Tilted Specialties

[Willravel]

After a few years of cooking, learning new things, experimenting, and tweaking, one starts to develop specialties, dishes that are especially good, especially unique, and that bring everyone to the house. Maybe it's that perfect pan-fried, crispy salmon with red potatoes. Maybe it's that chocolate and raspberry soufflé that took you 117 tries to get right. Maybe it's even a ravioli with a filling no one in history thought of before you put your creative culinary mind to it: roasted peanut and escarole.

That's what this thread is for. What's your delicious, interesting, or unique culinary swan song? What's that one dish that you are the best at?

I'll get the ball rolling. I used to think my best dish was my authentic, San Francisco cioppino, but recently someone mentioned that there was one dish that I've been working on for DECADES (yep, 20 years despite the fact I'm only 27) that is apparently my best.

I want you to find a nice, big dish, the kind of dish that they used to wash babies in during the Great Depression. Call 15-20 of your closest friends, and let them know something amazing will be happening at your house in a few days. It's time for Willravel's infamous 14 layer "The Itis" dip.

Yes, 14.

Layers 1 and 8: Homemade Refried Beans
4 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight in whatever can hold them plus enough water to cover them by a good 2 inches
2 bay leaves
1.5 cups bacon drippings, preferably from a high quality bacon
4 cups chopped Spanish onions
3 Tbs. minced garlic
3-4 Tbs. minced, seeded jalapeño, depending on the level of heat you like (I use 4)
3 Tbs. your favorite chili powder, just just the cheap stuff from Safeway
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp (or 4 tsp) ground cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp fresh, chopped oregano
2 cups grated queso blanco, the best queso blanco available withing a few hundred miles of your home

In a sizable pot, combine the beans, bay leaves, and enough (filtered) water to cover the beans by about 1-2 inches. Don't worry, this will be cooking for quite some time so the exact amount of water isn't too important. Bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally until the beans have become tender. This generally takes me about an hour and 20 minutes, but this could by anywhere from maybe an hour and 15 minutes to 2 hours. If it's on for quite a while, add more water to keep the beans covered. When the beans are soft, remove them from the heat and get out any bottle up frustrations by mashing them with a potato masher or the cat or whatever you have handy.

I have a gigantic skillet, but if you don't have a massive skillet you may need to do the next part in a pot. Heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat until it liquefies. Add the chopped onions and pan-fry until they're soft and partially translucent, about 5 minutes. Try not to pass out from the heavenly fumes. Add the garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne, and cook until so fragrant the neighbors who normally avoid eye contact are trying to break down your door like a George Romero zombie movie, or about a minute or so. Add the beans and the water from the (other) pot along with the oregano and stir for however long it takes to turn from stew into that wonderful paste we call refried beans. If the beans are getting too dry before maybe the 15 minute mark, feel free to add more water, but after that they should be done. Sprinkle the top with the cheese and carefully mix in. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste if absolutely necessary, but that could be a sign of sub-par bacon drippings.

Layers 2 and 9: Guacamole
7 Haas avocados, halves, seeded and peeled
2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced

Put the avocados in a large bowl and toss in the lime juice. When they're adequately coated, drain and save the lime juice. Using the potato masher from the refried beans (dude, seriously, wash it first), decimate the avocados while adding the salt, cumin and cayenne. When the mash is properly mashed, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic until the stuff is guacamole. Add back in 1 tablespoon of the lime juice.

Layers 3 and 10: Creme Fraiche (or Crème Fraîche if you're wearing dress slacks and have company you want to impress)
2 cups heavy cream
4 Tbs. buttermilk

Combine in a bowl, stir until well mixed. Cover with a tea cloth and leave in your kitchen for like half a day (12-14 hours) until it's nice and thick. Refrigerate until used.

Layers 4 and 11, option 1: Salsa Roja Admittedly this is Alton Brown's recipe, but it's only a part of the whole
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 seeded and minced jalapenos, plus 2 roasted, skinned and chopped jalapenos
1 red bell pepper, fine dice
1/2 red onion, fine chopped
2 dry ancho chiles, seeded, cut into short strips and snipped into pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lime, juiced
Chili powder, salt, and pepper, to taste
Fresh scallions, cilantro or parsley, to taste

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Place in refrigerator for up to 12 hours for flavor infusion.

Layers 5 and 12: CHEESE If you want to just grab the Sargento Fancy Shredded 4 Cheese Mesican Cheese Blend, that's probably cool, but I prefer you get better cheeses for this dish.
1 cup shredded organic sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded organic pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded organic queso blanco

6 and 13: Diced Black Olives
1 jar of black olives, yes the cheap salty kind

Dice olives.

Layers 7 and 14: Chopped Green Onions
12 or so green onions

Chop green onions.


Finally, with what little strength you have left, put down a layer of half the refried beans, then half the guac, then half the creme fraich, then half the salsa, then half the cheese, then half the olives, then half the green onions. Repeat on top of the first 7 layers, or if you're chicken, McFly, use a second serving dish.

BUT WAIT, I'M NOT FRIGGIN DONE YET.

Homemade Tortilla Chips
30 corn tortillas, quartered
5-6 cups corn oil
sea salt

In a large saucepan, heat about 4 cups of the oil until it reaches about 360 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare a grate of some kind upon which to place your dripping tortilla chips, probably over something that will catch the drippings.

A few at a time, as many as can fit without bothering one another, add the tortilla quarters to the hot oil and cook for about 1 minute and then flip them over to cook on the other side for another minute, until that beautiful golden brown. When you remove and start draining them, there's a small window when the sea salt will stick to the surface, so use it. As you cook more and more, you may notice the oil level is dropping, so feel free to turn down the temperature and CAREFULLY add a bit more oil as needed. If you so wish, you can squirt a tiny bit of lime on some of the chips, but not my chips. I like 'em regular.


Okay, you've done it. I suggest serving this with Dos Equis Lager and homemade lime soda (I can give you that recipe). I do this every Christmas Eve for my family and friends.

My fingers hurt.

[Wes Mantooth]

Well I may excel at burning scrambled eggs but I've perfected the fuck out of my Great Uncles Bean Hole Bean recipe! He used to start these the morning before a hunt, a day fishing, picking fiddleheads or a harvest and my GOD are they good if you have the time, energy and drive to cook them.

Bean recipe:

12 c dry beans
1 tsp pepper
6 tsp dry mustard
1/2 lbs salt pork
1 c brown sugar
2 onions
1-2 tsp salt
1 c molasses

Soak beans overnight, drain, cover with fresh water, heat slowly (keep the water below boiling point), cook until skins burst (take a few on the end of spoon and blow on them, if cooked the skin should burst). Scaled pork and scrap. remove 1/4 inch slice and drop it in the bottom of the bean pot. Put the beans back in the pot and drop the rind on top (leave it exposed). Bring left over water to a boiling and add 1 cup to salt, molasses and sugar mixture and pour it over the beans.

The Hole:

1 Iron Kettle
fire logs
kindling sticks
a pant load of small rocks
Sand
3 Tire rims
A heavy iron cover large enough to fit the tire rims (man hole covers work...you figure out how to get one like I did)
Long chain of some sort

Dig a hole deep enough to stack the three tire rims. Using the kindling start a fire at the bottom of the pit, once a-burnin' stack the logs and small rocks and let it burn to a nice bed of coals. It will be ready when the rocks are glowing red and the ground around the hole is hot to the touch. Shovel the hot coals and rocks into something (a wheelbarrow works). Attach chain to the pot of beans and set it in the bottom of the hole and -this is important- leave the chain outside of the hole its how your going to fish this hot fucker out of the ground. Place the heavy iron cover across the tire rims and shovel the hot coals, rocks and sand on top - pack tightly and let sit a minimum of 6 hours.

Serve with some freshly shot venison steaks/burgers or the days catch, grill some corn on the cob over a fire, boil up some fiddleheads, throw in a case of cheap beer and your good to go. The camp fire that night may not smell like heaven but it sure as hell will feel like it.

This can be a lot of fun for a big gathering, kids especially like helping with the bean hole...your drunken hunting buddies...not so much you'll probably be on your own so get a good nights sleep while the beans soak.

[G~man]

G~mans version of Pilau Rice & Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry

2 chicken breasts Cut into bite sized peices
½ tsp turmeric
Sprinkle of salt, then 1/4 tsp later
2 tsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
4 chile pods
2-inches of cinnamon stick
2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables---get the fun ones with asparagus etc
2 x 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes---get the spicy Mexican ones
juice of 1 lime

Masala Paste:
1 cup of onion, chopped loosely
3 TB peanuts (OR raw chickpeas, dry roasted and ground)
1 tsp garlic paste
½ tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
3 whole cloves

1. Put chicken in a bowl and coat them with the turmeric and salt. Set aside, for about an hour then sauté, and put aside again.
2. Blenderize the paste ingredients to a smooth puree and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil until it is sizzle-hot. Add the black mustard seeds, and the chile pods. Saute until the black mustard seeds have quit popping.
4. Add the paste and cinnamon stick. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken mixture.
5. Add the vegetables and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce. Cover and simmer until everything is heated through. I like to add curry powder and hot sauce to spice it up a little.
6. Squeeze about half of the lime juice over the pan's contents. Taste it. Then add more lime as you like it.

The rice:

1 cup rice
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt
2 Tb oil
2 Tb peanuts
2 Tb golden raisins
1/4 tsp ginger powder, optional

Masala:
2 bay leaves
3-inch cinnamon stick
seeds of one green cardamom pod

1. In a large pot, add the rice with enough water to cover at least twice the depth of the rice. Add the turmeric and salt. Boil for about 12-15 minute on medium-high heat, until the rice is soft on both ends yet still hard in the middle. Drain in a colander.
2. Heat the oil until it is sizzle-hot. Add the peanuts. When they have browned a bit, add the raisins. Wait for about 1 minute until raisins puff out.
3. Add the masala. Saute for a bit.
4. Take off the heat. Add the rice and ginger powder, Stir it all together.