1 lb Sausage cut 1/4 in. thick 3 tb Salt
2 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 ts Cayenne pepper
1 medium onion
3 Bay leaves
1/2 Bell pepper
3 oz Tomato paste
2 Cloves garlic
1/2 lb Peeled shrimp
2-1/2 c Water
1-1/2 c Raw rice
– Saute sausage, chicken, onions, bell pepper and garlic until sausage and chicken are browned.
– Add the water, salt, cayenne, bay leaf and tomato paste.
– Bring to a boil with the lid on.
– When water boils add the shrimp and the raw rice.
– Stir and lower heat.
– Let rice simmer, stirring every five minutes until rice is cooked.
1. Pound boned (or boneless) chicken breast to 1/2 inch
2. Pat the chicken in the seasonings and grill until done.
3. Slice chicken in thin (1/4 inch) slices
4. Put chicken slices back in pan with a little oil, the diced tomato and mushrooms for 2 minutes.
5. Add the honey, mustard and cream.
6. Cook for 5 minutes at medium heat. toss in cooked linguini.
I like Lefty’s Fish and Chicken Mix which is also great with pork. There are a couple ways of using it. You can mix it with water to make the meat moist. Then you can roll the moistened meat right into the Lefty’s mix. Alternately, you can simply pat the Lefty’s seasoning right on the meat. You get a lot of it in a reasonably priced, resealable bag. I don’t really consider Lefty’s a rub, but it is good and way to very lightly bread your meat. It can be used in baking, frying, and grilling your meats.
But, if you want to create your own rub, I have a list of possible ingredients that you can experiment with and a couple of rub recipes to get you started.
Dry Rub Possible Ingredient List
Paprika
Dry Mustard
Chili Powder
Black Pepper
Unrefined Salt
Cayenne
Coriander
Cumin
Dried Lemon/Lime Zest
Brown Sugar
Sage
Thyme
Oregano
Paprika is the base for the majority of dry rubs. Many use an equal amount of 10 different spices (from above list). Here is a basic dry rub recipe:
3 parts paprika
1 part cayenne pepper
1 part onion powder
1 part black pepper
1 part unrefined salt
1 part sage
1 part lemon pepper
1 part dried lemon zest
TIPS:
Adjust the cayenne for heat/spiciness.
Paprika and ground black pepper will take the rub closer to blackening.
The longer the rub has in contact with the meat the more flavors will mix with it.
The best way to get a crispy crust is to make sure the cooking surface it hot.
Cook it for several minutes on the hot heat. Then turn it down. The hot heat will sear the rub into the meat quickly.
Alternate Rub Recipe (1-/12 cup yield):
1/2 Cup Paprika
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Unrefined Salt
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust for heat)
Wet Rub
Generally speaking, a wet rub is a dry rub with something moist added to it. Water is the initial additive. However, honey, lime juice, bourbon, beer, soy sauce, and/or vinegar can be added to taste according to your taste. The wet rub can be basted on as the meat cooks or it can be used as a marinade and used as a baste after the meat marinates in it. Marinating essentially has some of the same effect that a brining solution. The meat become moister and the spices move into the meat along with that moisture.
After dining at Chipotle Grill, we discovered bean bowls and found that we could make them at home. Not only could we make them at home, we could make them even fresher than what Chipotle Grill offers. These bean bowls are all you need for a meal and are healthy. There are 3 main things that go into one of our homemade bean bowls:
Ingredients
1. Meat
Grill your meat if you can; otherwise, broil in the oven. Spice with garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Once the meat is cooked, cube into small pieces. We’ve used chicken (preferred), lean pork, or steak. All are good. Once large chicken breat, one lean pork chop (butterfly cuts work well, or a small steak is all that you really need.
2. Fresh Salsa
Cubed, fresh tomatoes (2-3 medium sized)
Cilantro, minced to taste
Fresh, Hot peppers (jalapeno, serrano, chili, cayenne, tabasco) any of these work and use to your heat level
Lime Juice (a good squeeze of one half)
Tablespoon of Olive Oil
Minced, fresh celery (1/4 stalk)
Finely chopped, fresh onions
Shredded Lettuce (on the side)
Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl
3. Beans
One can of pinto or black beans (we prefer pintos)
BOWL PREPARATION
Place a single layer of beans in the bottom of the bowl
Add a layer of meat over the layer of beans
Add a layer of the fresh salsa on top of that
Optionally, you can add small dollops of yogurt or sour cream on top of the fresh salsa
Add a layer of lettuce on top (alternately, you may place a layer of lettuce on the bottom as Chipotle does)
NOTES: Vegetarians can obviously omit the meat. Adding some hot, commercial salsa or additional fresh hot peppers will kick it up an extra notch. We found that 2 serrano peppers will make it nice and heated; on the other hand, one will definitely suffice for those who have a low heat tolerance.
The primary reasons for marinating meat in a brine solution is to add moisture and tenderize the meat. This is done through the process of osmosis which is the direct movement of the brine water molecules through the semi-permeable meat membrane into a area of higher water concentration. The osmosis tends to equalize the water concentrations on the two sides of the membrane. The brine solution also breaks down some of the proteins making the meat more tender. The flavor of the meat remains relatively unchanged in the process beside the obvious salt addition.
How Long Does Meat Need to Brine?
The general rule of thumb is to brine meat for 1 hour per pound of meat. For smaller amounts of meat, 1 hour is the accepted minimum. The brining process takes longer with larger cuts of meat. There is a point on diminishing returns though because leaving the meat in the brine for too long will make it begin to disintegrate.
Can Brining Be Used On Any Meat?
Poultry and Pork are the suggested meats to brine. Steaks and fish do not gain any appreciable advantage from the brining technique.
Can you Add Spices and Other Additions to the Brine?
Yes and you should. Many varieties of spices and flavors can be added to the brine. Those additions will directly affect the taste of the meat. Some items that may be added to the brine solution are:
Chopped, minced, or powdered garlic
Chopped, minced, or powdered onion
Sliced or minced hot peppers – Jalapeno, Serrano, Tabasco, etc.
Sprigs of Rosemary
Thyme
Sage
Sugar – Brown sugar or Raw Un-Processed sugar is recommended. Sugar is a very popular addition to brines
Soy Sauce
Vinegar (small amounts, you don’t want the brine to become too acidic)
Orange, lemon, lime – this can be the rinds or the juice (small amounts, you don’t want the brine to become too acidic)
Most any powdered spice may be used according to the type of meat and it’s use in your recipe. Here are a few of them:
Cayenne
Cumin
Basil
Oregano
Coriander
Notes:
Place the brining meat in the refrigerator and keep it covered.
One way to contain the brining meat is to put it in a heavy duty, sealable freezer bag and add your brine. Attempt to release as much of the air out of the bag as is practical.
When frying, grilling or baking chicken that has the skin on, take a paper towel and dab the excess moisture from the skin. Removing the excess moisture will make the skin crispier.
Roast chicken in the oven, view from the inside of the oven. Cooking in the oven.
