Homemade tortillas are better than any you can buy in the store. These rustic beer tortillas made with an imperial pale ale and rendered bacon fat were really good. I'm no expert tortilla maker, not by any stretch of the imagination. I call these tortillas rustic because they are not evenly flat and misshapen However, that doesn't effect the remarkable flavor and texture.
I can only imagine what this recipe would be like in the hands of someone who hand makes tortillas on a regular basis. They'd be amazing, I'm sure!
Also, make sure to use a good, flavorful beer. The difference between Coors Light and Pyramid Outburst is like store bought vs. homemade.
Rustic Beer Tortillas
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Rendered And Cooled Bacon Fat (Or Lard)
3/4 Cup Warm Beer ( Plus 3 Additional Tbs)
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Add the fat and rub it into the flour with your hands until it forms course crumbs and all the fat has been distributed. (I used my Kitchenaid with the mixing attachment)
Heat the beer until just warm to the touch. Slowly pour 3/4 of a cup into the flour mixture, mixing with a fork until all of the flour has been moistened. Use a little more beer, a tablespoon at a time, as needed). (Again using the Kitchenaid with the mixing attachment)
Knead for about 3-5 minutes or until the dough becomes shiny and slightly stiff but not firm. Return to the bowl and cover with a towel, allow to rest for 30 minutes to an hour.
Pull off pieces of the dough just smaller than a golf ball. Roll into balls and place on a plate, continue for the remaining dough. Cover the plate with a towel and allow to rest for an additional 30 minutes.
Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
Using a rolling pin roll the tortillas out until they are thin enough to see through. A tortilla press doesn't work well with flour tortillas. On a lightly floured surface, flatten a ball of dough with the rolling pin, then roll forward and back across it; rotate a sixth of a turn and roll forward and back again; continue rotating and rolling until you reach a very thin consistency.
Throw onto the griddle and allow to cook until lightly brown, about 1 minute per side. Don’t over cook or your tortillas will be crispy. You don't need to add any oil to the pan as there is already enough fat in the dough.
Note: I save all bacon fat. I usually freeze it for making soap once I have enough collected. But I keep some in the fridge for cooking, too.
I love guacamole; it's fresh, cool and flavorful. AND easy to make!
The main ingredient in guacamole is avocado; which is a fruit by the way. Don't shy away from avocados. They're high in fat, it's true, but it's good for you fat. But they are also very nutrient dense.
Colombian Guacamole
1 Large Ripe Avocado , Peeled and Pitted
4 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
3 Tablespoons Sweet Onion, Chopped
1 Tablespoons Serrano Chiles, Seeded and Chopped
1 Fresh Lime, Juiced
Coarse Kosher Salt
Combine avocado, cilantro, green onion, serrano chiles and lime juice in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add water or lime juice to avocado mixture by tablespoonfuls if needed and blend until thick sauce forms.
Transfer to small bowl; season to taste with coarse salt and pepper and more lime juice, if desired.
Guacamole can be made 2 hours in advance. Cover and chill.
Aji is a sauce from South America. It's bright and very flavorful using fresh ingredients. It's kind of like a salsa only not so tomatoe-y. For a change of pace, you can use it any dish where you might use salsa or hot sauce. It's got pretty strong flavor, so just keep that in mind that as it can overpower milder flavors.
Aji Sauce
2 Large Jalapeño Chiles, Chopped Seeded
2 Large Serrano Chiles, Chopped Seeded
4 Scallions, Chopped
1/2 Cup Sweet Onion, Chopped
1/3 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 1/2 Lime Juiced
3/4 Teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Combine chiles, scallions, onion, and cilantro in processor; puree until paste forms, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula several times. Add lime juice and process until mixture is blended but some texture still remains. Transfer to small bowl. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and more lime juice to taste, if desired.
You can make this up to one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
I had a whole bunch of leftover ingredients in the fridge. Half of an onion, a quarter of another, some ground beef, a couple hot dogs, biscuits, a few slices of American cheese, a pat of butter. So, that became dinner. I dubbed it A whole big pile of awesomeness OMG this doesn't suck. For the purposes of a recipe I'll call it Frankenbeaniecheesyburger Casserole.
It was awesome! And there were no leftovers. Yummly in my tummly.
Frankenbeaniecheesyburger Casserole
1 Tube Buttermilk Biscuits
2 Tsp. Vegetable Oil
1/2 Large Onion, Chopped
1/2 Lb. Ground Beef
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Hot Dogs, Sliced
8 Slices American Cheese
2 11-oz Cans Pork and Beans
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Press biscuits into a pie pan or small cast iron skillet to form a crust. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven.
In a separate skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook onions in oil until they start to brown. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper (I use Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning). Cook until meat is brown and crumbly.
When meat is cooked, drain off the fat and pile on top of partially cooked biscuits. Top with four slices of American cheese.
In the same pan the ground beef was cooked in, melt the butter. Add the cut up hot dogs and cook until browned. Pour contents of the skillet over the American cheese slices.
Top with one can of baked beans. Then lay the last four slices of cheese on top of the beans.
Pour the last can of beans over the cheese and make sure the cheese is covered so it doesn't brown.
Turn oven down to 350°F and bake casserole for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes and serve.
Enjoy!
A beerific variation to meatloaf that takes your mom's basic baked ground meat and takes it to a whole new level.
The meat is mixed with an onion beer reduction, spices and panko then topped with a glaze of spicy barbecue sauce and bacon.
Moist, flavorful - perhaps the best meatloaf EVER.
The flavor will change depending on the type of beer used. I recommend a dark or amber beer. I used a bottle of my husband's home brewed nut brown ale. Yum!
Beerific Barbecue Bacon Meatloaf
2 Teaspoons Canola Oil
1 Medium Vidalia Onion, Chopped
1 12-Ounce Bottle Beer
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 1/2 Pounds 85%-Lean Ground Beef
1 Fresh Panko Crumbs
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 Large Egg, Lightly Beaten
1 Egg White, Lightly Beaten
1 Cup Spicy Beer Barbecue Sauce
8 Strips Bacon
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a small baking dish with aluminum foil and coat with a thin layer of oil.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in beer and increase heat to high. Bring to a vigorous boil; cook until the liquid is syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in thyme, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Let cool for 10 minutes.
While the onion mixture is cooling, cook bacon until just starting to crisp.
Add beef, panko, parsley, egg and egg white to the onion mixture.
With clean hands, mix thoroughly. Form into a loaf and place in the prepared pan.
Pour 1/2 of the barbecue sauce on the meatloaf and spread to cover. Lay slices of bacon evenly over top and press gently into the sauce so they lay flat against the loaf.
Bake the meatloaf for an 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread the rest of the barbecue sauce over the top of the meatloaf. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes; drain grease from the pan and slice.
A beerific twist on barbecue sauce that adds zippy tang to any meat dish. I like it on grilled chicken or on my Barbecue Bacon Meatloaf.
A darker beer will produce a richer more flavorful sauce. I used my husband's home brewed nut brown ale. Yum!
Spicy Beer Barbecue Sauce
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped
1/3 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 Tablespoon Hot Hungarian Paprika
3/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
3/4 Cup Ketchup
1/2 Cup Beer
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Over medium heat, warm oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Saute onion and celery until translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, paprika and cayenne; cook for about 1 minute.
Process in a food process or a blender until smooth and return to pan.
Add ketchup, beer, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
Make ahead and store for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Homemade tortillas are better than any you can buy in the store. These rustic beer tortillas made with an imperial pale ale and rendered bacon fat were really good. I'm no expert tortilla maker, not by any stretch of the imagination. I call these tortillas rustic because they are not evenly flat and misshapen However, that doesn't effect the remarkable flavor and texture.
