Beef Barbacoa with Cilantro-Lime Rice

So I'll just say it outright:  this recipe is heavenly, slow-cooked goodness.  This was kind of a spin on the beef barbacoa and rice that you can get at Chipotle in a burrito.  Thanks to chipotlefan.com, I snagged the rice recipe (very simple) and used it as a bed for this flavorful pulled beef.  

For the beef:

• 2 lbs chuck steak, trimmed 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 poblano (or bell) pepper, cut into strips
• juice from 1/2 lime

For the rice:

• 1/2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 - 4 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat.  Mix the spices together (ingredients #2 - 7) to create a dry rub, and press the rub into the steak (use ALL of it).  When the pan is hot, add the beef and brown for 3 minutes on each side.  Next, add the garlic, pepper, onion and water; scrape any bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Put the lid on and cook in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is pull-apart tender.  Let it cool to room temperature and then put it (covered) into the refrigerator for a few hours (at least 3 or you could leave it overnight).  About 20 minutes before you want to eat, take it out of the fridge.  If there is a lot of excess fat, you can skim that off.  Take two forks and shred all of the beef.  Heat the pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  After it simmering, add the lime juice and stir to distribute it.  You might need to taste-test it for more salt before serving.  

Before shredding the beef, you could get started on the rice.  Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the rice and lime juice, cooking for 1-2 minutes.  Then add the water and salt; bring to a boil.  After it boils, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  When the rice is cooked, stir in the fresh cilantro and it's done!

I served these two together as-is, but if you really want to mimic the Chipotle burrito-- throw them together in a tortilla with some black beans, salsa, sour cream and cheese.  Enjoy!

Saffron Risotto

I absolutely love risotto; both cooking it and eating it.  Sure it takes some time and patience, but honestly, you'll forget all about plain rice after you've tried a creamy, flavorful scoop of risotto.  This is a great side dish for fish or even chicken, since the flavors aren't especially bold.


Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 pinch of saffron threads
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 3 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• salt and pepper

First, pour the broth into a small saucepan and bring it up to a simmer--it is important with risotto that the liquid is hot (but not boiling) when you slowly add it to the rice.  Next, heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion plus a dash of salt and pepper; cook the onion slowly, stirring to keep it from burning.  When it is soft and translucent, add the rice (dry) and stir it around in the onion.  The idea is to slightly toast the rice before adding any liquids.  Now add the pinch of saffron threads.  After a minute or so, add the white wine and scrape any bits off of the bottom of the pan. At this point, you begin adding about 1/2 cup of broth at a time (I like to use a ladle) to the saucepan, stirring to distribute it across the rice.  When the rice has fully absorbed the broth, add another 1/2 cup (and repeat).  This should take at least 25 minutes for all the broth to be added.  If you go too fast, the risotto will be undercooked, so patience is key.  The rice needs time to release its starch to give it its creamy consistency.  If you want to take this recipe over the top, stir in 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese at the very end before serving.  Enjoy!

Chimichurri Sauce

If, like me, you love fresh herbs, then you'll have to try this chimichurri sauce. The recipe is from the July-August 2010 issue of Cook's Illustrated and even though it's not my creation, I thought it needed to be shared! The magazine pairs the sauce with Argentine grilled steaks, but I've found that it goes well with chicken, as a sauce on pasta, and even as a salad dressing. I hope it doesn't anger any of our South American neighbors that I'm using chimichurri in such a non-traditional way!

Ingredients:
• ¼ cup hot water
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp kosher salt (if using table salt, use 1tsp)
• 1 and 1/3 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2/3 cup cilantro leaves
• 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tbsp)
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (1 tsp for more heat)
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
Combine the hot water, oregano, and salt in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes to soften the oregano. Pulse the parsley, garlic, cilantro, and red pepper flakes in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the water mixture and vinegar, pulsing briefly to combine. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and slowly whisk in oil until incorporated and the sauce is emulsified. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for at least 1 hour. You can prepare this in advance and refrigerate it, but bring it to room temperature before using since the olive oil will harden in the fridge. Like I said, this sauce is delicious on grilled meat or as a simple pasta sauce. Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Now, if you've never made pizza from scratch, you don't know what you're missing. I finally found a great recipe for pizza crust, and I decided to be adventurous and try making barbecue chicken pizza! Be forewarned-- If you make everything the same day, this will take some time, but it's SO worth it. If you're short on time, use bottled barbecue sauce or pre-made dough or precooked chicken to speed things up. But the way I'm showing you is all from scratch!


Pizza dough:
o 3 and 3/4 cups flour
o 1 packet of yeast
o 1 tablespoon sugar
o 1 and ½ tsp salt
o 1 and 1/3 cups warm water
o 3 tbsp olive oil
o 2 cloves minced garlic
First, put the garlic and the oil together in small bowl and let it sit to really infuse the oil. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water in a measuring cup and mix to dissolve the sugar and moisten the yeast. Add the water to the flour and incorporate all the flour. Then add the garlic oil and knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Add a little extra oil to the bowl to prevent sticking, cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1.5 hours (it should double in size). This makes enough dough for two 12” round pizzas. When the dough is ready, stretch it out into a 12” circle, use a fork and dock the dough all over to prevent bubbles. Before topping the pizza dough, prebake it at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Barbecue chicken:
o 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
o 14 oz can of tomato sauce
o ½ cup water
o ¼ cup tomato paste (one of those little cans)
o ½ cup brown sugar (the darker the better)
o 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
o 2 tbsp cider vinegar
o ½ tsp smoked hickory salt or liquid smoke
o ¼ tsp ground chipotle pepper
o 1 clove minced garlic
o 2 tsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and then add the onion. After a few minutes, add the garlic and turn the heat to low. Cooking the onions slowly will caramelize them and give incredible flavor to the sauce. When the onions are a deep golden brown, add the other ingredients except the chicken. Bring to a simmer and taste the sauce for flavor. You can always add more seasoning to your liking. Remove some of the sauce from the pan and save it for another time (you’ll only need about 1 cup of it for the pizza). With one cup sauce remaining, add the shredded cooked chicken into the saucepan. Let it simmer in the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes so it can soak up all the smoky wonderfulness.
Onto your prebaked pizza crust: spread the chicken and sauce mixture all over, sprinkle about ½ cup of shredded cheddar or Colby cheese and then add some THINLY sliced red onion on top. Bake for another 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees until the crust and cheese is golden brown. My mouth is watering just thinking about this pizza. . . .Enjoy!!