Summer Sips

Known as the signature drink of the region, a tall glass of iced tea in the South goes with just about every event- church suppers, family meals, ladies luncheons, and it’s just perfect for porch sitting on a sizzling summer day.

Summer Sips Iced Tea

Southern Sweet Tea

                                                                                    Ingredients

2 cups water                                                                                                                                                                   3 regular size tea bags or 1 family size (Lipton recommended)                                                                       1/2 cup granulated sugar                                                                                                                                            2 cups cold water

Directions                                                                                                                                                                    1.  Place 2 cups water in small saucepan or tea kettle and bring to a boil.                                                                                                                  2.  Turn off heat, add tea bags and steep for 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove tea bags and discard.                                                                                      3.  Add sugar, stirring until dissolved.  Pour into pitcher.                                                                                   4.  Add 2 cups cold water and stir; cool completely.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve over ice and if desired, with a slice of lemon.                                                                                                                             Yield:  4 cups

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon.  Let sit at room temperature until slightly dry, about 1 hour.  Spread sugar mixture on a small plate.  Moisten the rim of glasses with a lemon wedge, then dip in sugar mixture before filling with ice cubes and iced tea.

 

Great for picnics and family reunions, homemade limeade is the perfect summer beverage.  Freeze it for frozen pops or slushies.  Recipe can be halved.

Summer Sips Limeade

REFRESHING LIMEADE

Ingredients                                                                                                                                                            2 tablespoons fresh lime zest                                                                                                                                 1 1/2 quarts fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 20 juicy limes)                                                                                                                       3 3/4 cups granulated sugar                                                                                                                                       6 quarts cold water

Directions                                                                                                                                                                   1.  Add all ingredients to a 2 gallon container and stir until sugar is dissolved.  (You can make a simple syrup by heating the sugar with an equal amount of water, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Cool completely.)                                                                                                                                                                  2. Chill thoroughly before serving over ice with lime slices.                                                                        Yield: 2 gallons

 

Hot Southern summers are perfect for refreshing infused water.

Ingredients                                                                                                                                                                     1 Granny Smith apple, cored and seeded, thinly sliced into rounds                                                                   1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced                                                                                                                            4 to 6 sprigs fresh mint                                                                                                                                                1 gallon water

Directions                                                                                                                                                                      1.  Place all ingredients in a gallon container                                                                                                         2.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before enjoying

I love to keep this water in the refrigerator all summer.  Sometimes, I change and put berries in the water.

I’m not the biggest indulger of alcoholic drinks, but when summertime hits, all I want to do is sit on a shady porch or under a tree, with a good book and a deliciously iced boozy drink in hand.  These are a some of my go-tos:

Watermelon Spritzer

Ingredients                                                                                                                                                                    8 cups seeded and cubed watermelon                                                                                                                      1 cup good vodka  (I prefer Grey Goose)                                                                                                               1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice                                                                                                                          1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar                                                                                                                                Ice cubes                                                                                                                                                               Lemon-lime soda

Directions                                                                                                                                                                   1.  Place watermelon in the container of a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer and discard solids.                                                                                         2.  Stir in vodka, lime juice and sugar.  Chill until ready to serve.                                                                       3.  Pour over ice in a tall glass three-quarters full and top with lemon-lime soda.  Gently stir.  Garnish with a watermelon spear and lime slices.                                                                                                                                                 Yield: 8 cups

Summer Sips Pepper Jelly Margarita

Pepper Jelly Margarita

Kick back with this potent yet smooth Mexican cocktail that’s the perfect balance of tangy, spicy and sweet.

For a festive look, zest the lime and add to the salt before dipping the rims of the glasses.  Store salt rimmed glasses in the fridge or freezer for up to an hour before serving.

To coat the rim of a glass: cover the surface of a small plate with a shallow layer of rimming salt or sugar (a cocktail rimmer is a great tool to use instead).  Moisten the outside edge of the glass rim with a wedge of citrus.  Holding the rim down at an angle, slowly rotate the outside edge through the coating ingredient, taking care not to get the coating inside the glass.  Gently shake off any excess coating.

Ingredients                                                                                                                                                           1 cup white tequila                                                                                                                                                         1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice                                                                                                                                 1/2 cup orange liqueur (Cointreau recommended)                                                                                               1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar                                                                                                                                      1/4 cup green pepper jelly

Directions                                                                                                                                                                       1.  Stir all ingredients together in a pitcher until sugar and jelly is dissolved.                                                                                                      2.  Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and pour desired amount of mixture into cocktail shaker.  Cover with lid, and shake.  Serve immediately.                                                                                                             Yield: 3 cups

 

COOK’S NOTES:  Always add the sparkly ingredient last to keep the carbonation as fresh as possible.  Give the concoction a gentle stir to mix the flavors without overdoing the bubbles.

It’s not just for looks – garnishing adds fragrance and flavor to any cocktail.  Go beyond lemons and limes, and use fruit, vegetables and fresh herbs.

Decorative ice cubes are easy to make and add both color and flavor.  Filtered or bottled water will produce the clearest cubes.

*Citrus Cubes:  Using a paring knife, peel and segment lemons or any other small citrus fruit.  Place the segments in ice cube trays, leaving a little of each segment exposed, then fill with water and freeze.  Use with drinks that include lemon or other citrus juices.

*Zest Cubes:  Cut long, thin shreds of lime, lemon or orange zest or a mixture.  Arrange a few shreds of zest in ice cube trays, then fill with water and freeze.  Use in margaritas or other citrus-accented drinks.

*Melon Cubes:  Scoop balls of watermelon, cantaloupe or other melon.  Place the balls in ice cube trays, then fill with water and freeze.  Use in tropical-themed drinks or in drinks made with melon or melon-flavored liquer.

 

Sunday Lunch Tradition

My family has a tradition of always coming together for Sunday lunch and this has been the norm for as long as I can remember.  When I was growing up in Alabama, Sunday lunch was either at my Granny’s or at our house.  After we moved to Mississippi, Mother continued the tradition and cooked lunch every Sunday.  After she passed away, my sister-in-law, Cindy and I take turns.  It isn’t always fancy or a big meal but it’s the being together that’s important.

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most scrumptious, the ones that evoke memories of the soul- warming fare enjoyed around Mother’s table.  The recipes might have been fairly basic, but the flavors were positively heaven sent.

“My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best.” Winston Churchill

This past Sunday was my turn to cook and I turned to some old family favorites: roast beef, creamed potatoes with gravy, fresh green beans, stuffed eggs, fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.  For dessert, the fresh peach and blueberry pie I posted earlier.  Of course, no southern lunch would be complete without cornbread and sweet tea, the staple of every good southern meal.

Sunday Lunch

Southern sweet tea is pure pleasure in a glass – black tea, sugar and water.  I like my tea sweet with lots of lemon.  General rule of thumb is 1 tea bag and 1 tablespoon of sugar per cup of water.  I use Lipton most of the time, but Luzianne is another great brand.  You can be fancy if you want — and by all means, feel free — but good old-fashioned honest-to-God Southern sweet tea is made with one of those 99% of the time. Boil desired amount of water in an appropriately sized pot.  Remove pot from heat and toss in your tea bag(s).  Steep for 5 to 10 minutes for medium brew or 15 to 20 minutes for strong brew.  Remove tea bag(s) and sweeten it while it’s hot, stirring until it all dissolves.  Chill it until it’s cold.  Serve over ice with a wedge of lemon on the side.

So let’s talk a little bit about green beans.  I cook mine the old southern way with smoked pork necks, water and salt.  Many Americans associate green beans with a holiday casserole or canned, mushy side dishes.  But, if you’re lucky, you get to taste these crispy, juicy delights at their finest mid-summer peak.

2015-07-18 Green Beans

The green beans referred to in Southern nomenclature are pole green beans, bunch beans and half runners.  Pole green beans, or flat beans, are 6 to 8-inches long and 3/4-inch wide, often referred to as Kentucky Wonder, my all time favorite.  they require diligent stringing and are tougher than other green beans.  Traditionally cooked long and slow with the peas inside being larger and more prominent.  Boy, could my Granny cook a mean pot of these!  Bunch beans are the typical green beans found in the grocery store, commonly known as Blue Lake.  Half runners are about 4-inches long and 1/3-inch wide with the peas inside barely visible.  My family never cuts the ends of the green beans; we always snap both ends, referred to as “tipping and tailing”.

Now that you probably know more about green beans than you really wanted to know, let’s talk about cornbread.  Good old southern cornbread, not that sweet cake-like thing the north calls cornbread and eats for breakfast.

Sunday Lunch cornbread

When making cornbread, you must use a cast-iron skillet, muffin tin or stick pan.  The cast-iron gives you the crisp crust that we southerners enjoy so much.  Crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.  To my family, you must use bacon drippings (grease – the rendered fat left over after cooking bacon.  No true Southern kitchen is complete without it stowed away.  we use it for all kinds of things but especially to season vegetables and making cornbread) to season your skillet and your bread.  One easy recipe is as follows:

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD

Ingredients                                                                                                                                                      1/4 cup bacon drippings                                                                                                                                              2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix                                                                                                                              1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                                                                                                                           2 large eggs, lightly beaten                                                                                                                                          1 1/2  cups buttermilk

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees                                                                                                                                 2.  Pour bacon drippings in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet and heat for 5 minutes in the oven                                                                                         3.  Combine cornmeal mix and baking soda together and make a well in the center                                                                                                  4.  Mix eggs and buttermilk together                                                                                                                          5.  Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened                                                                                                        6.  Pour hot drippings into batter, whisking to blend                                                                                               7.  Pour into preheated skillet and bake for 27 minutes or until golden brown                                                                                                     8.  Turn onto a wire rack to cool slightly before putting on a serving plate

Just remember that food should always be welcoming.  I tend to cook things that are mostly uncomplicated yet rooted in tradition and full of flavor.  Cooking should be fun and enjoyable!

 

 

 

Southern Gazpacho

Some times you’re just in the mood for some good homemade Gazpacho. I love it when someone makes a special request for this dish. Here’s a few pictures of my favorite gazpacho recipe that I make quite frequently.

Gazpacho recipe

OMG!!! On a hot, sultry day in Mississippi, the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove. So I took the bounty I gathered from the garden and the farmer’s market and made the most flavorful chilled soup – Gazpacho. Juicy, succulent tomatoes, peaches in all their glory, crisp red bell peppers, fresh cucumbers all come together for a dancing delight on your taste-buds.

IMG_0661

This gazpacho is a fabulous combination of spicy, sweet and savory. I love spicy but if you don’t, you can omit the red pepper flakes. I recommend letting this sit for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight before serving. This infusing time will really make the soup sing.

IMG_0660

Several years ago, my other half and his father took a trip to Spain and Portugal. When he returned, all he could talk about was the cold soup and how he wanted me to learn to make it. After many, many attempts, I finally comprised a recipe that he said was better than what he had in Spain.

IMG_0662

A form of gazpacho was made in the south dating back to 1824 with a recipe – From The Virginia House-Wife. “Making Gaspacha – Spanish”
“Put some soft biscuit or toasted bread in the bottom of a salad bowl, put in a layer of sliced tomatoes with the skin taken off, and one of sliced cucumbers, sprinkled with pepper, salt and chopped onions; do this until the bowl is full, stew some tomatoes quite soft, strain the juice, mix in some mustard and oil, and pour over it; make it two hours before it is eaten.” The salted tomatoes and cucumbers extracting juices that became soupy.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 medium ripe peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped (seeds can be removed)
1/2 of a medium red onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the garnish:

1 avocado, diced
1 large tomato, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1 baguette
1 container garlic and herb cheese spread, such as Alouette
Jumbo lump crab, rinsed and picked (optional)

Directions:

1. Make an X with a pairing knife on the bottom of the tomatoes and peaches. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath to allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute, the slip off their skins. Repeat process with peaches.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the juice and seeds into a strainer over a bowl. Reserve the liquid and discard the seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and peaches.
3. Place all ingredients for the gazpacho including reserved tomato liquid into a blender and blend until they are liquefied.
4. Cover and refrigerate gazpacho for at least 4 hours to overnight. the longer you let the gazpacho sit, the better it will taste.

IMG_0663

For the garnish: when you are ready to serve your gazpacho, dice all of your ingredients and place in individual bowls. Preheat the broiler and place the top rack 5 to 7 inches from the heat. Cut 6 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices from the baguette. Place on a sheet pan, and brush with olive oil, and broil for 1 to 2 minutes on one side. Turn the slices, spread with the garlic and herb cheese, and broil for another minute, until the cheese is warm and the bread is toastIMG_0664

Set out the garnishes and pour the soup into a bowl and let each person garnish as desired. Serve with a warm cheese crouton.

A great big bowl of summer flavors!

If you aren’t a big fan of cold soup, make it into a salad – take 1 cup 1-inch square bread pieces that have been toasted, seeded and chopped tomato, peeled and chopped cucumber, chopped red bell pepper, 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste. Toss all ingredients together and serve immediately. Can be made ahead of serving by omitting bread until ready to serve.

How about a Gazpacho Sandwich?

First you want to make a binder for the sandwich, such as feta, goat cheese, cream cheese, or any soft cheese of your choice.  Take 1/2 cup of cheese, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons sherry or champagne vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.  Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.  Ingredients for the sandwich include tomatoes, thinly sliced, 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin strips, 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips, arugula (optional), 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  Use a sturdy bread such as sourdough or country, toasted lightly.  Spread each slice of bread with some of the cheese spread.  Place a layer of tomatoes over half of the bread slices and sprinkle with half of the kosher salt.  Next, layer the cucumber over the tomatoes.  Scatter the peppers over the cucumbers; top with arugula, of using.  Sprinkle with remaining salt and black pepper.  Cover with another slice of bread.  Cut sandwich in half and serve.  Yield: 4 to 6 sandwiches (Sandwich recipe adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis recipe)

Buttermilk Biscuits

When I was growing up, biscuits were on our breakfast table every single day.Coming from humble beginnings, we didn’t have lots of money, a fancy car or a big house but we did have a love and sense of family that no amount of money could ever buy. Back then, folks bought flour in twenty-five pound flour sacks, so biscuits and dumplings and such were a great way to make a meager meal more filling for the entire family.  Oftentimes, breakfast for us consisted of biscuits and gravy made using some bacon grease for seasoning.  Mother would fry one piece of bacon to get enough grease to make the gravy.  She made a simple roux with the grease and flour, added water until she had the consistency she wanted and seasoned with a little salt and pepper.  Daddy always got the bacon since he worked hard in the coal mines.  Sometimes we would just have biscuits and syrup (always Golden Eagle).  My brother and I would take our finger and punch a hole in the side of the biscuit and Mother or Daddy would pour the syrup in the hole.

homeade biscuit ingredients

Biscuits are made with so few ingredients, the quality of each is of utmost importance.  So be careful about the flour (White Lily recommended) and shortening (Crisco vegetable shortening recommended).

Grate the butter on a box grater for evenly cutting in fat.  One must work the dough in such a way that each grain of flour is encased in fat.  This reduces the amount of liquid that makes its way into the flour, which activates less gluten.  Keeping the flour and the fat cold until mixing time also inhibits gluten development.

Biscuit Recipes

A fine biscuit is not the sort of thing that one can learn on the run.  Tender biscuits are the result of a particular touch, and acquiring it demands practice.  The more often you make biscuits, the better you will get.  You will become familiar with how the dough should feel, how much fat and liquid you need, and how much you should handle the dough.

When I was making biscuits on a regular basis, I knew exactly how many scoops of flour to the number of tablespoons of fat I needed to make a certain number of biscuits.

Biscuit Recipe

During the summer I would go to my Aunt Dot’s house and stay for a couple of weeks to play with my cousins Lena and Gladys.  They lived way up in the country in Kemper County and there was a gravel drive leading to their house.  Of course being little, we thought the drive was very long and a great place to have a picnic.  We would take a cold biscuit, cut it in half and place a slice of white onion in the middle – yummy, an onion sandwich.  That was our picnic lunch and we sure enjoyed it.  I don’t think we would have enjoyed a fancy sandwich as much.  Remember the definition of a biscuit is a vessel for just about anything.

Biscuits in Skillet

My six tips for making biscuits are:

1. Use a soft-wheat flour (White Lily recommended).
2. Use a combination of solid shortening and butter.
3. Make sure butter is frozen and flour, shortening and buttermilk is very cold.
4. Don’t overwork the dough.
5. Bake in a very hot oven.
6. Brush tops with oil or melted butter for golden brown color.

Homemade  Biscuit

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (White Lily recommended)*
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kitchen (table) salt
1/4 cup frozen unsalted butter
1/4 cup very cold vegetable shortening (Crisco recommended)
1 cup very cold buttermilk

*If you prefer to use self-rising flour, omit the leavening ingredients (baking powder, baking soda and salt)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2.  Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine.
3.  Grate frozen butter on the large hole side of a box grater.  I recommend leaving the paper on the the portion of butter you aren’t using so that your hands do not melt the butter as you grate it.
4.  Work butter and shortening into the flour mixture with the tips of your fingers until it resembles coarse to fine crumbs.
5.  With a fork, briskly stir in buttermilk, just until thoroughly incorporated.  You will have a wet, sticky dough.
6.  Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and sprinkle top with a little flour.  With floured-hands, knead dough 5 to 6 times, sprinkling with more flour as needed.
7.  Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness.
8.  Fold dough in thirds, lengthwise, making sure the width is at least 3-inches.  Fold in half from top to bottom and gently press layers together.
9.  Cut biscuits with a 3-inch biscuit cutter.*  Place on baking sheet** and brush tops with melted butter or vegetable/canola oil.
10. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

*At this point, biscuits can be frozen.  Place the cut biscuit rounds on a flat surface, and freeze.  Transfer to a zip-top plastic bag once they’re firm.  Add 5 to 8 minutes to the bake time.
**Bake in a cast-iron skillet spread with a little butter for a crunchy-bottomed biscuit.

Yield:  8 to 10 (3-inch) biscuits

Variations:  Stir in 1/2-cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and 2 teaspoons fresh coarsely ground black pepper into dry ingredients.  Proceed was directed.

Stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (or herb of choice or combination of herbs) into dry ingredients.  Proceed as directed.

Stir in 4 tablespoons drained dill pickle relish into buttermilk before adding to flour mixture.  Proceed as directed.  (Makes an excellent ham sandwich with mustard)

Add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to the flour mixture, and replace the buttermilk with heavy cream for a sweet shortcake biscuit.

NOTE:  Now that you have baked a perfect biscuit, don’t smush it when you split it.  Here’s a tried-and-true trick:  gently spear the biscuit all the way around the edge with a fork.  You’ll end up with a clean split and an even surface that begs for a pat of butter or a spoonful of jelly/jam.

Summer Fiesta Corn

Summer in the south brings an abundance of fresh vegetables. One of my all time favorites is corn.  Farm-fresh corn is practically indescribable in it’s taste, and it’s well worth running straight home to place in boiling water. A little butter and salt is all you need for this sweet, delectable treat.  I really like coming up with new recipes for this summer delight and Summer Fiesta Corn is one of my most recent.

summer corn recipe

The first thing I do before I begin cooking is to get all of my ingredients together and all of my equipment out.  In the culinary world, this is called “mise en place” or put in place.  I get all my prep work done so I can cook without stopping and starting time and time again.  Have you ever decided to make a certain dish, get started, then realize you didn’t have an ingredient? This has happened to me before and can be really frustrating.  So if we get everything together in the beginning, we are an organized cook, less stressful and we can have more fun.

corn recipes

So many people struggle on side dish ideas – I know I do.  And it’s all good if a side dish is simple and easy – especially if it’s packed with flavor.  This recipe makes a great side dish for almost any meal.  Each ingredient really provides this recipe with so much flavor and texture.  This is creamy and rich and will have everyone coming back for seconds.

Tomato Side Dishes

Crunchy, crispy, creamy corn goodness!!  A great big bowl of summer.

baked corn recipe

FIESTA CORN

Ingredients:

8 ears fresh corn, shucked and silked
1 tablespoon vegetable/canola oil
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, small dice
1 medium jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, small dice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, medium dice

Directions:

1.  Butter a 3-quart baking dish and set aside
2.  Cut kernels from the cob with a sharp knife
3.  Using the blunt side of a kitchen knife, scrape down against the cob to release all of the milk
4.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees
5.  Heat oil in s small skillet over medium heat
6.  Add bell and jalapeno peppers and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, cooking until slightly softened, about 3 to 4 minutes
7.  Remove peppers from heat and combine with corn, additional 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, chipotle pepper (if using) and heavy cream   8.  Pour cream mixture into prepared dish and poke butter randomly throughout mixture
9.  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes

Yield:  4 to 6 servings

NOTE:  This easy dish goes with anything from grilled hotdogs to beef tenderloin.

 

 

 

Homemade Spicy Sloppy Joes

Hello everyone! It’s a holiday weekend and I’m going to be preparing food for the festivities. That being said, I wanted to spend most of my time getting food ready the party versus cooking a large meal.

So I decided to make some spicy sloppy joes.
Sloppy Joes Recipe

I was inspired to make this after having great success creating more traditional sloppy joes. Wanting to live life more on the edge I spiced things up and it floored some people. Can you take the heat?

 

sloppy joes

Sloppy Joes
 
Ingredients
  • 2½ to 3-pounds ground sirloin
  • ½-green bell pepper, diced
  • ½-red bell pepper, diced
  • 1-small yellow onion, diced
  • 3-cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-cup ketchup
  • ¼-cup sirrachi
  • 1¼-cups water
  • 2-tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1-teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¼-teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2-teaspoons chili powder
  • ¼-teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛-teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4-tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
  1. ) Brown ground sirloin in a large saucepan over medium-high heat
  2. ) Drain excess fat and add green and red bell peppers, onion and garlic, stirring to combine
  3. ) Stir in ketchup, sirrachi, and water
  4. ) Mix brown sugar, dry mustard, pepper flakes, chili powder, salt, and pepper together
  5. ) Sprinkle evenly over meat mixture
  6. ) Add Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, stirring to combine thoroughly
  7. ) Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
Notes
COOK’S NOTE: These are very spicy with complex flavors. If a less spicy version is desired, decrease sirrachi to ⅛-cup, red pepper flakes to ⅛-teaspoon and chili powder to 1 teaspoon.