stiffwillichili

STIFFED UP PORK SPARE RIBS

You will always find recipes that are tried and true here at the Stiff Willi blog. Here's a fantastic one for oven-tender pork spare ribs, courtesy of Eric Schillinger from Rochester, N.Y., and kicked up like only the Stiff Willi can.

INGREDIENTS
1 rack pork spare ribs brisket, bone removed
3 ounces water or beef broth

Dry Rub:
4 tablespoons T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
2 tablespoons kosher salt

PREPARATION
1. Combine spice mix and salt and rub liberally on both sides of rack (save whatever is left).

2. Wrap pork brisket in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 24 hrs.

3. It's time to cook the ribs. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place cooking/cookie rack inside to rest the ribs on as they cook.

4. Mix remaining rub with water or beef broth and pour into lined baking sheet (steamy goodness). Place ribs on the rack (meat side down) that you have in the cookie sheet and then cover with aluminum foil. Be sure to seal the sides.

5. Place ribs in a 250 degree oven for 3 hours.

6. Remove ribs. Now you have a choice to make: Do I dominate these ribs as they are, or do I take them to the next level?
 
LEVEL IT UP!!!
 
7. Brush on some T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Pepper Sauce (not too much) and place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it starts to char. Don't forget there are two sides to these ribs so don't deny the other.
 
Now have at it.

 
 

'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.

CHILI CHEESE PIZZA

On the off-chance you've got leftover chili in the fridge, here's a great spin on pizza if you're looking for a quick and easy dinner or appetizer.

If chili is cold, bring to room temperature or warm in microwave prior to assembling pizza.

INGREDIENTS
1 (11-ounce) Pillsbury pizza crust
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

PREPARATION
1. Grease a cookie sheet and layer with premade pizza dough. Preheat oven and bake for 5 minutes according to temperature indicated on the package.

 

2. Remove from oven and spread sour cream over partially baked pizza crust. 

 

3. Spread chili evenly atop sour cream layer.

 

4. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly atop chili and bake for another 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

When you pull it out of the oven it will look like hot, melty deliciousness.

 

Serves 4+.

JUST THE TIP: Add any additional toppings you like, and swap cheddar with Mexican cheese for more of a Tex-Mex flavor.

Video: T-Rev Spices up Deep-Fried Salmon at Peppers

Check out this video from my July promo at Peppers in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Chip Hearn and I put T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix to the test by having some unsuspecting customers taste it on grilled and deep-fried salmon.

It's always a little nerve-wracking when I have other people try my products on dishes I've never even prepared yet -- live on video, of all things -- but that just goes to show how much confidence I have in them.

I think the guys who sampled the deep-fried salmon had a much better reaction than the guys who tried it on the grilled version, but I was very happy to see that both groups liked my spice mix on seafood. Just goes to show that even if you're not in the mood to make a batch of chili, the spice mix has plenty of other uses.

QUICK AND DIRTY CHILI DOGS

Here's a great recipe for all you guys out there who want a fast and easy hot dog recipe for your Fourth of July party.

INGREDIENTS
1 package beef hot dogs
1 package hot dog rolls
(2) 10 oz. cans Texas Pete chili sauce
4 tbsp. T-REV’S STIFF WILLI CHILI™ SPICE MIX
8 oz. jar Cheez Whiz
12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 small yellow onion, diced

DIRECTIONS
Heat chili sauce in saucepan until it begins to simmer and stir in spice mix. Remove from heat until ready to use or keep warm on low flame.

Add half of the evaporated milk to saucepan or double boiler and bring to simmer. With heat on low, add half of the Cheez Whiz and stir until melted. Add the rest of the Cheez Whiz and thin with evaporated milk until desired consistency, stirring often to prevent skin from forming. Boil hot dogs for 5 minutes (don’t let them split open) and drain.

Assemble hot dogs and top with generous amount of chili sauce and Cheez Whiz. Add chopped onions as desired.

Of course, if you want an even better recipe and you have a bit more time, substitute this chili sauce with my homemade version.

T-Rev at Cecil's Old Mill June 26th

I'll be hosting a promo at Cecil's Old Mill tomorrow (Saturday) beginning at 11 a.m. in Great Mills, MD. Because it's been 100 degrees the past few days and doesn't appear to be letting up anytime soon, I will be giving away free samples of my fresh salsa instead of hot chili.

T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Salsa is a cool and refreshing treat that's great to munch on in the summer heat. Made with my spice mix and non-perishable ingredients, you can let it sit out on the table without worry. Serve it with some tortilla scoops and hit your bite-size servings with some of my new pepper sauce, and you'll be well on your way to a good day!

CHILI SAUCE

Here's an amazing chili sauce recipe that you'll love to use for chili cheese dogs or your favorite Tex-Mex dish. The recipe is super easy, though it will require a couple hours of cooking time to get the flavors and consistency just right. But after you crank out this bad boy, I'm pretty sure you'll agree it was worth the wait.

This recipe makes enough chili sauce for about 40 hot dogs, so if you don't need that much just cut the recipe in half. One note, however: This recipe calls for only 1/8 tsp. of all-spice with the option to add more to taste, because too much can cause the chili sauce to become a little bitter. So if you're halving the recipe, just go with a couple dashes to start and taste to adjust from there.

INGREDIENTS
3 lbs. ground chuck
1 cup (1 bottle) T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
10.75 oz. can Hunt’s tomato puree
2 cans Swanson's beef broth
2 cups water
1/8 tsp. Jamaican all-spice (regular all-spice will also do)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 pinches nutmeg
1 tsp. Kosher salt, more to taste
Vegetable oil to cook

DIRECTIONS
Brown beef in a large stock pot over medium high heat with 2 tbsp. oil. Drain fat and add 1 tsp. Kosher salt.

Stir in tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, broth, and half of the spice mix and bring to boil. Reduce immediately to simmer, cover pot, and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally and taking care not to allow the sauce to bubble too rapidly.

Add second half of spice mix along with all-spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and taste to adjust for salt. Simmer for another half-hour, stirring regularly. Begin adding water slowly, about half a cup at a time, and taste once again for additional salt.

Remove from heat after 30 minutes and allow chili sauce to cool. Enjoy with chili cheese dogs, burgers, or nachos, or refrigerate until ready to use.

Yield: A little more than half a gallon.

T-REV'S STIFF WILLI CHILI SALSA

My salsa recipe went over so well at both of my promotions this past weekend that I started to wonder why I ever gave away samples of my chili! I kid, of course, but I was very pleasantly surprised at the reception it got because summer spice mix sales will probably be largely contingent upon the delectability of non-chili dishes.

Hey, I don't know why so many people discriminate against chili when the weather gets warmer, but it is what it is. If you live outside the Sun Belt, it's probably important that I provide as many cool, refreshing recipes as possible for the summer months, so with that in mind here's one of the best.

This salsa recipe is the same as the one I provided for my fish tacos, only I added a couple teaspoons of my spice mix to it, which really gave it a nice Southwest/Tex-Mex kick. So decide which one's better for you, but this is a fantastic fresh, cold treat in the heat!

INGREDIENTS
1 ripe tomato, small dice
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 red onion, small dice
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh cooked corn (canned corn will also work)
2 tsp. T-Rev’s Stiff Willi Chili™ Spice Mix
2 tbsp. whole cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and pop it in the fridge for at least one hour. Let the flavors of the fresh ingredients do the rest.

Serve with corn chips and watch hungry guests indulge.

T-REV'S FISH TACOS

Looking for a great use for T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix when it's just too hot out for chili? Give my refreshing fish tacos a try! This cool, fresh, and delicious treat is just what you need when you're looking to chill in that hot summer heat.

Prep time will take anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes, but this is a super-easy recipe that even you beginners will be able to whip up effortlessly. So gather your friends or family and prepare to reap the accolades!

INGREDIENTS
4 tilapia fillets
8 small soft taco shells (warm prior to serving)
2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

Marinade
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 tbsp. T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (measure prior to chopping)
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced

Cilantro Yogurt Dressing
16 oz. plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (measure prior to chopping)
1/2 cucumber, seeded and small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt, pepper to taste (I like 2 pinches salt and 1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper) 

Salsa
1 ripe tomato, small dice
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 red onion, small dice
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh cooked corn sliced from the cob (canned corn will also work)
2 tbsp. whole cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime
Kosher salt, pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Whisk fresh lime juice, oil, spice mix, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in large mixing bowl. When ingredients are thoroughly combined, add tilapia fillets to the bowl, taking care to coat them evenly with marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Once all other prep is complete, fish will be ready to cook.

Next, prepare yogurt dressing by combining yogurt and sour cream in large bowl and stirring in the rest of the ingredients. If you really want to go crazy, you can add some spice mix to this sauce as well. By the way, you want make the yogurt dressing before the salsa because the flavors really meld well the colder it is, so you want to get it prepared and refrigerated as soon as possible.

Preparing this fantastic salsa couldn't be easier. Just combine all the ingredients in a bowl, pop it in the fridge until dinner is served, and let the flavors of the fresh ingredients do the rest. The recipe says salt and pepper to taste but I find that a pinch of Kosher salt and a quick shake of pepper does the trick. I mean, seriously, just look at this salsa! Make double and serve with chips before dinner!

Once your accoutrements are prepared, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove tilapia fillets from fridge and arrange neatly in a large baking dish. Pour marinade over the fillets and cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and cut the fillets into manageable portions for tacos on a serving plate.

Assemble fish tacos on soft shells with salsa, cabbage, and yogurt dressing. Top with your favorite hot sauce (which will soon hopefully be T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Pepper Sauce -- we're heading for production as we speak!)

 
 
Servings: 8

T-REV'S TOO-EASY TACOS

Here's a great recipe for taco night that couldn't be easier (or more delicious). I like to clean and prep all my condiments prior to cooking my taco meat and set them aside in the fridge or on the table. This way once the taco filling has finished cooking, everyone can sit down and assemble their tacos while the meat is still hot.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp. jalapenos (from a jar), minced
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
Kosher salt to taste

For assembly:
8-10 taco shells
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tomato, diced
1-2 cups sour cream
Taco sauce to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven and heat taco shells according to directions on box.

Cook onion in large skillet with 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil and a pinch of salt on low heat until soft. Turn heat to medium high, add ground beef, add a couple pinches of salt, and cook until brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to combine.

Transfer taco filling to serving bowl and assemble tacos to your liking. I don't have any pictures of the cooking process, but I did manage to take this one as my son was devouring his taco. And parents, if your small children will eat the food you cook for the rest of the family, you know you've got a winner!