What is Garlic Aioli?
By: Jack Mancuso
Date: April 01, 2024
An Aioli purest will tell you that a true aioli is made from salt, garlic, and oil. Even the word aioli means garlic oil! However, as you might expect, people started tinkering with it. Other fresh herbs like basil came into the equation. No one knows for certain exactly when the recipe began. It’s most certainly ancient and likely from the Mediterranean/Egyptian region. Southern France popularized aioli, which remains a common element in meals. Is Aioli Just Mayonnaise? There is a difference between garlic mayonnaise and aioli. True aioli begins with mashed garlic cloves until it becomes pasty. Then, you add olive oil very slowly. You need patience and a strong arm to get to the necessary consistency. As a result, many recipes (like the one here) include egg yolk, making defining the line between the two more difficult. Meanwhile, mayonnaise simplifies things by using eggs as the emulsifier. Also, most, mayonnaise until recently used canola or vegetable oil instead of olive oil. Ingredients 2 egg yolks 1 tsp chopped chive ** ½ tsp Kosher salt ½ lemon, juiced 2 cloves smashed garlic (or more) ⅔ c Extra Virgin Olive Oil ** Chive is an “add-on.” You can eliminate it, or substitute it with things like lemon zest, basil, chipotle, dill, or parsley. INSTRUCTIONS Place the egg, chives, salt, lemon, and garlic into your blender. Process for 20 seconds Make sure the blender is on the lowest setting Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the blend. Take your time. After 2 minutes, you should have your finished aioli. Do not freeze aioli (it will split when you defrost). However, you can keep it in an airtight container in your refrigerator for about a week to ten days. PitMaster’s Memo: Using Aioli You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well aioli pairs with food. I used a basil version to make a rack of lamb! Aioli brings bright flavors to things like: Burgers Caesar dressing Chicken Crab cakes Egg salad French fries Grilled seafood Roasted vegetables Tuna salad Sandwiches By the way, you can use aioli as a marinade (great for fried chicken) or a binder for dry barbecue rubs like the all-natural blends we offer at CusoCuts.
Spicy Bacon Burnt Ends
By: Jack Mancuso
Date: March 28, 2024
In my experience, people love burnt ends once introduced to them. There’s a satisfying crunch combined with a delectable interior that lights up your taste buds. I’ve tried various burnt-end recipes, including Beef Burnt Ends Chuck Beef Burnt Ends Spicy Barbecue Burnt Ends and Crunchy Pork Belly Burnt Ends Each has its own allure and flavor profile. But what about bacon? We always say, “Everything’s better with bacon,” so why not spicy bacon burnt ends? An Ideal Slab of Bacon Shopping for bacon is similar to looking for any other type of burnt-end foundation. You want great marbling. Fat equals flavor. The key is ensuring you have a good balance of meat. Some bacon is just too fatty, and you’ll have a failed dish if you use it. You can get thick sliced bacon at your butcher for this, but I find a slab works better for cutting it into 1-inch cubes. If you want, you can use hickory or applewood smoked bacon if you can find a whole piece. Ingredients 1 lb uncured, raw bacon 1 tbsp Cuso’s Maple Bourbon BBQ Rub 3 tbsp Crushed pineapple with juice 3 tbsp Maple syrup ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp Hot sauce ½ c Ketchup ¼ c Molasses Instructions Preheat the smoker to 275F Cut the bacon into 1-inch cubes Toss them with Cuso’s Maple Bourbon Seasoning Make sure to coat them evenly all over Place a rack on a baking tray, and put the cubes fat-side up After an hour, check the internal temperature of the bacon As it smokes, put the remaining ingredients in a saucepan Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes** When it’s 202F, remove it from the smoker and transfer the bacon to a disposable aluminum pan. Pour the sauce over the cubes in the pan Toss them for even coating Return the bacon to the smoker for 30 minutes Cool for 5 minutes before serving ** Tip: You can make this ahead of time and let the flavors marry in the refrigerator overnight. PitMaster’s Memo: Are Burnt Ends Really “Burnt?” Normally, hearing the word “burnt” in any culinary setting isn’t a good sign. However, burnt ends are different. They just have a solid, sticky bark outside from the second cook. The sauce creates a great texture and adds another layer of flavor to the bacon. Sides Biscuits Dirty rice Pickle tray Smoked corn on the cob Southern mash Dessert Bourbon-soaked ginger rolls Grilled pineapple Honey cornbread Maple walnut cake Peanut brittle From the Bar Apricot martini Beaujolais Dry pilsner Frozen cider Tangerine vodka
Beer Brined Chicken Wings
By: Jack Mancuso
Date: March 25, 2024
Another chicken wing recipe? You bet! If you’ve watched any of my vids you know I love wings and enjoy playing with their flavors even more. Thus far, I’ve introduced you to Buffalo Garlic Parmesan Wings Cherry Pepsi Wings Hot Honey Lime Wings Nashville Wings Sweet and Spicy Wings Just to name a few. Why Brine? Today, we’ll add beer-brined wings to the list. Why should you brine with beer? Well, while you’re enjoying a cold one yourself, the beer tenderizes the wings. Dark ale also saturates the wings with a malty wonderfulness. More importantly, brining helps with juiciness since wings can dry out quickly on the grill. This recipe is as simple as 1, 2, 3! Brine the wings Add dry rub to the wings Grill the wings Ingredients - Brine 3 lbs chicken wings (drums and flats) 2 bottles Imperial Stout 1 tbsp pink or kosher salt 1 tbsp red pepper flakes ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp dill 1 tsp peppercorns Ingredients - Rub CusoCuts has several all-natural spice blends perfect for chicken wings. Which one you choose depends on your personal tastes Hot Honey Seasoning: A layer of sweet and heat Smoky Garlic Buffalo Seasoning: This goes well with the sauce suggested here Tequila Lime Habanero Seasoning: A nifty twist on wings with a Mexican flare. Roasted Garlic Onion Seasoning: These flavors are light on the palate for those who don’t like “hot” Ingredients - Sauce A traditional Buffalo-style sauce is nothing more than ⅓ cup Frank’s Hot Sauce and a hardy tablespoon of butter (melted and mixed). For a sticker sauce, add a cup of brown sugar, or some molasses. Instructions Put together your beer brine in a container with an air-tight lid. Add the wings to the brine (make sure they’re covered) Refrigerate the wings for 8 hours, shaking every 2 hours to mix up the spices Drain the brine Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel. If you want extra crispy wings, leave them on a cookie rack for 3 hours in the refrigerator. Set up your grill for 375F Spread the wings, leaving room between them Grill for 15 minutes, then flip for 15 minutes more Remove them at 165F, allowing them to sit for 5 minutes which will increase the temperature internally for greater flavor In a small pan, melt the hot sauce and butter together. If you want any additions to the sauce, now’s the time to put them into the mix. At this point, your treatment of the wings can go one of three ways Toss the wings in the sauce Leave the sauce on the side for dipping Toss some; leave some, keeping enough sauce for dipping PitMaster’s Memo: Why Does Brine Work? The salt in a brine helps with osmosis. In other words, the wings absorb liquid, and if applicable, additional flavors. Some people use only water and salt for their brine, which seems rather dull. You can use any liquid foundation, including wine, juice, and soda pop. Sides Mini bratwurst bites Oven-fried potato wedges Pizza rolls Seven-layer dip with chips Turkey and Swiss sliders Desserts Butter tarts Fried dough Lavender cookies Lemon sorbet Torrone From the Bar American Lager Dry Reisling Fireball whisky Mojito Sweet tea
What is Carnitas?
By: Jack Mancuso
Date: March 21, 2024
As the food generation grows with knowledge of food from around the world, new words come into the English vocabulary (well, old words, just new to us). Carnitas is one of them. In Spanish, carnitas translates as “little meats.” It’s a simple dish that’s easy on the budget. Carnitas begin as a piece of pork with heavy marbling, like a pork shoulder. The meat braises with seasonings and lard until it’s nearly melty. Next, the pork is shredded and then roasted for crispness. In this form, it can become part of a main meal or added to things like tacos and burritos. The aroma while it cooks is astounding. Carnitas’ Kissing Cousins At the point where you have pulled pork… well, you have pulled pork. But it is not carnitas. Pulled pork remains soft, while carnitas receive a last round of roasting for that crunch. Barbacoa is another preparation similar to carnitas but made from beef. Like pulled pork, it’s slow-braised with adobo seasonings (sometimes marinated) but doesn’t undergo the last step, which separates carnitas from the pack. Ingredients 3 ½ lbs pork butt, shoulder, or picnic pork 4 tbsp salt (for dry brining) 1 lb lard 2 oranges 1 large onion 6 cloves garlic 2 tsp oregano ¼ cup pink salt 1 tbsp lime juice 1 hardy tbs peppercorns 2 bay leaves 14 oz. liquid ** ** water, stock, cola, orange juice, etc. Instructions Use a good Chef’s Knife to cut the pork into chunks (for this size about 6 pieces). Sprinkle the pork with the salt and let it sit for an hour in the refrigerator Use a large pot like a stock pot or Dutch oven Melt just a little of the lard so you can brown the pork Remove the meat, and add in the remaining lard Watch for it to come to a low boil Put the pork back into the pot and let it be Over the next 20 minutes, turn the pieces periodically Quarter the orange and onion Smash the garlic Reduce the heat on the stove Add in the remaining ingredients but for the liquid portion into the pot. Let these simmer on low for an hour Add the liquid portion, and continue simmering for another 2 ½ hours. If they’re not pull-apart tender yet, let them cook a while longer. Preheat your oven to 400F Transfer the meat to a baking sheet Baste the pieces with a little cooking liquid Bake, turning them repeatedly until there are some crispy edges surrounding tender meat. PitMastler’s Memo: Carnitas Enter Stage Right Pigs made their way to the “New World” in the late 1400s. A story tells us that Herman Cortes invites people to a celebration to celebrate the fall of the Aztec Empire. Pig was available, so they were butchered and cooked in their own lard. The side dish? Cornbread. Sides Black bean salad Cilantro Lime Rice Mexican street corn Tortilla soup Queso and chips Desserts Apple enchiladas Chocolate dipped strawberries Churros Tamarind candy Tres leches cake From the Bar Albarino Aguas Frescas Prickly pear margarita Smoked porter Tequila
Smoked Alligator
By: Jack Mancuso
Date: March 18, 2024
Hamburger…. Chicken…. Pork… over and over again. Yes, they are staples in the house, and you can make numerous meals out of them. But what about the proverbial other white meat? Alligator is a good place to start if you’re looking for something exotic. People often refer to it as the “chicken of the swamp” because it indeed has a flavor somewhat like chicken! Smoked alligator meat is far more versatile than you might expect. It’s certainly a way to surprise your guests! Fire up your smoker with me today and give alligator a chance to impress. You’ll find it tender, tasty, and juicy when cooked properly. Brine the Alligator Meat? Many chefs like to brine their alligator meat before applying a dry rub, particularly large pieces. The approach here is using a seasoned buttermilk mix like you might for deep-fried chicken. It’s simple and offsets the more unusual flavors of alligator hiding in the background. A basic brine consists of 3 cups brown sugar, 1 cup salt, and 2 cups white sugar for each gallon of water. However, you have options for additional ingredients like lemons, oranges, thyme, bay, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes. Let the alligator sit in the brine for 16-24 hours. Dry Rub for Alligator If you decide to skip the brine, you can move on to applying a dry rub for flavor. You can also use seasonings in tandem with brining. In either case, pat the meat dry before adding the spices. Apply the rub evenly on all sides of the meat. Some of Cuso Cut’s All Natural Seasonings you can try as rubs on your alligator include: Coconut Rum Gravel Hot Honey and Maple Bourbon Wait 30 minutes to an hour before smoking the meat so those flavors work their magic. You can adjust this recipe depending on the number of guests. With sides, each person will eat about ⅓ lb of alligator filet. Suggested smoking woods: Pecan, hickory, apple, cherry, or oak. Ingredients 1-pound alligator filets ½ c buttermilk 1 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp white sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp fresh ground pepper Cuso’s All-Natural Seasoning (your choice) Instructions Mix together the buttermilk with all seasonings save for your final rub Place the alligator filets into a Ziplock bag Pour the buttermilk mixture inside Let the meat sit for three hours in the refrigerator Heat the smoker to 225F Dust the filets with Cuso’s Seasoning on both sides Place on the smoker for 30-60 minutes Check at the 30-minute mark. They’re done when the internal temperature reads 160F PitMaster’s Memo: Bite by Bite Just like different parts of a cow taste somewhat different, the part of the alligator you cook will have its own distinction. Legs, for example, are tougher than other parts of the alligator. They’re dark meat; you can cook them like chicken wings. The ribs respond to slow cooking. If you don’t overcook them, they’ll be fall-off-the-bone tender. You can smoke alligator ribs, too, but it’s advisable to marinate them for three or more hours. Finally, the tail is the star of the show. It’s all white meat. You can treat it as a good steak. Grill it, smoke it, fry it, bake it… you don’t even have to marinate the meat for a tender, juicy result. Sides Buttermilk slaw Cajun Remoulade sauce Rice stuffed zucchini Salt n’ vinegar fries Smoked scalloped potatoes Dessert Banana split Bread pudding with whisky sauce Mandarin sorbet Molasses cookies Pistachio pie From the Bar Alligator Bite Green “Gator”ade Jagermeister liqueur Pinot Grigio Sierra Nevada Pale Ale