ($2.99/lb package)
• 2 cans of beef stock ($1.49/14.5 0z can)
• 1-2 cans of Guinness ($9.99/draft can 4 pack)
• 2 sprigs of rosemary (about $4/package)
• 3 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce ($3.49/10 oz bottle)
• 3 TBSP brown sugar ($1.19/1lb box)
• Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation

Short Rib Preparation

• While the timing for this dish isn’t rocket science, it’s important to have everything ready so you can keep things moving. Start by cleaning and slicing the cremini mushrooms. It’s ok to use a little water to get the dirt off, just don’t soak them or they’ll dry out too much when they cook and will be ungood.

Cut the mushrooms into even slices, lengthwise.

• Peel and slice the onions. Peel and dice five garlic cloves. Set all of the veggies aside and preheat your frying pan over medium-high heat.

Cut your onions in half, then slice even pieces from there.

• Trim the short ribs and cut them into 3 inch pieces. Season each side with salt and pepper.

Just look at that gorgeous marbeled meat. Time = mind-blowing deliciosity.

• Coat the bottom of your frying pan with olive oil and wait for a minute for it to heat up. Once it’s shimmering and moves easily when you tilt the pan, place the pieces of beef into it. Sear on each side for approximately 5 minutes (or until it has a nice dark brown crust) and transfer to the 5 quart pot.

Crispy brown goodness gives the ribs a nice crunch and deep flavor.

• Reduce the heat on the frying pan to medium, add the veggies and a splash more of olive oil and cook for about 10 minutes until softened. Transfer the vegetables to the pot with the short ribs.

Cook your veggies to unleash their flavors and aromatics.

• Pour in the beef stock and add Guinness until the ribs et al. are barely covered. Put a lid on the pot and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the beef is fork tender.

Ahhhh, the best part of the recipe. There are at least two beers left over once you've used what you need.

Bacon Preparation

• About 10 minutes before the ribs are due to be downed, place your frying pan over medium heat. Slice the bacon into thin, 1/4 inch strips and throw into the pan.

Bacon is proof that God wants us to be happy.

• Cook the bacon, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until crispy. Place those tasty little piggy pieces on paper towels and drain off the excess fat. Use to top the short ribs when you plate them for a toothsome texture contrast.

Don't try to lick your screen, just go cook some for yourself.

Potato Preparation

• About 45 minutes into cooking the short ribs, clean and quarter the red potatoes.

Cut yer taters.

• Toss those spuds into your 3 quart pot and add the sprigs of rosemary and two cloves of garlic, peeled and halved. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for approximately 30 minutes, or until they can be pierced easily with a fork.

Add your herbs and wait for the potato potion to brew.

• Drain the potatoes and remove the rosemary and garlic (or leave the garlic in for an extra kick). Add the milk and butter and mash until creamy.

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

Make your mouth say Opa!

Classic Mediterranean ingredients fuse together for a bright, sweet and rich dish that takes a snoozer like chicken and cranks it up to eleven. Each bite is equal parts sweet and savory, making your taste buds dance around and smash super-mini plates in celebration.

Equipment Needed: Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, 13 x 9  Baking Pan (we prefer glass or ceramic), Meat Thermometer, Oven

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Suggested Beer Pairing: Pale Ales (stay away from hoppier IPAs though, they’ll be overpowering), Red Ales, English Ales, Hefeweizen

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ($4.99/lb)
• 12 dried black mission figs ($4.99/lb)
• 6 oz goat cheese ($2.99 )
• 3 TBSP Honey ($3.99/16 oz)
• 3 TBSP Spicy Brown or Dijon Mustard (about /bottle)

Preparation

• Preheat your oven to 375° F before you start your other prep work.
• Wash and trim the chicken breasts. With your hand carefully and strategically placed on top of the breast  to hold it in place (stop giggling), insert your knife into the side and slice lengthwise. Be careful not to cut your fingers (bad), or to cut all the way through the piece (less bad); you want to create a pocket big enough for the stuffing, but need to keep the ends of the chicken intact to hold everything in.

Slice down the middle of the side of your chicken, but don't cut all the way through.

• Slice the stems off of the figs and then cut each one into equal pieces. We prefer to slice lengthwise, but go nuts and cut them however you like.
• Cut equal-sized discs from the goat cheese (we’re assuming you bought a mini-log, but if you’ve got crumbles that’s cool too).  Spread the cheese evenly inside the chicken breast as heavily or lightly as you want to (we use about an ounce and a half per piece).

Goat cheese is a go!

• Toss the fig pieces into the mix and place the results in your baking pan.

This is what it looks like to put figs in a chicken breast.

• In a small bowl or cup mix equal parts mustard and honey (yes, you can cheat and use store bought honey mustard, but we think this tastes better). Coat each breast evenly with the mixture and throw them into the oven for about 40 minutes, or until your meat thermometer reads around 165° F. Remove and let stand for a few minutes before serving.