Weck's In Albequerque for Huevo's Rancheros

Just got back from an outrageously good fishing trip to the San Juan river in New Mexico with some buddies.  We flew out of Tucson on Thursday morning at 6:00 am and arrived in ABQ just in time for breakfast.  My buddy Hank Brandt has lived there for about a year and has been dialing in to the local food scene in a manner worthy of the native New Yorker that he is.  He took us to what one might call local joint with all the flavors and aromas that might bring forth.  I can't speak to the whole menu but I can speak to the hearty and flavorful breakfast we all had the pleasure of enjoying.  I chose the Huevos Rancheros which may have been the best I have had in years.  Picture two corn tortillas, topped with two over easy eggs smothered in a spicy blend of red and green chile sauces,  available on request and known and "Christmas" by the locals, surrounded by  carne adovada, hash browns and perfectly prepared pinto beans and smothered in more of the "Christmas" combo of red and green chile sauce all with melted yellow cheese on top.  Outrageously delicious!

My fishing buddies all opted for the "Papas" which consist of more hash browns than I eat in a month, covered in either carnitas or carne adovada with two eggs and about a quart of their spicy and delectable red or green chile on top and, you guessed, more melted cheese on top!  Luckily, we avoided the food coma and made it to the San Juan River without needing to stop for lunch.  

Let's put it this way; if  I ever have a two hour layover in the ABQ airport again, I am hopping in a cab and going to Weck's for more Huevos!

http://www.wecksinc.com/

PS----!!!!

Still having trouble with blogspot posting my pic's from Picassa and may have to move the blog if they don't figure it out soon!!

Come on back later this week for some comments on a fun little winery called "Wines of the San Juan" that we found along the way in a town called Turley, New Mexico.  Yes, that was not a typo, even though  the venerable Turley Zinfandels are among my favorite wines of all time, I had no idea there was a town bearing its name in the high desert of New Mexico.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew


It's a cold and rainy day here in Tucson making it a great day for beef stew.  I grew up enjoying every kind of stew imaginable from beef to lamb and even kidney stew.  The only thing better than a good pot of stew is a pot of stew left over later in the week.  Like so many dishes like marinara sauce and stew, a little extra time for the flavors to meld results in an even more savory dish.  When I was in the boy scouts my favorite thing to make over the fire was the beef stew my mom taught me how to make.  I would  place a big flat rock in the middle of the fire and cook the beef slowly for hours in surrounded my embers.  You might say this is an inspired dish influenced by my mom, my experience in the boy scouts and years of reading recipes and refining and combining ingredients.  The key to a slow cooker stew is to cook it low and slow for 8-10 hours.

Ingredients
4-5 Pound Stew Meat- Preferably Chuck or Bottom Round
Olive Oil
2 Large Leeks, rinsed and chopped
1 Large Onion cut into eighths
6-8 Cloves Garlic
1 Pound Carrots cut into big chunks
1 Pound Red Potatoes cut the same size as carrots
1 Bunch Celery cut into chunks
1 6 oz can Tomato Paste
2 Cups Beef Broth
3/4 Cup Dry Red Wine
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Bay Leaves
1 Tspn Dried Thyme
2 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca
One Bag Frozen Peas
Salt, Pepper

1. Cut beef into stew sized cubes and brown on all sides then transfer to slow cooker.

2 Saute Leeks in a bit of Olive Oil with generous amounts of Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

3. Add the red wine and bring to brisk simmer for 2 minutes to cook of alcohol.  Add beef broth, bay leaves,  soy sauce and tomato paste and let it all simmer 5 minutes or so the throw it in the slow cooker on top of the browned beef.  Add the Minute Tapioca  to help the gravy thicken and mix all ingredients together with a wooden spoon

4. In a large mixing bowl, mix the celery, garlic, potatoes, carrots and thyme together with  a couple of glugs of olive oil and a generous amount of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper.

5. Cover beef with an over sized piece of tin foil with edges turned up.  Pour the veggies from the mixing bowl on top of the foil and cover with one more piece of foil.  Scrunch it all down, put the lid on top and cook on low 8 hours.

About thirty minutes before serving, remove lid and pour the veggies and bag of peas into the stew and stir well.  Taste for seasoning and let cook for 30 minutes more.














I like to serve this stew in a big bowl with a  good crunchy roll to lop up the gravy.  This was a real crowd pleaser.  My daughter Tara went back for seconds and my sister Gina and brother in law James loved  it and took home a Tupperware for a leftover delight later in the week.

Russian Chicken

It's delicious, it's easy to make, the crowds go wild and so will the family!  My mom made this super easy and delectable dish for many years and now Cherie and I make it all the time.  It's sweet, it's slightly smoky and requires only three ingredients.  It's a bit like a barbecues chicken you make in the oven.

Russian Chicken
One 12 oz. Jar Apricot Pineapple Preserves 
One Packet Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
One Bottle Russian Dressing
One Whole, Cut up Chicken
(No Kidding, three ingredients plus the chicken...and it's fantastic)
Serves 4 good eaters 


Preheat oven 350 Degrees


Mix together the Apricot Pineapple Preserves, Dressing and Onion Soup Mix in a large mixing bowl.  If you really want to get creative add a bit of fresh ground pepper or some garlic powder and nothing more.


Place the chicken pieces in a large, fairly deep baking dish.  Cover chicken with sauce and turn each piece to ensure all sides are coated. 


Cover with foil and place in the oven for one hour.   


Remove baking dish from oven, remove foil, baste chicken with the now sweet and savory sauce.  Return to oven and cook for and additional 30 minutes uncovered.


The Chicken should be slightly browned and  just a little crunchy on the top.


We always serve this dish with either baked potatoes or baked yams.  After you remove the chicken from the oven pour a few cups of the sauce into a gravy separator and get rid of the fat so you can serve the sauce on the side for the baked potatoes or atop the chicken.  Believe me, this stuff is addictive and you may want to double it.


I sauteed some zucchini in olive oil with onions, garlic and fresh tomatoes and served it alongside the chicken.


If you are serving a larger crowd, the drumsticks and thighs are crowd favorites and I will occasionally cut the larger breasts in half with a good serrated knife after baking.  Truly, my mom would make 3-4 giant baking dishes of this dish for a crowd because it's virtually impossible to make a mistake.  If you have a big crowd, rotate your baking dishes in the oven to ensure an even cooking process.


Bon Appetit!