"Barrel Aged" Negroni

We went to W.A. Frost a few months back and ordered Negroni's. They happened to have some barrel aged Negroni behind the bar, and we accepted the offer. It was quite good and served as my introduction to the "barrel-aged fad" that seems to be getting some traction. Predicted life span: 2.5 yrs. max.

So I figured I'd find a way to do this at home. Helloooo Google. One search and I found my strategy. Some day when I become a cooper or have access to free barrels I will make truly barrel-age drinks. Until then I will do this. Thanks to Chris for doing the work I would never have done and publishing an excellent post titled How to Make Barrel Aged Cocktails at Home (no barrel required)...

This is my first effort so I will follow most of what Chris did. I will be adjusting the proportions a bit since we like a heavier dose of gin in our Negroni's. If it goes well I might have to invest in a small barrel from Oak Barrels Ltd. They look mighty cool.  I will know in six weeks and update this post.

Here is what I set up...

• 12 oz gin
• 08 oz Campari
• 08 oz Sweet vermouth
• 15 g  Jack Daniels Barrel chips

Directions
Combing all in a mason jar and seal.
Gently roll or shake each day for 6 weeks.
Decant or strain the mixture through cheese cloth into another mason jar.
Refrigerate. Serve over ice with a 1/2 ounce of water to mimic dilution from melted ice. I'll have to play with this.

Negroni Confidential
My wife's first Negroni was served at The Norton restaurant just across the river from Red Wing, MN. The restaurant was run by the Husker Du bassist, Greg Norton. He mixed up  a great Negroni with a dash of orange bitters. I was quite surprised my wife liked  the drink so much. This also served as my eye-opener to the making quality cocktails and the desire to make them at home.
I could go on about how Campari changed their formulation some years back switching to an artificial coloring from carmine red (which is a VERY cool biologic stain). I will not do that. I respect your time too much.

Green Sauce

Mmmmm, delicious, creamy, tart with just the right amount of heat: Great Green Sauce. I just made this for some friends last night. It went over well with The Three Amigos. Great as a dip, put some in a taco, use it as a sandwich spread -- is there anything green sauce can't do? Serve this at Middle East peace talks.. BAM ..hugs all around.

The original version of this comes from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain. After following her recipe I doubled the amount of avocado and halved the amount of garlic. It lasts a couple of days covered in the refrigerator.

Music choice while making this sumptuous sauce? Marty Robbins' classic,  El Paso works for me. Cheers, Felina! If you hurry, you can probably make a batch before the song ends...tragically.

Great Green Sauce

• 1 11-ounce can whole tomatillos
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 2 small or 1 big-honkin' serrano pepper, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 2 medium cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro (roughly a small handful ripped from a bunch)

1. Throw everything into a blender. Tomatillos on the bottom works well.
2. Blend until pretty smooth but maybe some small lumps.
3. Salt to taste

Green Sauce Confidential: Lisa Fain gives mention to Ninfa's in her recipe. I must also give a nod to the place I first had fajitas and a was served green sauce with my chips. My memory is weak, but I do remember loving it at the time. I have not checked to see if they are still doing business, but next time I'm in Houston I will give a look. Until then I will make this regularly. It's the bomb!

My Martini

This is my Martini. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My Martini

• 2 oz Beefeater gin
• 1/4-1/3 ounce Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth (see Martini Confidential below)
• 1 dash orange bitters (optional depending on how I feel)
• 1 lemon peel

1. Add gin, vermouth, and bitters if using to a mixing glass containing ice. 
2. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly chilled. Shake if you are in a hurry. The only downside is it will have air bubbles in it for a while. This makes the drink a bit gray. 
3. Strain into a  cocktail glass. I prefer smallish glasses holding a scant 3 to 4 ounces. Compared to their 5 and up ounce counterparts, these look downright puny. 
4. Peel a lemon twist over the glass. Express oil from peel into glass and rub peel round the rim. 
5. Twist the peel around a bar spoon and hang on the edge of the glass. 
6. Enjoy in moderation.

Chili con Carne #1

Crowd Pleasin' Chili
While cookin' up a mess o' chili I can't think of anything better to enjoy than some Stevie Ray Vaughn. Any song will do. This recipe is not the chili I learned to love at The Texas Chili Parlor, but it makes a lot and most folks like it.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage

Dry Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon bacon bits
• 2 tablespoons Ancho chile powder, or use another two tablespoons of regular chili powder here
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican oregano if you have it
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt, leave out to reduce sodium

Canned Ingredients

• 45 ounces chili beans medium, canned, drained (3 cans)
• 15 ounces chili beans spicy, canned with the sauce
• 2 x 28 oz diced tomatoes with juice, canned
• 6 oz tomato paste

Vegetables

• 1 large Yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium Jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup beer
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Hot pepper sauce, e.g. Tabasco

Garnish

• corn chips, Fritos
• diced onion and jalapeños
• shredded cheese or velveeta-queso

Instructions

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
2. Add all the dry ingredients to the cooked meat and stir. 
3. Add the vegetables, wet, and canned ingredients. Stir to mix ingredients.. Simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
5. To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips, cheese, some finely diced onion and a sprinkle of freshly minced jalapeños. 

Chicken Breasts with Cherry Pepper Pan Sauce

Recipe for Chicken Breasts with Cherry Pepper Pan Sauce

Ingredients

CHICKEN

• 2 medium bone-in split chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

PAN SAUCE

• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped pickled hot cherry peppers, plus 1/4 cup brine
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper

Directions

FOR THE CHICKEN: 

1. Place 1 chicken breast, skin side down, on cutting board, with ribs facing away from knife hand. Run tip of knife between breastbone and meat, working from thick end of breast toward thin end. Angling blade slightly and following rib cage, repeat cutting motion several times to remove ribs and breastbone from breast. Find short remnant of wishbone along top edge of breast and run tip of knife along both sides of bone to separate it from meat. Remove tenderloin (reserve for another use) and trim excess fat, taking care not to cut into skin. Repeat with second breast.
2. Using tip of paring knife, poke skin on each breast evenly 30 to 40 times. Turn breasts over and poke thickest half of each breast 5 to 6 times. Cover breasts with plastic wrap and pound thick ends gently with meat pounder until 1/2 inch thick. Evenly sprinkle each breast with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Place breasts, skin side up, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
3. Pat breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle each breast with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour oil in 12-inch skillet and swirl to coat. Place breasts, skin side down, in oil and place skillet over medium heat. Place heavy skillet or Dutch oven on top of breasts. Cook breasts until skin is beginning to brown and meat is beginning to turn opaque along edges, 7 to 9 minutes.
4. Remove weight and continue to cook until skin is well browned and very crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip breasts, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until second side is lightly browned and meat registers 160 to 165 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer breasts to individual plates and let rest while preparing pan sauce.

FOR THE PAN SAUCE:

1. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons oil from skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and add shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. 
2. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add broth and brine, and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices; return to simmer and cook for 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in peppers, butter, and thyme; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce around breasts and serve.

Original recipe from Cooks Illustrated

The Martinez Cocktail

Assemble your ingredients and equipment, then put on Cal Tjader's Soul Sauce. Be careful not to spill anything while shaking your tail feather.

The Martinez Cocktail

• 2 oz gin
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 1/4 oz maraschino liquer
• 2-3 dashes aromatic bitters
• lemon peel garnish

Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir, stir, stir. (Nod to Mr. Eric Felton; stir some more)
Strain into a cocktail glass. Peel the lemon over the glass with a channel knife or vegetable peeler.
Express oil from the peel into the glass and drop it in.

Amaze your friends: If you want a spiral, wind the peel around the mixing spoon or your finger. 

Green Chile Stew

Notes on preparation

• The amount of sodium in your chili powder varies. Taste a bit before adding any salt. I like Penzey's Medium Hot Chili Powder which has no added salt. 
• Use Mexican oregano if you have it on hand, regular is fine. 
• I've tried including the liquid from the green chiles and did not like the outcome personally. 
• Pork:You can purchase pork chops (already sliced) or you can purchase a huge pork loin package from Costco and slice them yourself. There is some savings in the latter. Cut it 1/2 inch slices and store in 2 lb (or close enough) portions and freeze. The original recipe called for pork shoulder or butt. It is definitely more flavorful. It also takes longer to cut and trim and contains more animal fat. 
• When I can get them I use Goya White Hominy and Westbrae Great Northern Beans (not pictured above). The beans break down well to become the "gravy" for the stew.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds pork chops, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless, trimmed and cut in to 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 30 ounces hominy, canned, drained (Goya)
• 32 ounces great northern beans, canned, drained (Westbrae)
• 10 ounces tomatoes with green chilies, canned with juices (Rotel)
• 12 ounces green chiles, canned, drained or frozen thawed and drained (Bueno are great if you live in the southwest)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 10 oz lager or pilsner beer
• Salt, to taste
• chopped cilantro and radish slices, to garnish

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or deep skillet with lid, brown pork cubes in a little oil. Remove liquid at end of browning to get a little crust on pork if you like.. Add onion and a little more oil to the pot. Cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add remaining ingredients except salt and garnishes. Cover and simmer low for one hour. Add 8 oz beer or more as needed. . 
2. Taste and adjust seasonings for salt. Serve hot garnished with cilantro and sliced or julienned radishes. This stew reheats well; cover and refrigerate for up to three days; freeze for longer storage.

Rachael Ray has a terrific Posole recipe I've made a couple of times. I like it. I drain the cans of hominy when making it.