stiffwillichili

'AMERICAN DIP' ROAST BEEF

There are few things in life better than putting your beef in a bun. Follow this ridiculously easy Americanized version of the French dip to send your family, friends, or significant other into culinary bliss. Crock pot-style!

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2-4 pounds boneless chuck roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
4 whole peppercorns
2 tablespoons T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 French rolls, split
8 slices American cheese
1 medium yellow onion, julienne
1 medium green bell pepper, julienne
2 tablespoons olive oil

PREPARATION
1. Remove roast from packaging, rinse in cold water, and pat dry with paper towel. Combine spice mix and salt in small mixing bowl, and rub mixture evenly onto roast.

2. Place roast in 5-quart slow cooker. Add soy sauce, bouillon cube, bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme. Add water until roast is two-thirds covered.

3. Cook covered on low for 6-7 hours, or until roast is very tender.

 

4. Remove roast from crock pot and set aside to rest. Reserve broth for au jus (use gravy fat separator for best results, or be a real American and dunk your sandwich right into the fat-soaked gravy).

 

5. Heat oven to 450⁰F and also bring medium size saucepan to low heat. Add oil to saucepan and slowly cook onions and peppers (covered) until soft, adding salt and pepper to taste. Stir every couple minutes to prevent vegetables from burning.

6. Open French rolls and arrange on cookie sheet. Cut cheese slices in half and add two halves to each side of every roll. Bake in oven on middle rack for 5 minutes, or until bread is toasted.

7. While rolls and veggies finish cooking, use two forks to shred chuck roast. It should pull apart very easily. Serve on French rolls topped with onions, peppers, and T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Pepper Sauce with a side of au jus* for dipping.

 

Serves 4.

* Because I can be a stickler for language, I'd be remiss if I didn't note that au jus literally translates to "with juice" or "with broth," which admittedly sounds a bit awkward when used as I did above when I said "with a side of au jus" ("with a side of 'with juice'"). However, English-speaking countries have basically adapted the term to simply mean "juice" or "broth." So, all in all, I guess I'm basically just a follower here. And I even used a split infinitive. Oh, boy.

I Partied with 'The Murph'

As I mentioned yesterday, good times were had Saturday at Peppers in Rehoboth Beach, DE. This was partly due to the fact that I met and hung out with Stephen "The Murph" Murphy, proprietor of The Murph's Famous Bloody Mary Mix. We talked about all the effort that goes into starting your own food products company, discussed how difficult (though essential) it is to compete with big distributors, and shared a few stories of our successes and failures. While all new businesses have their ups and downs, it was nice to know that other people with good products feel like they're flailing at times, too, and to simply talk to someone who actually admits it.

But what I want to talk about at the moment is Murph's bloody mary mix. To be honest, I was pretty bummed that he was giving out samples without alcohol. I'm assuming there's some Delaware regulation or liquor law that prohibits such a thing in a hot sauce shop, but a bloody mary mix really needs to be sampled as it would be prepared at the bar -- in a bloody mary. Plus, the only virgins I like are ... well, you get my drift. On the other hand, sampling this mix without liquor gave me the opportunity to appreciate the product for what it is, all naked and vulnerable. And it's a damn good bloody mary mix.

The Murph's Famous Bloody Mary Mix starts out with tomato paste and water, not vegetable juice, so that means all the flavors in the mixer are authentic. I make bloody marys from scratch using V8 juice. And while I'm not necessarily inclined to use a prepared mix, I'm generally not a fan of tomato juice in and of itself, either. However, although I sampled Murph's mix all by itself, it was much easier on the palate than even a good tomato juice. It was smooth and flavorful with no hint of individually overbearing ingredients (much less the "heavy" taste you often get with some of the mainstream bloody mary mixes). To me, this is especially important when it comes to horseradish. While no bloody mary (or mix) is complete without fresh horseradish, too much can ruin the drink. If you like heat, there are ways to add it without having to spend ten minutes fishing horseradish chunks out of your teeth.

That said, for my taste Murph's mix could've been a little spicier, but I admit I'm nitpicking. It's much easier to add extra heat than it is to adjust overall flavor, and The Murph's Famous has it just about right when it comes to taste. So if you want to spice up your bloody mary, just pour in a little T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Pepper Sauce (or those other guys if you must) and you'll be good to go. Not to mention, The Murph always has the option of adding a hot 'n' spicy version to his lineup. (Hey, come to think of it, I think The Murph's "Extra Stiff" Bloody Mary Mix has a nice ring to it!)

All this bloody mary talk makes me want to blow through a 12-pack tonight so I have a good excuse to make one of Murph's slutty, non-virgin bloody marys tomorrow morning. That's right, I haven't even used it in a drink yet -- that's how confident I am in this mix. I highly recommend it, especially for the bloody mary enthusiast who's looking for a great new product, or even the skilled mixologist who wants an all-in-one, no hassle bloody mary mix that rivals his scratch recipe when he's finally kicking back at home.

If you'd like to order The Murph's Famous Bloody Mary Mix, you can get it at Murph's website or save a couple bucks by picking up a bottle at Peppers, which is running an in-store special at $4.99 a bottle (or order here online).

Pitcher and Pizza Night with Ben at 'The Door'

Last night my wife, Amie, and son, Jake (henceforth referred to as "Biggie Smalls"), joined me as we hung out with Ben Clark and the rest of his posse for pitcher and pizza night at the infamous Green Door in St. Mary's City.

Imagine my surprise when I walked in and saw Ben rocking a T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili t-shirt while enjoying a refreshing cocktail. Here I am trying to do what I can to support a friend losing his battle with brain cancer, and he's the one supporting me. Typical Ben.

Many thanks to my friend Kim for taking these great photos!

 
Ben and Amie

 
Ben, Amie, and Biggie Smalls with Mel and KC in the background

 
Ben and me

 
Does it get better than this?

 
L to R: MomMom, Mike (foreground), Ben, Rick, and me  

T-Rev's Super Bowl Class -- Feb. 6, 2010!

If you happen to live in the southern Maryland area and you're looking for some great dishes to serve up for your upcoming Super Bowl party, be sure to sign up for my next cooking class, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 (the day before the Super Bowl) at Quality Street Kitchen & Catering in Leonardtown, Md.

The course costs $55, which is a bargain as you will be served Buffalo Wings with my homemade Bleu Cheese, Mozzarella Crostini with Marinara Sauce, Grilled Reubens with homemade Russing Dressing, and, of course, my award-winning T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili. Oh, and the service also includes wine, so you can work on your buzz while I work on making your stomach happy!

Here are some photos from a great class last year.

If you'd like to hire me to give a cooking class/demo at your restaurant or shop, just send me an email here.