Barbecue Bites: Street Steak Tacos

Tacos are hard to beat in terms of ease and versatility: almost anyone can pull them off, and the combinations of flavors are limitless. Plus, they're fun to eat! Just line up all the fixins and have your guests serve themselves!

In this version of street steak tacos by Chef Eusebio Gongora, skirt steaks from Indie Plate are marinated in a mixture that includes Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce and served on warm tortillas with a number of fresh toppings. 

Check out more recipes here, and grab a bottle of sauce here while you're at it!

Street Steak Tacos. Photo courtesy of Maria Do at Indie Plate. 

Street Steak Tacos

Flank/Skirt Steak, marinated (see recipe below)

10 Tortillas

¼ cup Cilantro, chopped

½ cup onions, diced

¼ cup your favorite cheese

1 tbsp Jay D’s Sweet & Spicy Barbecue rub

1 Avocado, sliced

Preheat the grill, and remove steak from marinade. Season steak with BBQ Rub and let sit for 2 minutes to allow the seasoning to cure. Place steak on the grill and cook each side for 3 minutes for a medium temperature. Remove steak from grill and let it rest for 3 minutes. While the steak rests, grill the tortillas for 1 to 2 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and fill each tortilla with the remaining ingredients.

Steak marinade

½ cup Jay D’s BBQ Sauce

1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Lime juice
1 tsp Soy sauce
Flank/skirt steak, 2 each

In a mixing bowl, combine BBQ sauce, chili powder, cumin, lime juice and soy sauce. Place skirt steaks into a Ziploc bag with marinade. Place bag into refrigerator and allow to marinate for 6 hours.

Month of Salads: The Salad Shop

by Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard 

The Salad Shop has endless salad options

Ah, August. It's the month I look forward to the most. Not only because it's my birth month (and Jay's), but because it's the much-anticipated MONTH OF SALADS at Bite and Booze.

What is the month of salads, you ask? It's a time when Team Bite and Booze reflects on all the unhealthy food we constantly shove into our faces for the sake of food blogging and tries to correct that with nothing but GRASS for an entire month.

I'm generally of the opinion that salad isn't real food. Carrots? Spinach? Heck, that's rabbit food!

Jay's salad

But this month may change that opinion. Especially after we dropped in for lunch at The Salad Shop on Perkins. Oh boy, have I ever been missing out.

Jay and Blair went with custom salads.

Jay went with a spinach and arugula mix topped with beets, carrots, craisins, walnuts, and Hanley's avocado dressing.

Blair opted for romaine and arugula mix topped with red onion, edamame, sun dried tomatoes, bacon, sunflower seeds, feta, avocado, and Hanley's Sensation dressing.

I hate building my own anything: salads, sandwiches, wraps, you name it. It stresses me out to have too many options!

That's why I went with the Fiery Fiesta, one of The Salad Shop's creations. I swapped out the spinach for romaine, but I kept all the other toppings the same: avocado, pico de gallo, red bell pepper, black beans, corn, and tortilla strips topped with jalapeño ranch dressing.

My take on the Fiery Fiesta

I actually finished the whole thing.

The Salad Shop is great because you can build your own salad if that's your thing or you can pick a deliciously crafted salad of their menu.

Araña: The Only Spider I Welcome

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Generally speaking, New Orleans is a fantastic destination for food. This is not news. There’s so much for your palate to experience, yet so little time.

In the same streets you taste dishes that are new, inventive, and inspiring, you can experience meals that are so old they practically birthed the crescent city. In a place that is so uniquely Louisiana, some of the meals I’ve enjoyed most recently in New Orleans are based around lime, cotiga cheese, and cilantro.

Araña is everything I want in a Mexican restaurant. Their presentation is beautiful, the flavors are on fleek, and it’s simply built for a good time.

When I dine out, I consider three criteria: atmosphere, drinks, and apps & ‘sserts (because you can’t have one without the other).

If a restaurant pulls off all of these elements successfully, they can have my money.

Atmosphere: check.

I prefer when a restaurant is cozy (not too cramped, but not a cave), the design is well thought out, and the seating allows for natural lighting (because I take pictures of everything I ingest). So many restaurants get things wrong: uncomfortable seating, bad lighting, canned, adult-contemporary music playing in the background.

But Araña is a place I could sit and sip for hours.

Drinks: check.

I tried three drinks that were on totally different levels.

First, the Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita: the depth of flavor gave me life. The grilled pineapple has a sultry sweetness from caramelizing on the grill, the fresh jalapeño adds just enough back heat, and I live my life thinking that cilantro improves most things. We’ll call this one a win.

The Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita

Next up, the Romera Fresca. This puppy is packed with savory, tart confusion in a great way. Juniper-infused tequila hit with a zing of small batch tonic and finished off with a house-made rosemary syrup can grace my glass any day. Another point to Gryffindor. 

The Romera Fresca: Juniper-Infused Tequila,  Small Batch Tonic, and House Made Rosemary Syrup

I’m not into things that are super sweet, so dessert drinks aren’t my jam. I thought it couldn’t be done, but Araña said, “Here’s our frozen, drunken Horchata. Enjoy.”

Enjoy, I did, and to that I say winner winner, chicken dinner. 

Drunken Horchata

Bite and Booze Bonus: If you’re into tequila, Araña has something for you. Joining the Araña Tequilla Society is free. With each tequila you taste, you take another (somewhat more inebriated) step towards rewards ranging from t-shirts to free tequila flights to a free bottle of expensive tequila. Worried about keeping up with your passport? Don’t be—Araña holds on to it for you. They’ve thought of everything!

Apps, shareables, and ‘sserts: Check. 

Apps and ‘sserts is Blair-speak for appetizers and dessert. If I’m meeting up with my friends, I’m all about grabbing apps and ‘sserts. While there are some stellar sandwiches and entrées, if you share more, you taste more. It’s science.

Here’s the lineup:

Atop a velvety bed of milky oaxaca cheese lies a spicy blanket of house-made chorizo just waiting to be spread on warm corn tortillas and drizzled with a magically bold red sauce. Don’t think, just order it. 

Queso Fundido: House-Made Chorizo, Grilled Oaxaca Cheese, and Corn Tortillas

Tacos are the most delicious way to get your fix without feeling too full, and Araña has some great options. I’m a sucker for tacos Al Pastor: I'm into the savory and sweet juicy pork and succulent pineapple chunks.

Tacos Al Pastor: Shaved Pork, Grilled Pineapple, Cilantro, and Onion

I’m pretty sure “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer was written about the Torta Ahogana.

Slow roasted pork on bolillo bread, black bean purée, avocado, crema, cotiga cheese, and cumin pickled onion come together under a waterfall of spicy chili dipping salsa and make for a mountain of flavor.

Mind you, this is literally a quarter of the sandwich that’s on the menu so it’s certifiably shareable. 

Torta Ahogada: Slow Roasted Pork on Bolillo Bread, Black Bean Purée, Avocado, Crema, Cotiga Cheese, Cumin Pickled Onion, Spicy Chili Dipping Salsa

The art of the classic fajita has been lost, and Araña has found it in the form of their Poc Chuc.

Smoked pork loin, escabecbe (pickled veggies), crisp red cabbage, and a pork-fried onion poblano sauce were meant to live inside of that corn tortilla, y’all. Pair that with a flight of tequila and I’m in.

Poc Chuc: Smoked Pork Loin, Escabeche, Red Cabbage, Pork Fried Onion Poblano Sauce, and Corn Tortilla

Bite and Booze Bonus: Araña also has brunch (word on the street is that it’s killer). 

Desserts are tricky with me. I can't get more than a bite or two in to a super sweet dessert, but I could get after this Trés Leches cake with fresh berries all day. A little sweet, a little creamy, and totally traditional, it’s definitely worth the caloric sacrifice.

Trés Leches Cake

I know there's a mess of restaurants to try out in New Orleans, but Araña has something special going on that's worth your money.

Month of Salads #2: Juban's

Juban's Marinated Seafood & Avocado Salad

When one thinks of Juban's, the words fine dining, hallelujah crab, and honey bourbon typically come to mind. While Juban's has been a staple and a standard for fine dining in the Baton Rouge area for over 30 years, they're also a phenomenal lunch spot. Their salads are crazy good and this Marinated Seafood and Avocado salad is one of my favorites. There's nothing better than fresh Louisiana Seafood over some crisp greens on a hot Baton Rouge day. Putting avocado on salads is something I've recently come to really enjoy. It's smooth and buttery, but it also adds a unique texture and brightness to a salad that I find refreshing. Throw some fresh bell peppers and cracked pepper on top and call it a win!

ChefDance at Sundance

Beetroot Macaroon, Foie Gras, Sherry Reduction

While I didn't get to watch any films at the Sundance Film Festival, nor did I do any skiing on the famous Park City slopes, I did get to attend one event worthy of noting (other than the party at which I cooked).  MorningStar Farms ChefDance, a series of celebrity-chef crafted dinners at Sundance, clearly has made a name for itself as the go-to culinary event during the festival.  Each night, a different chef takes center-stage to put on a multi-course dinner offering for celebrities, festival attendees, and members of the culinary media.  Fortunately for me, I fell into one of those categories!  The crowd at ChefDance was huge.  I spied the likes of Tony Danza as I found my seat, and after some cocktails from the Snake Oil Cocktail Company and a brief delay, food started to come out of the kitchen.  Chef Shawn Armstrong led the brigade to create a stellar menu for the multitude of diners.

Snake Oil Cocktail Co's Bulleit Bourbon Beverage

Aspen Smoked Salmon, Blood Orange, Avocado Cream, Tangerine Lace, Citrus Creme Fraiche

Parsnip Cream & Crisp, Sugar Cured Pork Belly, Seasonal Mushrooms, Oregon White Truffle, Micro Chive, Green Onion Oil, MorningStar Farms "Chix" Pea Powder

Femme Fatale: Bulleit Bourbon, Smoked Maple-Chicory Soda,  Dried Apple Chip

Lamb "Ribeye", Charcoal Tortellini, Local Honey Glazed Butternut Squash, Puffed Black Barley, Roasted Brussels Sprout Petals, Black Garlic

Ginger Graham Crusted Sweet Potato Cupcake filled with Cinnamon Honey Creme Brulee, topped with Orange Whipped Cream and Candied Pumpkin Seeds

On the whole, the meal was quite extraordinary.  Despite the long wait time and lengthy dinner service, each course impressed me enough to stay in my seat until the end.  The macaroon had a savory element with sweetness from the sherry redux.  The salmon may have been the best course, though I'll never argue with lamb or pork belly.  Both of those dishes were outstanding as well, and the lamb came out cooked beautifully, especially considering the crowd of 300+ plates that went out.  The cupcake was a creation of Megan Brown from Sweet Tooth Fairy, winner of Cupcake Wars.  It may not quite have been one of Christina Stephen's cupcakes, but it was really damn delicious!

I'm definitely glad that I got to experience MorningStar Farms ChefDance while in Park City.  Hopefully I'll be back again... perhaps even as a chef.  Hey, you can always tweet @chefdance and let them know that @biteandbooze should be there next year!

El Xuco Xicana en Houston, TX

Summertime in South Louisiana isn't much different than summer in Houston.  Heat.  Humidity.  Afternoon thunderstorms.  Desperation for football season to get here.  The biggest distinction, from best I can tell, is the quality of the Mexican food.  For some reason it seems that authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine has trouble traveling an extra 300 miles to Baton Rouge.  Not one to worry too much, I easily solve the problem by feasting on frijoles whenever I'm in the "Bayou City" of the state to our West.

El Xuco Xicana's Milletes topped with Fried Eggs

A recent trip found me setting up a visit to Chef Jonathan Jones's El Xuco Xicana.  Chef JJ, who came to fame under his Beaver's name, recently took over the kitchen at the establishment formerly known as El Patio.  Wanting to revamp the cuisine to reflect that of authentic interior Mexican superiority with a Texan twist, Chef JJ started massacring the menu and putting his flair all over it.  His "Comida Texano" menu made my mouth water before I could even order the signature blue margarita that reflected back to the El Patio days.

The Famous Blue Curacao Margarita from El Patio

I was joined by an excellent cast of characters for an early afternoon Sunday brunch.  We had my dear friend Amanda, high school pal Chad and his wife Ashley, Alvin and Jason from MasterChef on FOX along with Jason's bad ass lady friend, Sara Jackson and a friend of hers who are working on some food based television productions with kids in the Houston area, and a fella named Jay, who on Twitter goes by @GunsandTacos (clearly fits in well with my @BiteandBooze mentality), with his wife.  We gathered and ordered drinks.  Soon enough, Chef JJ's right hand man at XX, Chef Kenny Pullin, came out to the table to greet our crew and drop off our first round of grub.

Battered Stuffed Toast at El Xuco Xicana

The Milletes made me happy to be alive.  Proclaimed on the menu to be a "REAL Mexican brunch food," the milletes featured bolillo bread toasted and topped with refried black beans, queso Chihuahua and chorizo.  Then I had the option to add a fried egg on each half of the open-faced sandwich.  As you can see, I couldn't resist!  The milletes combined classic flavors into a brunch dish that I'd eat over and over again.  Then came the battered stuffed toast.  Dear Lord.  Heaven.  And Hell.  In every bite.  The dish is constructed by stuffing Texas toast with Dulce de Leche, coating that in a Grand Marnier cinnamon batter, dropping it in a deep fryer, then topping the sandwich with ancho-maple syrup, sauteed apples, and Chantilly cream.  Each bite let me know I was alive while assuredly slowly killing me.  I didn't mind.  I took another bite.  It tasted that damn orgasmic.  

El Xuco Xicana Mojito 

Ceviche at El Xuco Xicana

The beverages at El Xuco Xicana also provided plenty of punch.  Chef JJ warned me about the strong margaritas.  After I began with the blue margarita I noticed the rest of the table drinking amazing mojitos.  I needed to try one for myself.  It did a splendid job of being thirst quenching and intoxicating.  Meanwhile, Chef Pullin brought out the signature ceviche.  One thing that I like about the menu is that it warns the diner that the ceviche changes depending on the freshness of the seafood and availability of produce.  There is no set recipe, but rather a rotating and seasonal ceviche.  Ours had a gulf drum marinated in loads of citrus.  I thought I tasted lime, lemon, and the something a little different like a grapefruit.  It also had jalapenos, watermelon radishes and avocado.  The bottom line is that the concoction used fresh ingredients and tasted equally refreshing on a hot day.  The blending of sweet, sour and spice worked magnificently.

El XX Hot Wangs

The feast concluded for me with the El XX Hot Wangs.  The wings were fried naked then tossed in a special blend that includes Jalisco Chili de Arbol vinegar hot sauce, toasted sesame, cilantro and queso fresco.  They were served with "cucumber and jicima con chili y limon".  The "wangs" were certainly different than a traditional Buffalo style hot wing with celery and bleu cheese.  That being said, I loved them!  I thought the twists were pretty ingenious and I'm a sucker for an inventive wing.  Bravo, El Xuco Xicana.

I essentially got a full meal by sampling an assortment of brunch and appetizer selections.  Truth be told, that is one of my favorite ways to experience a restaurant.  Sometimes the most creative dishes are appetizers and daily specials.  The food at El Xuco Xicano was worthy of any trip to Houston.  I have no doubt that I'll be back when I get a Mexican craving that my local establishments can't handle!

Honduras - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

Honduras

Bite and Booze hasn't represented CONCACAF in the World Cup posts since Mexico on post two. Today we pay a visit to Honduras, a small Central American nation between Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.  Honduras belonged to the Mayan civilization before the Spanish conquistadors arrived following Christopher Columbus's discovery of New World. Obviously, both the Mayan and Spanish cultures carry through to their cuisine of today.  An original and notable dish is a baleada, and the accompanying beverage of the day is a liquor called Gaffity.

Baleadas are made by taking a thick flour tortilla, folding it in half, and filling it with mashed fried beans. Basically it is like a bean soft taco, but with a larger and thicker tortilla.  From that basic form that every baleada uses, other ingredients are up to the eater.  The most common baleada fillers are crumbled cheese, scrambled eggs, sausage, plantain, avocado, chicken, pork, tomato, onion, and bell peppers.  Baleadas are so popular in Honduras that there are restaurants devoted to only serving various baleadas.

Gaffity is a Honduran liquor that contains various herbs and spices.  The fiery beverage cannot be found in grocery stores and little is written about it.  From best I can tell, it is concocted by the Garifuna people on the tiny Cayos Cochinos (The Hog Islands).  The islands are an archipelago north of Honduras' Caribbean coast.  From the pictures and few quotes about the place and the beverage, I'd sure like to give it a try!



















For more on Honduran beer, check out the BR Beer Scene!

Thanks and Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleada
http://gocentralamerica.about.com/od/recipes/g/Honduras_Drinks.htm
http://www.discovercentralamerica.com/country.html?country=honduras