Add some heat to that margarita or Paloma with jalapenos

BY CAREY JONES   –   Tasting Table

A beautiful jalapeno infused cocktail
Photo: Tasting Table

Spicy cocktails have never been hotter (pardon the pun). Bar goers can’t get enough of drinks that pack a little heat; in fact, even bars that don’t have a spicy margarita on the menu will hear requests for one. And if you’re looking to recreate those spicy drinks at home, there’s no easier way than these two magic words: jalapeño tequila.

Some mixologists will use hot peppers to create tinctures or bitters that impart serious sizzle; others, meanwhile, will muddle slices of pepper right in the cocktail shaker. But as a home bartender, odds are you’re not looking to get too technical. And muddling fresh jalapeño peppers into every cocktail can be messy and cumbersome—it’s also impractical when serving a crowd, since some jalapeños are hotter than others.

That’s why infusing tequila is your best bet. All you need to do is place the peppers in the liquor, let the mixture sit, strain it—and boom, you’re done.

Now, about specifics: A solid ratio is two medium-sized jalapeño peppers to every 750-milliliter bottle of tequila. Choose whichever brand you like, just make sure it says “100 percent blue agave” on the label. Z Tequila is a great value.

Slice the tops off the peppers, cut them into thin strips, and place both the cut peppers and the seeds into a sealable container. Pour in the tequila, cover, let sit overnight, and then strain out the peppers and seeds. Pour the infused tequila back into the bottle, and you’re good to go.

Once you’ve mastered your first batch, toy with the heat level—try a single  jalapeño for a gentle tingle and a few for a spicy punch.

Here are two great drinks to make with jalapeno-infused tequila.

Margarita

Combine two ounces of jalapeño tequila, an ounce of fresh lime juice and ¾ ounce of agave syrup (agave cut 1:1 with hot water) in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a rocks glass with ice (salted rim optional). Garnish with a lime wheel or a thin slice of jalapeño.

Paloma

Combine 1½ ounces of jalapeño tequila, 1 ounce of fresh grapefruit juice and ½  ounce of agave syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a tall glass with ice. Top with 2 ounces of club soda and give it a brief stir. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and/or a few thin slices of jalapeño.

Carey Jones is a New York-based food and travel writer and the author of Brooklyn Bartender: A Modern Guide to Cocktails and Spirits. Follow her on Twitter at @careyjones.

By Krissie Mason   –   Outdoorhub

Time to make some room in the freezer for the 2017 fall hunting season? Here’s a scrumptious maple marinade recipe for a cast-iron seared venison, elk or other big game steak that produces a caramelized crust on a plush, butter-tender, eye-popping, sub-primal cut of meat.

Are you hungry yet? Use it on a freezer steak, or save this one for a fresh cut from deer camp.  Either way, start off with super sharp knives so you can carve juicy, succulent slices of tender, tantalizing medium-rare meat for any steak sandwich you want to create. That is, if you don’t gobble them up hot off the grill first!

Maybe you are thinking a VBLT (venison, bacon, lettuce and tomato) as shown in the photo above, or maybe elk sliders? In the past, I’ve combined the tongue wagging slabs from this recipe with thick-cut bacon, heirloom tomatoes, griddle grilled sweet potato, lettuce, and a peppered wild plum aioli spread for a VBLT.

I’ve also used them to make elk sliders that will knock you silly. Build this sandwich on mini pretzel buns with a double soft cream cheese, slaw, and an onion ring for garnish. This maple marinade is well suited for venison, elk, pronghorn, mountain goat, moose, bison or any other large game animal.

How to Make the Marinade:

Ingredients for Vermont Maple Seasonings Marinade (for approximately 1.5 pounds of meat)

2 tablespoons brown sugar­­

1/8 teaspoon fennel

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon sage

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 pinch cayenne

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

5 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 jalapenos quartered lengthwise

Mix all ingredients into a paste. If desired, add more seasoning according to what your taste buds are telling you. Halve the mixture and then massage into meat tissue on each side. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

When you are ready, heat the griddle to medium high. You don’t want it too high or your brown sugar and maple syrup components will burn. When the griddle is hot, drizzle some olive oil on the pan and lay on the steak, searing the first side. Don’t flip flop the meat from one side to the other. Leave it alone.

After 5-7 minutes, turn the meat and allow to char for another 3-5 minutes. The absolute best way to serve this cut is medium-rare to rare, so take care of that steak you worked so hard to harvest!

Throw on the jalapenos, seeds and all, and char. A bite of one of these along with a jigger of whiskey, or Kentucky bourbon, will warm you like nothing else when you come in from your deer stand or down off the mountain.

Remove steak and jalapenos and let rest for about 5 minutes. Slice thin and devour. Or, prepare this succulent bite as the hero ingredient in a steak sandwich of choice.

by Randy Shannon   –   WTVB

It’s a mouthful to say, and a savory mouthful to eat.  Smoked turkey, stuffed with cheddar and jalapenos, wrapped in bacon and smoked to perfection!

Jalapeno and cheddar stuffed turkey

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Turkey tenderloins, or cutlets
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• shredded cheddar cheese
• thin cut bacon
• your favorite rub ( or mine )

Take the tenderloins and flatten them slightly with a meat mallet.  Then prepare the brine.  Poultry has a tendency to dry out in the smoker, so a brine is always a good idea.  I only needed about 4 cups total, so here is the brine I used.

• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Serrano pepper sauce (which I get at  Oneida Market )

Mix together and pour into a resealable bag.  Add the turkey tenderloins, seal the bag and place back in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

When ready to prepare, get your smoker up to temp (240°).  Take the tenderloins out of the brine and rinse well with cold water to remove any excess salt.  Pat dry with paper towel and place on a sheet of wax paper.

Add a layer of rub to both sides of the turkey.  For ease of wrapping, I place two pieces of bacon in an X pattern under the turkey.  Sprinkle the jalapenos on one half of the turkey, then cover with the cheddar cheese.  Fold the turkey over on itself and wrap tightly with the bacon, using toothpicks to hold it in place if necessary.  Add another layer of rub to the outside of the bacon wrapped turkey.

Place in the smoker on full smoke for approximately 2 hours, or until the turkey has reached a safe eating temp of 165°.  I used mesquite wood in my smoker and made sure the water basin was full.  For a little variation, I filled it with some wheat beer I had on hand.

**Full disclosure: My daughter was complaining that it was taking too long, so I smoked it for an hour, then finished it on the grill for about 10 minutes.  I thought it might crisp up the bacon… it did not.

Let the meat sit for 15-20 minutes and serve.

By Sandy Oliver   –   Bangor Daily News

Tex Mex Chicken with Jalapenos

Cumin, chili powder, onions, garlic, green chilies or jalapenos, all on something, topped with cheese makes it Tex-Mex, it seems. Tex-Mex bananas anyone? Or how about chicken instead? Now we are talking.

Quite a while ago, reader Josephine Belknap sent along a grand collection of Tex-Mex recipes. Every once in a while, when I feel bored with my cooking, I thumb through them, and have shared some with you already. The Tex-Mex Chicken with Chiles and Cheese appealed this time and I made it for supper to general household approbation.

Josephine had noted on the recipe that she likes to use chicken thighs in this recipe, but breasts work, too, and that is what I used. Boneless is better, and whether or not you leave the skin on is up to you. Mine were skinless and I thought the corn and peppers in this dish provided enough moisture that skins didn’t seem necessary. Speaking of peppers, I seldom have jalapenos on hand, so I used a small can of chopped green chilies. To add just a bit of heat, I sprinkled in some red pepper flakes. The corn, homegrown, came out of the freezer but before too long (next week) it will come out of the garden here.

I made Spanish rice to go with the chicken, but if you wanted to, you could roll the chicken and vegetables up in a flour tortilla, enchilada style.

This dish came together pretty quickly – about a half-hour’s time. It tasted like something that took longer to cook.