Superbowl Eats: L.A. Rams edition

Two things come to mind when you think about Los Angeles. It is home to some of the biggest stars in the entertainment industry, and it is a city made up of transplants from all across the country and around the world. The same can be said about the year's version of the L.A. Rams. The team parted ways with Jared Goff, the quarterback who led them to their 2018 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. He was replaced by Matthew Stafford, the quarterback who always put up big numbers for the Detroit Lions but had no playoff wins to show for it. Stafford joined superstar defender Aaron Donald and playmaker Cooper Kupp on a team that soon added Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller from the Denver Broncos and flashy wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. formerly from the Cleveland Browns. It took a few games for all these new pieces to come together and gel, but when they did, they marched through the playoffs, defeating divisional rivals and last year's Superbowl winner along the way. It would be fitting for fans of this superteam to enjoy food that captures the spirit of the city the team is based in, and to me, that would mean a carne asada taco from one of L.A.'s native sons, actor Danny Trejo, with a recipe from his "Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A." cookbook. They say the biggest stars come out on the biggest stage. This will be the second year in a row that a team that will play the Super Bowl will play in their home stadium - let's see if the Rams can deliver the Hollywood ending their fans want to see.

Ingredients

1.36 kg flank, flap, or skirt steak
12 medium tomatillos (about 680 g), papery skin removed, tomatillos left whole
12 six-inch tortillas
6 garlic cloves
3 chipotle chiles from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 30 g of the sauce
2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges
2 medium-sized jalapeños, roughly chopped
1 medium jalapeño, left whole
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
180 mL orange juice (preferably fresh)
120 mL pure olive oil
60 mL soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime, plus extra to taste
145 g shredded green cabbage
15 g kosher salt, plus extra to taste
15 g ground cumin
15 g smoked paprika
12 g roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine half the chopped onion, the chipotles, and sauce, the chopped jalapeños, the garlic cloves, eight grams of cilantro, the orange juice, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, cumin, and paprika in a food processor or blender and puree. Transfer the marinade to a large self-seal plastic bag or airtight container. Add the meat and turn to coat it in the marinade, then seal the container you are using. Refrigerate and marinate overnight or for at least 30 minutes.
2. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip back into the bag or bowl. Place the steak on a platter and set it aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Grill the steak until it is charred, about 5 minutes. Turn it over and grill until charred on the other side, about 5 more minutes. Transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it crosswise and against the grain.
3. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat until it is very hot, about 4 minutes. Add the whole tomatillos and jalapeños - they should sizzle when they hit the dry hot pan. Cook until the vegetables are black and blistered in spots and soft on one side, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Use tongs to turn the tomatillos and jalapeños over, then add the remaining garlic cloves. Cook the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic until the tomatillos and jalapeños are blistered and the garlic cloves are toasted but not burned, 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
5. Transfer the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic to a blender or food processor and add the cilantro, lime juice, salt, and half the remaining onion. Process until the sauce is completely smooth. Taste and add more salt, onion, or lime juice if desired. You now have fresh salsa verde.
6. Preheat the oven to 121°C. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in aluminum foil, place them in the oven, and let them warm until they're fragrant and pliable, about 15 minutes. Remove the tortillas from the oven. Unwrap the stack and line up the tortillas, assembly-line-style, on your work surface.
7. In a medium bowl, mix the shredded cabbage with 60 g of the salsa verde. Chill before serving, or refrigerate in it an airtight container for up to 5 days.
8. Divide the meat among the tortillas, placing it in a straight line down the center of each tortilla. Place a line of the cabbage mixture to the right of the steak. Serve a lime wedge with each taco.

Superbowl Eats - Cincinnati Bengals edition

Nobody saw this coming. Perennial laughingstocks the Cincinnati Bengals are the AFC Champions and are heading to this year's Superbowl.

The Bungles.

A team that went fourteen years without a winning record, or making the playoffs; a team where head coaches and top draft picks went to waste their time and talent; a team that even the Cleveland Browns thought was a joke. But this year, things were different. This Cincinnati Bengals team was led by Joe Burrow, the winner of the 2019 Heisman Trophy and the 2020 college football playoff National Championship. Together with former college teammate Ja'Marr Chase, this Bengals team ended one of the longest active playoff droughts in all professional sports by winning their first playoff game in 31 years against the Las Vegas Raiders. This Bengals team then went to Tennessee to upset the #1 seeded Titans for their first-ever road playoff victory, and shock the #2 seeded Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City the following week. This Bengals team has a feisty swagger surrounding it as they head to L.A. to face the Los Angeles Rams. If you like rooting for this underdog, celebrate with some Cincinnati Chili, a soupier version of traditional chili, served over spaghetti and topped with diced white onion and lots of shredded Cheddar cheese. It can also be served with oyster crackers or slathered over a hot dog. As improbably as it is to long-time NFL fans, this soon could be the Meal of Champions.

Ingredients

1 kg lean ground beef
1 L beef stock
1 796 mL can crushed tomatoes
500 g shredded Cheddar cheese
300 g dry spaghetti
250 g minced white onion
45 g chili powder
30 mL vegetable oil
15 g ground cinnamon
15 g cumin
15 g smoked sweet paprika
15 g unsweetened cocoa powder
2 g salt
2 g ground cayenne
2 g allspice
1 g ground cloves and pepper
1 g pepper
3 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
1 sweet green pepper, seeded and quartered
1 stalk celery, cut into chunks
1 onion, quartered

1. Combine the green pepper, celery, onion, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until everything is finely minced.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the minced vegetable mixture and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and translucent. Add the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, cocoa powder, salt, cayenne, allspice, cloves, pepper, and bay leaves; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and beef stock and bring everything to a gentle simmer. Add the ground beef and return to a simmer, using the back of a spoon to break up the meat into small chunks.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thickened and all the flavours are blended. Discard the bay leaves.
5. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain well. Divide the spaghetti among shallow warmed serving bowls and top with chili. Garnish with cheese and white onions.

Superbowl Eats - Kansas City Chiefs edition

Before Patrick Mahomes came to town and started lighting up Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City was known mostly for its BBQ. Kansas City-style barbecue is meat rubbed with spices, slow-smoked, and served with a sweet, tangy, thick tomato-based sauce. With the defending Superbowl champion Chiefs playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Superbowl LV, it's a perfect opportunity to make a batch of  KC-style baby back ribs. For those more interested in the food, the halftime show, and the commercials than in the Big Game, I would still suggest paying close attention to the Chiefs' number 16. The Chiefs have playmakers at running back, at tight end, and at wide receiver, but everything about this team starts with Mahomes. Only four years in the league, he already transcends the game with his passing, his athleticism, and his ability to make big plays when needed - think Michael Jordan if he were playing quarterback. For the past decade, Tom Brady has been the Whole Fucking Show as far as the NFL is concerned. With a win on Sunday against Brady's Bucs, Mahomes will become the New Fucking Show. So sit back, grab a rib, and bear witness to the Next Big Thing in sports.

Ingredients

2 900 g racks of baby back pork ribs
350 g ketchup
90 g yellow mustard
80 g molasses (not blackstrap)
80 g light or dark brown sugar, divided into 35g and 45g portions, packed
80 g chopped onion
40 g sweet paprika
35 g chili powder
15 g tablespoon salt
2.5 g teaspoon cayenne pepper
120 mL cider vinegar
40 mL Worcestershire sauce
30 mL vegetable oil
5 mL liquid smoke (optional)
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
hot sauce, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 162°C. Line a large heavy rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the ribs side by side on it.
2. Whisk together the chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, and the smaller portion of brown sugar in a bowl and rub the mixture onto both sides of the ribs. Let the ribs stand, with the meaty sides up, at room temperature, for an hour. When the oven is ready, cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and bake for 1.5 hours.
3. In a heavy pot, cook the onion in the vegetable oil over medium-low heat, covered, for about 10-15 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for a minute. Add remaining ingredients, including remaining brown sugar, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Let the sauce cool slightly and purée it in a food processor. Once done, set aside a cup of the sauce for serving.
4. Remove the foil cover and turn the rib racks over so the bone ends curve up, then baste ribs with pan juices and spread generously with some of the sauce. Continue to bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn racks over, then baste again with pan juices and top with more sauce. Continue to bake for about 30-45 minutes until the meat is tender when pierced with a small knife.
5. Broil the ribs for 2-3 minutes, meaty sides up, until they're browned. Serve them with reserved sauce.

Superbowl Eats - Tampa Bay Buccaneers edition

Like many a snowbird, Tom Brady came to Tampa Bay looking for some fun in the sun. The six-time Superbowl champion found just that in his move to Florida, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their second Superbowl appearance with his record-setting tenth appearance in the big game. I don't want to see the Golden Boy win another Superbowl, nor do I care to see his fellow New England Patriot-turned-Tampa Bay Buccaneer Rob Gronkowski win another championship either. And even though they are a much better team than I ever gave them credit for this season, I am completely indifferent about the rest of this Bucs team. But after seeing a profile about their coach Bruce Arians, I would like to see him and his coaching staff win a Superbowl. He seems like a guy I would like to have a pint with after a game as well as play hard for if he were my coach. I got to give credit where it's due, he got more out of a 40+-year quarterback than a certain hoodie-wearing coach could, and that's saying something given he's an automatic Hall of Famer just as his former quarterback will be.  With his forever association with New England, it's fitting to make clam chowder to celebrate Brady's latest (and hopefully last) attempt to make his mark in the NFL history books.

Ingredients

740 g canned chopped clams in their juice
680 g littleneck clams in shells, scrubbed (about 18)
680 g potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces
230 g celeriac peeled and diced small
500 mL whole milk
25 mL olive oil
6 parnsnips, peeled and diced small
4 strips of bacon, choped ito small pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
Kosher salt, to taste
fresh tarragon leaves (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 205C. Toss the parsnips and the celeriac with the olive oil and spread everything in a single layer on a baking pan. Add the littleneck clams to the sheet and roast for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the clams have opened up.
2. Place a deep heavy pot over medium-low heat on the stove. Add the bacon pieces and cook for 8 minutes until most of the fat has rendered out. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon, then cook the onions in the bacon fat until they're translucent, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and the milk to the pot, and bring everything to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the potatoes cook for about 10 minutes until they're fork-tender. Use either an immersion blender to blend the base, or mix in batches in a blender until smooth, adding it back into the pot as you go.
4. Add the canned clams with the juice, the whole clams, and the roasted vegetables to the chowder base. Bring everything to a simmer and season with salt to taste; the clams and the bacon will be salty enough on their own, no need to go overboard. Makes enough for six servings.

NOTE: The above recipe was taken from one of my favourite cookbooks "The Laws of Cooking (and how to break them)" by Justin Warner, Flatiron Books.

Superbowl Charcuterie

As the big game approaches, people are in the midsts of planning their menus for their Superbowl party. While chicken wings and chili are always crowd pleasers, this year you may want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time in front of the big screen TV. If this describes you, consider making a meat and cheese board, also known as a charcuterie (pronounced shahr-koo-tuh–ree) board. Easy to prepare, it contains a great mix of tastes that come together by following these steps:

• Before you buy the food, you'll need something to serve it on. It's customary to put the spread on either a wooden or marble cutting board, so if you don't have either of those, add one to your shopping list. It makes a world of difference in terms of presentation.
• When picking your meat and cheeses, aim to get three to four different kinds of each. Go for a variety of hard and soft cheeses, ranging from mellow to sharp in flavour.  Goat cheese, cheddar, gouda, Brie, and blue cheese are good suggestions. Cheese is best served at room temperature, so cut the cheese (HA!) at least one hour before serving. 
• When it comes to serving size, make sure the pieces are bite-sized - don't worry about making each piece the same size, no one is going to notice. As for the meats, include a similar variety of flavours and textures, such as prosciutto, chorizo sausage, and salumi; consider also adding some pâté to the mix. As with the cheeses, bite-sized portions are preferred. 
• Your guests should have at least one taste of each cheese and meat, so try for 150 to 200 grams of each option per guest.
• Supplement your charcuterie board with some bread and crackers. You don't want anything that outshines the flavours of the cheeses and meats, so go with a simple sliced French baguette and a box of Ritz; if there's a gluten-free option available, feel free to include it. Round everything out with some fresh fruit, and small bowls filled with salted nuts, dill pickles, olives, jellies, mustards, and dips.

With the food now out of the way, you can enjoy watching the Rams make up for their Superbowl XXXVI loss to the Patriots. That's what I'm hoping for anyways...

Superbowl Jambalaya

With everyone and their bookie cooking up a pot of chili for the big game on Sunday, stand out from the crowd by making the spicy dish New Orleans Saints fans comforted themselves with after their team missed their shot to go to the Superbowl this year. Native to the southern Louisiana region of the United States, jambalaya offers a mixture of rice with a blend of seasoned meat and vegetables, but with Spanish, French, and Caribbean influences. Like chili, jambalaya can be satisfying if it's made with tomatoes (Creole style) or without (Cajun style).  So for those of you who are actually interested in the game, I wish good luck to all the Eagles' fans out there, and all the bad things to happen to those who cheer for the Evil Empire from New England.*

Ingredients:

910 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
455 g smoked sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces (I went with the Chorizo and caramelized onion and pepper varieties from Seed to Sausage)
15 g Old Bay seasoning
5 g dried oregano
710 mL chicken broth
15 mL canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 cans diced tomatoes (fire-roasted if available)
Sliced scallions (optional)
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped

• (So prevalent are the last three ingredients in Louisiana cooking they are referred to as the holy trinity of Cajun/Creole cooking)

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in either a Dutch oven or a large pot. Add the chicken and the sausage, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the meat is browned on all sides. Remove everything from the pot with a slotted spoon, and place it in a bowl lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaves, Old Bay, thyme, and oregano to the pot of hot drippings and cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in the rice, and let it cook for about 3 minutes. 
3. Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, and the meats. Bring everything to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender (good with however long the instruction that came with the rice says you should cook it). Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.
   
   This recipe yields a lot, so either have a lot of hearty eaters on hand or prepare for leftovers.

Superbowl Jambalaya

^*I'm a New York Jets fan, by law, I am allowed to be this bitter about the most dominant team of a generation.

Superbowl Chili

This week I was watching the episode of "Top Chef" where the elimination challenge involved teams making chili for some rodeo cowboys, and I was surprised to see that one of the recipes was similar to a recipe I've been using for my Superbowl chili. It's adapted from a recipe I found in the January 2003 edition of Maxim magazine, and it's perfect for a party to watch the big game Sunday. Go Giants!

Chop 1 1/4 cups of onions; 1 1/4 cups of celery; 1 1/4 cups of bell peppers, 3 jalapeno peppers; and 3 cloves of garlic, and set them aside. In a large pan, brown 2 1/2 pounds of stewing beef. Once done, place the beef in a large stock pot, along with all the chopped vegetables; the entire contents of a can of whole tomatoes; a can of stout (i.e. Guinness, Alexander Keith's Dark Ale); a can of tomato paste; 1 1/4 cups of your favourite spicy barbecue sauce; 2 tablespoons of chili powder; 1 1/4 teaspoons of oregano; 1 1/4 teaspoons of cumin, and a few shakes of Tabasco sauce.. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a low heat, cover, and let everything simmer for at least 2 hours. Stir every now and then.

The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste, so if possible, have everything in the pot and on the stove at noon so you can dig into a hot steaming bowl of chili at kickoff. You can add a can of kidney beans if you want, but I can deal without a bunch of farting football fans during the halftime show, so I usually don't. For an extra bit of flavour, put a cinnamon stick in the center of the chili during the simmering process.