Best New Dish for The Holiday

[dlaboriel]

What new dish did you try for the holiday and was it a hit?

I tried Tyler Florence's Ultimate Barbecued Chicken and the Ultimate Potato Salad. Both were hugh successes. The chicken was to be brined for two hours but I did it overnight.

[Hammster]

We tried a wrap from Real Simple magazine.

It's basically cream cheese spiked with horseradish. That gets spread on a tortilla and some sliced roast beef, cheddar cheese and lettuce get added and it all gets rolled up. We took it as our picnic on Friday night when we went to the Summer Pops concert.

[AZJane]

We made a few types of burgers and this was our favorite:

Sutter Home Build a Better Burger 2008 Finalist Recipes New York Steakhouse Burgers New York Steakhouse Burgers with Tarragon Mayonnaise and Frizzled Onions

Ingredients
Patties
1 pound New York strip steak
2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 cup grated onion
1/4 cup Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A.1.
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup dried seasoned breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Tarragon Mayonnaise
1 cup mayonnaise

6 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Frizzled Onions
3 cups canola oil
2 medium onions
2 cups milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons canola oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 slices New York Cheddar cheese
6 brioche buns, split
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
Directions
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat gas grill to medium-high.

To make the patties, cut the New York strip steak into 1/4-inch cubes. Place them in a large bowl with the ground chuck, grated onion, Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon, steak sauce, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine all ingredients, being careful not to overwork with meat. Form into 6 patties, making a slight indentation in the center so that the burgers cook evenly. Cover and refrigerate.

To make the mayonnaise, place the mayonnaise, tarragon, lemon juice, and zest in a mini food processor. Process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the onions, pour the oil into a large, deep, heavy fire-proof saucepan to a depth of 2 inches. Heat on the grill until the temperature reaches 360 degrees F. Cut the onions into very thin slices and separate the rings. Soak in the milk while you prepare the flour mixture. On a shallow platter, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika and mix well. Take a handful of onions, shaking off any excess milk, and dredge in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour and fry in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.

Brush the grill rack with canola oil. Place the burger patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 4 to 6 minutes on each side for medium. Place the cheese slices on the patties during the last 3 minutes of grilling. Place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

To assemble the burgers, spread some tarragon mayonnaise on the cut sides of the top buns. Place a cheese-topped patty on each bun bottom. Place a tomato slice on each patty and top with a mound of frizzled onions. Add bun tops and serve.

Makes 6 burgers

[Gecko]

I made baked beans for the first time. I added a few extra items to the bbq sauce.

Vegetarian Baked Beans

16 oz. package navy beans (I used great northern)
6 cups water
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cups sweet onions, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
4 8 oz. cans tomato sauce (i used to 2 15 oz and added ketchup)
¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ cup molasses
1 tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 bay leaves

I also added
1/4 cup apple sauce
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 dased hot sauce
1/4 cup extra of brown sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup ketcup
1/4 cup honey
salt

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the water and beans in a large saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking the beans and water for an hour, or until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Drain the water and put the beans in a large casserole. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking until it turns golden.
4. Add the onions and garlic to the pan with the beans, and then stir in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, mustard, pepper, and bay leaves.
5. Cover the casserole dish and bake it for 4 hours, stirring often. Remove the cover during the last 30 minutes. Add extra water if the vegetarian baked beans are too thick.

Note: I only cooked mine for 3 hours and this seemed to be plenty.

[AZJane]

I also made some yummy fresh potato chips to go with the burgers. I just used my food processor to slice potates (skin on), deep fried them until golden and tossed them with a variety of seasonings (each batch we used different Penzey's mixtures) They were fantastic, cheap to make and nice to have a variety of flavors. I kept some overnight in a ziplock baggy and they retained their crispiness. Yeah!

[Canice]

I made a lemony orzo salad that was ripped off from this CL classic: I used peas instead of zucchini, crumbled chevre instead of feta, and omitted the onion, tomato, and olives. Added in lots of toasted pine nuts. For me, it was lighter and brighter than the original. And it went fast :)


Lemony Orzo Salad

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 1/3 cups diced zucchini
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well. Combine orzo, zucchini, and onion in a large bowl; toss well. Combine parsley and next 6 ingredients (parsley through pepper); stir well with a whisk. Stir into orzo mixture; add tomato, cheese, and olives, tossing gently to coat.

[SheRa]

we made the best ribs ever - our first time smoking them...couldn't have picked a better recipe!

http://www.ashleycovelli.com/images/food/BigFlavorsXSi07042009-110.jpg

Memphis-Style Ribs
The Barbecue Bible - Steven Raichlen (via epicurious.com)

yield: Makes 6 servings

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Barbecue! Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, by Steven Raichlen. To read more about Raichlen and barbecue, go to our feature The Best Barbecue in the U.S.A.

It never fails to amaze me how one simple idea can give birth to so many great regional variations. Consider ribs. The pork rib is one of the most perfect morsels ever to occupy a grill. The meat is generously marbled, which keeps it moist during prolonged cooking. As the fat melts, it crisps the meat fibers and bastes the meat naturally. The bones impart a rich meaty flavor (meat next to the bone always tastes best), while literally providing a physical support—a gnawable rack on which to cook the meat. Yet depending on whether you eat ribs in Birmingham or Kansas City, or Bangkok or Paris for that matter, you'll get a completely different preparation.

I've always been partial to Memphis-style ribs. Memphians don't mess around with a lot of sugary sauces. Instead, they favor dry rubs—full-flavored mixtures of paprika, black pepper, and cayenne, with just a touch of brown sugar for sweetness. The rub is massaged into the meat the night before grilling, and additional rub is sprinkled on the ribs at the end of cooking. This double application of spices creates incredible character and depth of flavor, while at the same time preserving the natural taste of the pork. Sometimes a vinegar and mustard based sauce—aptly called a mop sauce—is swabbed over the ribs (with said mop) during cooking; I've included one here, for you to use if you like.

You can choose any type of rib for this recipe: baby back ribs, long ends, short ends, rib tips—you name it. Cooking times are approximate. The ribs are done when the ends of the bones protrude and the meat is tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. I like my ribs served dry, in the style of Memphis's legendary barbecue haunt, the Rendezvous. If you want to serve them with a sauce, you'll find a number to choose from in this chapter.

Grilling Method
Indirect grilling

Advance preparation
4 to 8 hours for marinating the ribs

Special equipment
1 1/2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory), soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover and drained

For the ribs and rub
3 racks baby back pork ribs (about 7 pounds), or 2 racks pork spareribs (6 to 8 pounds total)
¼ cup sweet paprika
4 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 ½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons celery salt
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

For the mop sauce (optional)
2 cups cider vinegar
½ cup yellow (ballpark) mustard
2 teaspoons salt

1. Prepare the ribs and rub: Remove the thin, papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs by pulling it off in a sheet with your fingers, using the corner of a kitchen towel to gain a secure grip, or with pliers.

2. Combine the paprika, black pepper, brown sugar, salt, celery salt, cayenne, garlic powder, dry mustard, and cumin in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Rub two thirds of this mixture over the ribs on both sides, then transfer the ribs to a roasting pan. Cover and let cure, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 8 hours.

3. Prepare the mop sauce (if using): Mix together the cider vinegar, mustard, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a large drip pan in the center.

If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.

If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium.

5. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips on the coals. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the ribs on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the ribs for 1 hour.

6. When the ribs have cooked for an hour, uncover the grill and brush the ribs with the mop sauce (if using). Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until tender and almost done, 1/4 to 1/2 hour longer for baby back ribs, 1/2 to 1 hour longer for spareribs. The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and has shrunk back from the ends of the bones. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side after 1 hour. Fifteen minutes before the ribs are done, season them with the remaining rub, sprinkling it on.

7. To serve, cut the racks in half or, for a plate-burying effect, just leave them whole.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

[waltnj]

I really liked the French Potato Salad recipe from Barefoot Contessa (first book). It was simple and a nice change from my usual mayo based one. Here is the recipe from Food Network.

Ingredients
* 1 pound small white boiling potatoes
* 1 pound small red boiling potatoes
* 2 tablespoons good dry white wine
* 2 tablespoons chicken stock
* 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 10 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
* 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
* 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions

Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My notes: I didn't use the dill (on purpose) and I forgot the basil. I also used white wine vinegar. I also just shook the dressing in a jar with a screw top lid for the emulsion. Oh, and I only used the salt in the dressing, it was plenty for me.

Enjoy!
Nancy

[ande]

We made a wild rice salad based on this Martha Stewart one http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/wild-rice-salad-with-corn?autonomy_kw=wild%20rice%20salad&rsc=header_2. I used frozen grilled red peppers and frozen roasted corn (both from TJs) and forgot to add cilantro, and it was still very good! I don't always like wild rice, so I was glad to find a recipe for it I really enjoyed.

[mcgee]

I made Cooking Light's Amber Ale Baked Beans (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1206168). We thought they were very good but mine turned out a little saucier than what the picture shows -which was a good thing because we like saucy. I used RG's vaquero beans and thought they were perfect. I was a little concerned because after I purchased the beans I did a BB search and found that a few people didn't care for the vaqueros, but we really enjoyed them.

[Joanie B]

SheRa, those ribs look amazing! We don't smoke, but might borrow the rub for crockpot ribs sometime!

For a 5th of July cookout we went to, I made 2 new-to-me recipes from the Baking Bites blog--Red, White, and Blue Chocolate strawberries and a S'Mores Cake. The strawberries were devoured almost entirely BEFORE the weenies and burgers, folks were so taken w/their cuteness. I used "good" white bar choc. from the baking section, not white chips, and they were wonderful (and I don't like white choc.). The blue sugar sweated a bit and left lil blue puddles, tho (humidity was nasty here over the weekend). The S'Mores Cake was very tasty, but there's a reason that marshmallow creme is in a jar! Holymoly, I turned my back for 2 minutes after plopping it between the very cooled graham cake layers and that stuff was going off the cake into the channel of the Tupper cake holder where the lid goes! I needed a marshmallow dam! Maybe will chill the cake layers next time to try and hold the marshmallow stuff on the cake. The milk chocolate ganache (I used Hershey bars) pooled into the channel as well, it looked like a giant messy s'mores around the edges, but tasted great. I was afraid none of the marshmallow was left in the middle of the layers, but darned if there wasn't some still in there. And for my sis-in-law's dad mostly, I made his favorite, CL's Icebox Chocolate Eclair--I think they'd send me home if I didn't make this for them every year!