Baked Onion Casserole

Crispy French Bread Atop Gooey Onion Casserole

It's Christmas Eve in Murph's Kitchen and there are people everywhere preparing food for our big Prime Rib dinner tonight and our traditional Brie and Sausage Breakfast Casserole for tomorrow's brunch.  Tonight we will have the traditional prime rib dinner with roasted potatoes, asparagus and Baked Onion Casserole.  Many years ago, Cherie found the onion casserole recipe in Bon Appetit magazine over twenty years ago and we have been tweaking it all along.  It's a can't miss, crowd pleasing, gooey, creamy dish with just the right amount of sweet and savory.

Baked Onion Casserole
Ingredients

1/2 Cup Butter
6 Brown Onions Thinly Sliced
1  Can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Milk
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
3/4 lb. Swiss Cheese, Grated ( I use Trader Joe's Blended and Grated Swiss and Gruyere)
French Bread, thinly sliced
1/2 lb.  Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter 2 Quart Shallow Baking Dish
Melt 1/2 cup butter in saute pan, add onions (liberally season with salt and pepper) and cook until tender- about 10-15 minutes over medium high heat.
Place cooked onions in casserole dish
Combine soup, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.  Pour over onions.
Cover evenly with grated Swiss cheese
Melt about a stick of butter in the same saute pan you used for onions and dip the thinly sliced french bread in the pan.
Arrange bread, butter side up over onions covering the casserole completely
Bake until bread is golden brown--about 30 minutes.

Onion Casserole with Prime Rib, Roasted Potatoes and Broiled Asparagus

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Sour Pork Chops

Savory Sour Pork Chops

December 4th.

As usual, I do some of my most creative cooking on Sunday and today is no exception.  We are celebrating yet another birthday; that of my somewhat famous and always fun to be with sister Regina Murphy-Darling aka Mrs. Green of Mrs. Green's World aka Gina and most importantly Aunt Gina to my kids.

One of my Mom's all time best dishes was Sour Pork Chops.  A hearty, pungent dish of German origin that our entire family loves.  Mom used to make it with potato dumplings and at some future date I will post that recipe which is truly fantastic as well.  Tonight we are having garlic mashed red potatoes that go extremely well with this dish.

This may truly be the best recipe my Mom ever made and requires planning, attention to detail and a big iron pot.  I inherited my Grandmothers 10 quart oval iron pot and it is in perfect condition and surely must be over 100 years old.  I have a borderline love affair with this  pot even though it needs two burners  to reach proper temperature.  A large Le Creuset would work well also.

Sour Pork Chops

Ingredients

10-12 Shoulder Pork Chops with plenty of fat

3 Large Brown Onions sliced thinly

1/2 Cup Wondra  Flour

1/4 lb. Butter

10-12 Peppercorns

6 Bay Leaves

10 Cloves

Heinz Cider Vinegar

1. Heat pot to medium high and brown 10- 12 well seasoned fatty  pork chops 2-3 at a time. You really need to cook the chops until they are well browned, in fact the closer you get to burning them, the better the flavor will be when done.  Remove from pan and set aside on a sheet pan or large platter.

1. After the chops are all done and set aside add a stick of butter , add  the Wondra flour a little bit at a time  and  make a fairly dark roux.
2. As soon as the roux is thick and pasty, slowly add water to until it reaches the consistency of gravy 
3. Add ½ cup  Cider Heinz Vinegar an and stir until mixed in well.  Mom swore it made a difference to use Heinz and after straying once or twice, I agree. Trust me and use this brand only.
4. Add Peppercorns, 6 Bay leaves and 8-10 Whole Cloves
5. Return chops to pan and make a layer of chops covered by a layer of thinly sliced onions and repeat unit pan is full. Add a bit more water if needed to cover chops.

1. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours stirring only occasionally.

While cooking this dish will fill your kitchen and your entire house with aromas that friends and family will yearn for once your serve them this remarkable dish.

The gravy from this dish in remarkably pungent and utterly delicious!  Serve with potato dumplings or mashed potatoes and watch the crowd go wild!!!

Cherie's Borracho Baked Beans

Fall is in the air finally here in sunny Tucson and that means it's once again time to go down to the U OF A Mall for some great tailgating with friends.  Last week was homecoming for our battered Wildcats and in the time honored tradition of Arizona football; we got our butts kicked.   

Sunset on U of A Mall

Cherie is the creative force when it comes to thinking up new recipes for Murph's Kitchen and she has been cogitating a Mexican style baked bean casserole for weeks.  It finally came to fruition yesterday.  Our dear friends the Brandt's are dedicated "tailgaters"  and everyone brings a dish leading to some of the great outdoor "merge meals" and last week was one of the finest.  We got up early and made our new concoction, wrapped it in a beach towel and some duct tape and off we went to the U of A Mall.  The beans were fantastic and a good time was had by all. 


Baked Borracho Beans

The Beans get ready for the oven...

Ingredients

3/4 Pound Applewood Smoked Bacon
2 Large Onions Roughly Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
1 Large (29 oz.) Can Pinto Beans
5 Cans Chili Beans
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Small Can Chopped Green Chile's
1 10 oz. Can Original  Rotel Tomato and Chile
1 12 Oz Dos Equis Amber 
2 tsp Cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp Hot Chili Powder
1 tsp Garlic Salt
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar




Roughly chop bacon and add to a 12 inch saute pan over medium high heat.  
Let bacon cook for 3-5 minutes so some of the fat renders and add the roughly chopped onions and garlic.  
Saute until bacon is fully cooked and onions are soft but not browned.  This will take another 5-10 minutes and presents a good opportunity to open and drain all your canned beans.  
Prior to the bacon getting crispy add the beer, canned green chili's, Original Rotel Chile, chili powder, cumin, and brown sugar.  
Reduce heat to medium low and cook until beer reduces by about half.
Add beans to a large roasting dish and mix well adding salt, pepper, garlic salt and  granulated garlic.

Bacon, Beer Onions and Red Chili Powder on the stove.

When beer reduces by about half remove pan from heat and add to the baking dish with beans.
Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until bubbling but still quite moist.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes minutes prior to serving.  As with many of our dishes, this was a crowd pleaser and I watched quite a few folks come back for seconds and thirds.  The finished product went well with dogs and burgers and  stood up to cold beer and chips like a champ!

BEANS, BURGERS AND CHIPS!!

Marinara Sauce and Murph's Sausage Lasagna

Simple Marinara and Luscious Lasagna

As is the custom in our family, birthday celebrations go on for days.  Cherie's birthday was a couple of days ago and tonight we are having the families over for Cherie's favorite lasagna.  I know you can buy very good marinara for making lasagna at places like Trader Joe's and AJ's but I just can't fight the urge to make it from scratch.  We are serving at least 14 people tonight so  I doubled this and it worked out well.  My marinara is a merge from my Mom's recipe and some of the recipes I have seen prepared on the Food Network, especially Giada and Maria Batali.


Murph's Marinara


Ingredients


Olive Oil
2 Cans Whole San Marzano Tomatoes
1 Large Can San Marzano Pureed Tomatoes
1 Cup Dry Red Wine
2 Medium Onions
6 Cloves Garlic
2 Medium Carrots
2 Stalks Celery
2 Bay Leaves
2 tsp Dried Basil
Salt, Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper (optional)


Begin heating your favorite sauce pot prior to covering the bottom with olive oil.  I like to bring the pot up to about a medium heat very slowly and I don't add the olive oil until just prior to adding my chopped vegetables.


Finely chop onions, carrots, celery and garlic and set aside on a large cutting board or in prep bowls. I recently bought a mini Proctor Silex food processor and use it constantly.  It was under $10 is about 6 inches tall and works fantastically well on carrots in this recipe.  If you don't have one you're really missing out.  Super easy to store in a nearby cabinet, easy to operate and simple to disassemble and clean; all for under ten bucks!  Once all your veggies are chopped, add the oil to coat the bottom of your stock pot and add all the veggies, season with salt and pepper and continue stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes but do no let them brown.  When the onions are translucent and the rest of the veggies are soft, turn heat up to medium high and add a cup of good, dry red wine.  Today I used up the rest of a nice Oregon Pinot Noir we failed to  finish a couple of days ago. Allow all the veggies  and wine to simmer for another 3-5 minutes and reduce heat to medium low. 


Open the Whole Tomatoes while the veggies are cooking and pour in a large mixing bowl. "Squish" them into smaller chunks  by digging your hands into the bowl. Once the alcohol has cooked off from the wine, add all the tomatoes from your mixing bowl as well as the Puree.  Next add the basil, bay leaves and crushed red pepper.  Today I used about a tablespoon of the of my favorite XX Hot New Mexico crushed red pepper and seasoned with more sea salt and fresh ground pepper as well. 


Continue cooking sauce over medium high until it comes to a slow boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 90 minutes recognizing that longer will always be better.  Make sure someone is around to stir every 20 minutes or so.  Today, Tara my 13 year old daughter stepped in and stirred for me while I ran around buying ingredients for the lasagna and the sauce cooked for just over two hours and it was nearly perfect.


Once the sauce is done cooking I highly recommend blending it with a hand blender right in your stockpot. If you don't own one of these you should go out and buy one soon.  I have the Breville, cordless rechargeable type but have owned others that have a cord and they work well also.  

Once the sauce is completed, allow to cool for 20 minutes or so, remove the bay leaves and blend to an even, smooth consistency.  This is particularly important for lasagna but works well when serving  this sauce over your favorite pasta.  


This sauce is amazingly good over pasta but today will become one of the key ingredients in my lasagna.


Buon Apetito!






Sausage Lasagna
Serves 8-10


Truthfully, several of our guests thought this was the best lasagna they have ever had and I agree it's one of the best recipes Cherie and I have concocted over the years.  It's very easy to double this recipe for a bigger crowd. I highly recommend the Johsonville sausage because it comes in flat, one pound packs and eliminates the need to remove sausage from the casing.  I also use this when making a meat sauce on occasion as well. 


Ingredients


Olive Oil
1 Pound Spicy Johsnonville Italian Sausage
1 Pound Mild Johnsonville Italian Sausage
2 Large Red Bell Peppers
1 Cup Dry Red Wine
30 Ounces Ricotta Cheese
2 Large Eggs
One Box Trader Joe's No Boil Lasagna Noodles(The Best!)
12 Ounces Grated Mozzarella
One Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
Garlic Salt, Pepper


Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.


In a small bowl, beat eggs.  
In a larger mixing bowl, mix ricotta and add 3/4 cup of  Parmesan cheese add the beaten eggs and season liberally with salt and pepper.  
Seed and   roughly chop bell peppers.  
Bring a large saute pan up to medium high heat, lightly coat the pan with olive oil and add bell pepper.  Season lightly with garlic salt and pepper.  Saute for 3-5 minutes stirring almost constantly.  Break the sausage apart in your hands  and add to pan. Stir frequently with a spatula and cook until sausage is lightly browned.  Turn heat to medium high, add the red wine and cook for several more minutes until the alcohol cooks off and wine reduces a bit. Turn off heat and set aside.
Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with marinara sauce and add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles.  Cover noodles with Ricotta cheese mixture and here is where the art comes in. I like to spread the ricotta with the back of a large silicon cake spatula.  Next, cover the ricotta with a layer of the sausage and peppers followed by a layer of the grated mozzarella and finally cover it all with a few ladlefuls of your marinara.  After this it's a little like shampooing...rinse and repeat.  Make as many layers as your baking dish will accommodate.  I usually top it all off with a final layer of the lasagna noodles, a thin layer of sauce and lots of mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese.


Cover loosely with tin foil and make sure your foil does not touch the cheese on top or it will stick.  Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until the top of your lasagna turns a luscious looking golden brown.  After the top is a the color you desire and the lasagna is done, let stand for about 5 minutes prior to serving making it much easier to cut in uniform portions.  

Slice and serve.  I recommend serving a gravy boat of your marinara sauce on the side to pour over the top of the lasagna if desired.


One of the best aspects of this dish is that it can be made ahead and held in the frig for baking and it also feeds a big crowd.


Lasagna is great left over, reheats well in the oven and it ain't too shabby right out of the frig around midnight.

The Birthday Girl!!

Buon Apetito!!

Mexican Marinated Flank Steak

This is chapter two for Meg's 21st birthday...what a great night it was and thanks to Meg for building a great menu for us all to enjoy!

Meg and Cherie on Meg's Big Day!!

If you haven't figured it out by now, Murph's a huge fan of flank steak.  Lean, tender beef that's easy to prepare and grills in minutes is the right recipe for our busy lifestyle and proclivity to entertain.  I  warn you that this is a really spicy marinade and you have to be really careful about not rubbing your eyes and standing back from the grill when you put the steaks on.

Here's the Beef!

Ingredients

2 Large Flank Steaks

1 Dos Equis Amber

Juice of 4 Limes

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Hot New Mexico Chile Powder

1/4 Cup Szegeo Hungarian Hot Paprika

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 Tbsp Sea Salt

2 tsp White Pepper

2 Tbsp Granulated Garlic

2 Tbsp Mexican Oregano

2 Tbsp Cumin

Add all dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and blend well.  Squeeze limes into bowl with dry ingredients, add olive oil then slowly add the Dos Equis or your favorite Mexican beer.  Allow to settle for a few minutes and blend with a whisk until mixture is smooth.  Place steaks into a gallon Ziploc and slowly pour mixture into the bag. Squeeze the air out of the bag and make sure the steaks are fully coated. Place in refrigerator and marinate for at least 4 hours. Check the bag frequently  and make sure the mixture is well distributed and coating the meat thoroughly.  Remove steaks from frig about one hour prior to serving.  One of the keys to a great flank steak is not to pull it directly from the frig and put it on the grill.  A cold steak does not cook as evenly as one that has risen to room temp so make sure to follow this step every time you make any steak.

Slice Thinly...

Place steaks on a very hot grill and cook for  5 minutes per side for medium rare.  Place your marinade back in the original bowl  and  brush the meat with remaining liquid as the steaks cook.  

 Allow to sit for a few minutes, slice thinly on the bias and enjoy!

Buon Apetito!

Scrumptious and Spicy

White Gazpacho

Meg's Mega 21st Birthday with a Mexican Theme: White Gazpacho, Spicy Grilled Garlic Shrimp and Mexican Marinated Flank Steak


My kids get to pick their birthday dinner as is the case in many households but in Murph's Kitchen the discussions can begin weeks in advance as it did for Meg's 21st birthday which occurred last week.  Meg inherited her parents love of all things food related and is a great chef in her own right.  She has loved baking since she was a young girl and has branched out into full blown college foodie.  Murph's family and friends have come to expect Gazpacho all summer since Cherie started working her magic with fresh summer veggies in the early days of our marriage.  A few years ago Cherie came across a recipe for White Gazpacho which is now a regular item on our summer menus and a big hit every time we serve it to our guests.  This Gazpacho includes a refreshing and pungent summer salsa on top making it delectable and refreshing!  It can be kicked up and served formally for a nice dinner party or in a plastic cup for a barbecue.  Either way, your guests are sure to enjoy this one!

White Gazpacho
Serves 6-8 and this is one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make for a crowd.  Make this several hours ahead so the flavors in the salsa merge and the Gazpacho is well chilled.  The better the tomatoes, the better the salsa and a good sweet onion like a Vidalia or a Walla Walla really lend  great flavors to this dish.

Simple Salsa Garnish 
4 Well Ripened Medium Tomates
1/2 Yellow Onion, Finely chopped
3 Tbsp Rough Chopped Cilantro
2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Remove top portion from tomatoes and roughly chop setting aside in a bowl big enough to hold all ingredients. Finely chop onions and cilantro and add the vinegar and sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Set aside and allow to chill in the frig for several hours prior to serving.



White Gazpacho
3 Large Seedless Cucumbers
2 Large Jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
2 Cloves pressed garlic
1 1/2 Cups Trader Joe's Organic Vegetable Broth (Chicken Broth will do)
2 Cups Plain, Non Fat Yogurt
White Pepper
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Seed and finely chop cucumbers and place in blender.  Seed ,stem  and finely chop jalapenos, press two good size garlic cloves and add to blender.  I prefer Trader Joe's Organic Veggie broth but the Chicken Broth is just fine if your prefer.  Add the broth along with the non fat yogurt, sea salt and a dash or two or white pepper.  Blend well and taste for seasonings.  I always add the black pepper last just to ensure that the white pepper has not overpowered the gazpacho.  Refrigerate for at least two hours and serve well chilled with a tablespoon of the salsa on top.

Buon Apetito!

White Gazpacho Served simply in a Plastic Cup

Grilled Whole Beef Tenderloin with Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Filet Mignon Grilled M/R

Today is my son Patrick's birthday and he is turning 24 years of age.  He is, to say the least, a complete carnivore with a sincere and healthy disdain for almost all vegetables, particularly those of the green variety.  True to his Irish heritage, he loves potatoes, especially mashed and twice baked.   In honor of his birth and as a cover for my own addictions, formed at an early age, to every kind of rare and tender beef and potatoes of the mashed variety, I am  indulging us both and preparing a family favorite for all to enjoy.

I headed out to Sam's Club this morning and bought a whole beef tenderloin in the vacuum seal pack.  Don't let the need to trim a whole tenderloin intimidate you as it is truly to simplest cut of beef to prepare in your kitchen.  If fear prevails simply ask your butcher to do the job and most likely he will oblige.  If you involve the butcher, make sure you ask him to grind the trimmings into hamburger meat for a future endeavor.  Some of our best burger's involve tenderloin,as one of the key ingredients.  All you need to do this job at home is a couple of sharp knives, a large cutting board and the ever important Sharpening Steel, or as my grandfather used to call it; a butcher's steel.  I like to use a filet knife that I bought at a local restaurant supply store where I buy many of the tools I grew accustomed to while in the restaurant business.

 Feel free to go to Williams Sonoma and spend the big bucks but remember, there are always less expensive alternatives that work just as well.  Cooking, butchering, carving, baking  and all culinary endeavors for that matter, are about enjoying what your are doing and investing yourself in an outcome you can share with others.

Sunday nights are about family dinners here at Murph's Kitchen and  I can't say this tradition came from my Mom like most of my other kitchen habits.  Cherie and I developed this tradition over the years as a way to place  a time stamp on the week while honoring what we love most: our family and our friends.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

10-12 Large Russet Potatoes
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Sticks Butter
Pepper
Salt
1 Pound Crispy Bacon Finely Chopped
1/2 Pound Irish Cheddar cut into small cubes
3/4 Pound Shredded American Cheddar
One small can(7 oz.) chopped Green Chiles (Optional)
One Bunch Chopped Green Onions(green part only)
3 Eggs Beaten


Preheat oven to 400 degrees 
Scrub Potatoes and poke a small hole in the top of each one 
Place potatoes  in oven and bake for one hour.
Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30-45 minutes 
Cut cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and remove  flesh from skins placing in large mixing bowl
Add one stick butter, sour cream, heavy cream, salt, pepper and mash thoroughly with a hand masher with the final result a mixture of smooth and chunky
Add crumbled bacon, green chiles if you have opted in, beaten eggs, green onions and about half the cheese reserving the rest in the frig until later.
Butter a large casserole dish, at least 9x13 but I prefer larger and reduce oven temp to 375 degrees.


Place the mashed potato mixture in casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until bubbly, oozing and the cheese is a light golden bronze color.


Our family loves to cover this dish with lots of our favorite hot sauce either Trappey's Hot Sauce or Castillo "Salsa Haberno."


Grilled Whole Beef Tenderloin


One of our favorite "special" dinners invariably includes either Prime Rib or Tenderloin.  Patrick picked the whole tenderloin aka Filet Mignon.  This is a no fail,  you can only mess it up one way dish.  Do not overcook!  This means investing in a less than $10 instant read thermometer to make sure that the center of this somewhat long, skinny cut of meat should read about 125 degrees when removed from the oven or grill and should be allowed to rest for about 5 minutes prior to slicing which will raise the temp roughly another 5 degrees.

Ingredients

Whole Beef Tenderloin
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

After removing the beef from the vacuum pack drain the meat and pat dry.  Place the whole loin on a large cutting board and have a couple of your best and thinnest knives nearby along with your sharpening steel.  The part of the loin you will cook is the center most portion of the filet.  


You will need to trim the larger chunks away from the thicker end of the filet and will have to remove all the silver skin attached to the center of the loin.  

Disregard the bald head and carry on...

Removing the silver skin is mandatory

I've included a few pictures but there are plenty of YouTube videos explaining how to do this in exhaustive and precise detail.  Don't be too hard on yourself the first couple of times attempting this technique.  


You may over trim the meat a bit but it can easily be ground into "chopped meat" as my Mom used to call it and you can do it in minutes in your food processor and add to store bought hamburger for burgers or meat loaf.  After a couple of tries you will get the hang of it and the time required to get the job done becomes quite short.  Not to mention you'll be saving big bucks vs. buying pre-cut filet's from the butcher or grocery store.


Once the meat is trimmed coat with olive oil completely.  Next, sprinkle a generous amount of kosher salt over both sides and finally grind an equally generous amount of black pepper over the entire filet.  Let sit for at least one hour prior to cooking on the grill.  


Get your grill really, really hot. I get mine up around 600 degrees  prior to placing the meat on the grill.  Place the filet on the  hottest portion of your grill and sear on both sides for 3-5 minutes each.  As you can see from this picture a some good grill marks are a sign you're on the right track.  

Once the meat is well seared, turn off a burner or two and move your beef to a section of the grill away from the flame.  The heat should reduce to roughly 400 degrees and the meat should cook another 30 minutes or so.  This is where your instant read meat thermometer comes handy.  Open the grill at about 15 minutes and check the temp.  If the meat is 125 degrees- take it off and let it rest.  If not, keep the lid closed and check again at 20 minutes.  Repeat the process until your thermometer reads just about 125 degrees in the center of the filet.  You can take several readings along the loin to ensure an even doneness but the most important reading will be in the center of your roast.  Once you reach an even 125 degrees remove from the flame and let sit for five minutes before slicing thinly and serving with your baked potato casserole.  We also like sliced tomatoes or a good Caesar Salad to accompany this dish.  You will be amazed once you get the hang of trimming this cut at how inexpensively you can feed a crowd to their utter enjoyment.  I served 11 hearty eaters and the Tenderloin cost about $60 at Sam's Club.

Buon Apetito

The Fishery- Pacific Beach

Back in SoCal for a member guest golf tournament with my dear friend RichDonnelly.  Every time I leave Tucson in the summer and come to this part of southern California I am reminded of why so many people live here.  The temperature ranges from about 65 at night to high 70's during the day.  Great golf weather and just great overall.  When I left my family behind a couple of days ago it was almost 100 degrees while driving to the airport at 8:30 in the morning.

I went to dinner with Rich, his lovey wife Jocelyn and thier son Brian at The Fishery in Pacific Beach and boy was it tasty.  The place has a real neighborhood feel, similar to the Kingfisher in Tucson.  The Fishery is not only a restaurant with an open and airy feel, simple and elegant ambience but also has an actual fish market with ultra fesh and very tasty looking fish of all types caught in local waters on display when you enter.

We were seated promptly and our waitress was skilled and personable with good comments on their wine list and authentic feedback  and guidance on the entrees and appetizers.    We began our meal with fresh mussels prepared in a mild, garlicy sauce with linguica sausage.  The mussels were plump, well seasoned and the sauce had just a hint of spice.  We also had stemaed clams in a mild buttery sauce with fresh herbs and lemon and they were quite good as well.


I am a big proponent of having the most local fishes and chose the Sea Bass, pan seared and accompanied by freshly grilled vegetables.  The fish was sweet, succculent and perfectly prepared and I loved it.  The grilled veggies sere served cold beneath the fish which surprised me but once I made the mental adjustment they were excellent.  Rich had the halibut which he ordered in a slightly different format than the menu preparation.  It was pan seared and accompanied by tiny roasted potatoes and, of course, we swapped samples and I really liked his as well.  In fact, I think I was out-orderd which annoys me to no end.  I always want to have the best thing on the menu but alas, it cannot always be so...

Desert was a warm chocolate cake with berries that was just the right size to share and we all went home happy. 

I would highly recommend this place to family and friends.  It has great feel, great food and an extensive wine list with reasonable prices. 

http://thefishery.com/

Asian Marinated Flank Steak

Flank steak is a summer BBQ staple at Murph's place.  We've refined this marinade over the last twenty years or so and the recipe comes from Cherie's side of the family.  The  keys with Flank Steak  are to marinate thoroughly, cook  briefly over a very hot fire and slice thinly at an angle.

Freshly Sliced and Screaming Succulence!

Marinade Ingredients
2 cups Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Cup Good, Dry Red Wine
Two  Big Sprigs Fresh Rosemary roughly chopped-
Fresh Ground Pepper-  a generous amount
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
2 Tbsp Fresh Ground Ginger
1 Medium Red Onion, peeled and cut in quarters---we'll grill this later

Lots of Rosemary is key!

  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl keeping the onion quarters together for later use.  This is enough marinade for two  1 pound +/- flank steaks .  Place flank steaks in large zip lock bag and marinate in frig for at least 3 hours  but no more than 6 hours.




Heat your grill just as hot as it gets and place steaks on the on the hottest section.
Brush steaks with marinade frequently while cooking.
Cook steaks about 3-4 minutes per side, let them set for about two minutes prior to slicing and the beef should be a near perfect medium rare.

My son, Patrick and our Friends Joe and Mary Grillin' and Chillin'

Remember, it is critical to slice steaks just about as thinly as possible at an angle and the meat will be tender and juicy!

We enjoyed a nice 2009 MGM Pinot with the steak...a bargain from Trader Joe's.

I served these with some simple grilled veggies and the crowd loved it!

Happy Grilling!!

Murph's Borracho Beans

Borracho means drunk in Spanish and this dish combines the best of two cultures.  First, the spice and hearty deliciousness of a great pot of Mexican beans and second, a great bottle of one of my favorite beers: Guinness Irish Stout!   

I really enjoy  making beans of every variety and think of them as one of life's staples. As with many dishes we make it usually turns into a family affair and today is no exception.  I am starting these beans on a Sunday morning and my family will assume stirring duties after I head out for a round of golf.  Cherie is every bit as good at making beans and has her own flair.  This is just on of the many  varieties we make and the principles are universal.  You can soak beans overnight but I have found that boiling for 30 minutes and letting them sit works just as well.

Here are a few bean cooking tips.  First, you have to stir frequently so they don't stick, it's not optional, it's mandatory,  Second, you can always add liquid during the cooking  process but it's a bit difficult to cook an excessive amount of liquid off even if you remove the lid. If you cook beans too long they turn to mush so it's better to remove a ladle full  of  liquid before that happens.  Some like their beans a bit firmer than us and others like them a bit softer.  Like most dishes, it's a personal preference.   I really dislike beans that are cooked too long or beans that are too firm and undercooked.  Most of this is determined in the final hour or so  of cooking so it's best to start them in the morning and adjust and refine the finished product roughly an hour or so prior to serving.  The biggest caveat of all is that black beans are by far the toughest to get right.  Always, I mean every single time, soak black beans overnight or you will have no hope for a tender bean.  Black beans are the Komodo Dragon of beans and have a very tough outer skin.

We cook, pintos, navy, and even Lima beans on occasion and the guidelines laid out here are universal and can be adjusted to taste.  Generally we don't use ham or bacon or any meat but for this dish it really adds the flavor needed.


Murph's Barracho Beans





Ingredients


2 Pounds dried Pinto Beans
One Large smoked ham hock (optional)
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Ground Cumin
One Large Bottle Guinness Stout (1 Pint 6 oz.)
2 - 7 oz Cans Ortega Fire Rosted Green Chiles rough chopped
2 Large Onions rough chopped
1 Large Carrot, peeled and rough chopped
6 Garlic cloves rough chopped
1 Tbsp XX Hot New Mexico Chile Powder


For Later...
3 Fresh Jalapeños, seeded and  finely chopped
One Cup or so Cacique, Cotija Cheese crumbled.
One half bunch Cilantro roughly chopped.


Directions


Rinse beans in colander and add to large stock pot with ham hock.  Cover with water plus two inches over and bring to vigorous boil.  Cook  on medium high uncovered for 30 minutes, stir occasionally and turn off.


Add beer, onions, carrot, garlic, salt, chile powder, cumin and one can of green chiles rough chopped with all juice as well. Make sure you have at least one inch of liquid above beans.  Let sit for 30 minutes covered.


Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook for at least 1 1/2 hours stirring frequently so beans neither burn nor stick to bottom of pot.  If you think the beans are about done at this point turn them off and let them sit until one hour before serving.  


One hour before serving turn the beans up to about medium, add the second can of  rough chopped green chiles and let simmer covered. 


About twenty minutes before serving add the jalapeños and reduce heat to medium low and slow simmer.


We like to serve beans right from the stove with a big ladle and have the crumbled Cotija, chopped Cilantro, salsa and chopped onions etc. on the side so the fans can "doctor "em up just the way they like 'em."

Buen Apetito.

Footnote...yup...literally a "foot note"...Tonight we will be having fresh caught mahi mahi  tacos outlined in a prior blog entry.  The mahi comes to us compliments of the Don brothers.  Dr. Norman Don experienced great pain to catch  the mahi as evidenced by the photo below.  Good thing he's a medical professional and this nasty incident did not lead to lasting damage.  

Beer Can Chicken

 Beer + Chicken + Roasted Chile's = Great Summer Meal

A few years ago while visiting my buddy,  Dave La Rue,  in Minneapolis  for his 50th birthday celebration, I caught a segment on public TV about " Beer Can Chicken."   It looked fantastic so I came home and researched this BBQ oddity on the internet.  Like most of my recipes, this is a merge of the best and has been refined over the years through trial and error along with feedback from family and friends.

What makes this method stand out is the fresh rosemary, lemon zest and liberal use of red pepper flakes.  The first couple of times I did this I had to put the chicken back on the grill so be careful.  Make sure your chicken is pulling away from the bone and the juices are running clear prior to serving.

Ingredients- 
Chicken first, then Rub...


1 Whole Roasting Chicken (4-5 pounds)
1 Twelve ounce can of your favorite beer
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 Cloves of minced garlic
3-4 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary cut to fit in the can
1 Teaspoon dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 Lemon Quartered


Rub
1 teaspoon Szeged Hot Paprika
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Rosemary
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Zest of one whole Lemon


 Note-  I make this rub in large quantities and hold back the lemon zest and fresh rosemary until  the day I make my chicken.  It will keep in a good mason jar for several months and I usually make a good batch of it at the beginning of summer.


Remove the giblets etc. from the chicken, rinse well and pat dry with a paper towel.  Sprinkle liberal amounts of the rub all over the chicken both inside and out and set aside.  Open your beer can with an old style church key and pour out or drink about half the beer.  Fill the beer can with garlic cloves, spices, olive oil and and cut up lemon.  Place Chicken on top of beer can.   Ray, Cherie's dad and my grilling mentor, bought me a couple of really cool stainless steel stands just for this dish and I believe they were purchased at Cost Plus but can be found online.  For what it's worth, Ray fondly refers to this as "beer in the butt chicken"...enough said.

Old Smokey BCCH, Silver Beer Can Chicken Holder

$7

This very cool and inexpensive device keeps both the chicken and beer can stable simplifying the whole process.  Though not mandatory, quite useful and a must if you become addicted .


Preheat grill and place chickens over indirect medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until your instant read thermometer reads 160-180 degrees in the thickest part of the bird. I use a disposable aluminum pan for easy clean up but be very careful as you can't lift the pan off the grill with the bird inside as the pans tend to be flimsy and will collapse.


We served our drunken birds with a nice pasta salad  mixed with, fresh roasted green chile's, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions and Feta Cheese.  Sprinkle the salad with some fresh chopped cilantro and drizzle with olive oil  and red wine vinegar and voila: instant cool summer salad compliments of Cherie.


Let the bird rest for at least 5 minutes before carving and enjoy!

The Final Product is Juicy and Delicious!

Rhinoceros Cafe, Coronado California

My family has been coming to Coronado Island for more than twenty years and we simply love the place.  It's a quick one hour plane ride from Tucson and the drive is a "not too long" six hours.  Coronado has a frozen in time quality to it with the storied Hotel Del Coronado as its cornerstone along with a drug store like the one in the neighborhood you grew up in all the way to the greasy spoon breakfast joint complete with booths too small to fit in and a juke box with "You've lost that Lovin' Feeling" blaring upon arrival.

Last night we visited one of our favorite haunts called " The Rhinoceros Cafe" and once again, we were not disappointed.  It's located on Orange Ave.  just a few blocks up from the Del and we were quite happy to be able to make a reservation for six at 8:00PM.  We were joined by our longtime friends the Hameroff's  who have a beautiful  home on the island and it would be impossible to say whether the food or the company was superior.

The Rhinoceros  has both indoor and cafe like, sidewalk seating and we chose inside.  The menu is a bit eclectic but leans in favor of seafood and pasta and after several visits we have yet to be disappointed.   My daughter Meghan opted for Penne a La Vodka  and it was simply fantastic.  Perfectly seasoned marinara with just the right amount of spice and penne pasta prepared to an "al dente" perfection.  Cherie and I both ordered the Green Lip Mussels in a light tomato sauce with generous amounts of fresh garlic, thinly slice mushrooms and loads of fresh basil and I must say it was truly off the charts!  The mushrooms were an unexpected but scrumptious touch along with a "not too thick and not too thin" broth  over a bed of spaghetti and I think I could easily eat another batch for breakfast as I sit here an write about it.  Tara was a bit full from the appetizers at the Hameroff  house so she ordered the lobster Bisque which was creamy, and slightly sweetened with just the right amount of sherry and tasted like liquid lobster velvet on the tongue.  David had the trout which was, to my surprise and delight, pink in color and  perfectly prepared.

Unfortunately we did not have room for the Tiramisu desert but I can tell you from past experience it too is sweet and succulent.

Prices are reasonable for an establishment of this stature ranging from entrees' in the teens up to the mid thirty dollar range.  The wine list is simple but well populated with some of my favorites and we had a bottle of the Stags Leap 2007 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon which was as bold and well balanced as ever.

The atmosphere is typical San Diego with folks dining in flip flops and others wearing sport coats to ward off the slight chill and cool ocean breezes we all love so much here in Coronado.  I have dined all over the island and there is a lot of great food here but the one place I would recommend you not miss is The Rhinoceros Cafe.

Bon Appetit!

Murph's BBQ Chicken and Ribs

It's important to have a good rub and a good BBQ Sauce in your repertoire.  


Rubs can be bought and are usually quite good and it's also really easy to buy a commercial BBQ sauce and give it your own mark.   Needless to say, I like to dabble in all sorts of flavors and also like more spice than most folks so I like doing both the rubs and the sauce in larger quantities, in advance and have an ample supply in the freezer and the spice closet.

Here's the Rub...


1 Cup Hungarian Hot Paprika (SZEGED)
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Ground White Pepper
2 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper
2 Tbsp XX Hot New Mexico Dark Red Chili Powder
1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
1 Tbsp Dried Mustard


Blend all ingredients in a mixing bowl and store in a mason jar if you don't use it all.  Like most of my recipes it's like the "Pirate Code" and is more of a guideline than a precise recipe.  You can add more Paprika if you don't like it as smoky or add more brown sugar if you like it sweeter.  If you can't find the really good NM chili powder, substitute Cayenne Pepper in a smaller quantity.  Occasionally I will make a giant batch of this  and have it around for a good long time.  Experiment, have fun, put your own mark on everything you make!




Now The BBQ Sauce...


I got this one out of a recipe booklet with my first Weber Charcoal Grill over 25 years ago and have changed it only modestly...it is perfect with pork or chicken.
4 tbsp butter
1 cup finely chopped celery
One small finely chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce
Juice of one whole lemon
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon dry mustard
Several Dashes of Trappey's Louisiana Hot Sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of Kosher Salt


In  a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add celery and onion and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients and whisk together. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 3 cups.


BBQ Baby Back Pork Ribs and BBQ Chicken


I like to rub the ribs and the chicken first thing in the morning.  I got these rubbed and in the frig by about 7:00AM and didn't put them in the oven until about 3:30.


Ingredients and Steps
2 Whole Racks of Baby Back Pork Ribs
15 Chicken Drumsticks
15 Chicken Wings
Dry Rub
BBQ Sauce


Rub the Chicken and Ribs early in the day or the night before, place in a large baking dish and cover with foil.  Let them absorb all those great flavors for hours and hours.


About 3-4 hours prior to dinner place chicken and ribs in the 275 degree oven.  Leave 'em alone and let cook for at least three hours.  About an hour before cranking up your grill, check both the ribs and chicken and poke with a long tined fork.  If they seem done, let them continue to cook slowly, if not, turn up the heat to 325 degrees and let them cook for another 30-45 minutes.


Heat your grill to medium low heat if it's a gas grill of if you are using charcoal let the coals burn down a bit prior to adding the ribs and chicken.


Remove the meats from the oven and place on the grill covered and keep a very close eye on them. It is really important to avoid fat dripping off your meats and flaring up.  Do not allow the meats to burn or blacken excessively.   Turn the meats occasionally and don't add the sauce until the last two turns.  Commercial BBQ Sauces and the sauce I've included above tend to be contain a enough sugar that they burn easily.  There's nothing worse then perfect meat with burned BBQ Sauce so be really, really careful.  On the final turn reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and add liberal amounts of the sauce.  Once the sauce adheres and becomes slightly sticky, turn again and repeat the process with liberal amounts of sauce.  

Remove from grill, slice ribs into individual portions with a large knife and serve on a big platter with a side of the BBQ sauce! 


We like baked beans and cole slaw with this dish and it is a great meal for a large crowd. This batch served 12 hearty eaters and we had three pieces of chicken left over and the ribs were history!

When it was all over we celebrated with some big sparklers in the back yard!

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