Thursday, June 19, 2014

Smoked Chicken & Bean Burrito and the Big Kahuna Wing Festival

Question:  Where can you sample 30 chicken wings from 30 competition teams for only $10, plus get a day full of entertainment?

Answer:  The Big Kahuna Wing Festival in Knoxville THIS SATURDAY benefiting the Empty Stocking Fund and the Ronald McDonald House.


More about this cool event in just a minute, but first let me share this recipe for smoked chicken and bean burritos that we made from leftovers the other day, because they were delicious.  This recipe would also work exceptionally well with leftover rotisserie chicken.


Last Sunday, John and I were running some temperature tests on The Warthog (our trailer mounted BBQ pit) after we had made some modification.  The testing involved running the smoker with about a half dozen temperature probes to check for hot spots in the cooking chamber.  We weren't intending to cook anything but the smoke smelled so good we decided to through some chicken in there while we tested.

The wires are for the temperature probes.


So now I had a bunch of leftover smoked chicken breasts for the week to make things like smoked chicken salad, tacos, etc.


I was in the mood for something Tex-Mex and this is what I came up with.  For the cheese in the cheese sauce we used some of my cold smoked colby jack cheese but you can use whatever you like.  If you don't like cilantro, throw something else green in there, like maybe some diced green onion. For a spicier cheese sauce use BKW Fire instead of the BKW original.

Smoked Chicken and Bean Burritos
www.nibblemethis.com
makes:  6
prep time:  20 minutes
cook time:  20 minutes

Ingredients
  • 2 cups diced smoked chicken 
  • 2 cans pinto beans, drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
  • 1 tsp BKW Original Gourmet Seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp BKW Fire Seasoning
  • 6 flour tortillas, burrito size
  • 12 slices pepper jack cheese
For The Sauce
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon BKW Original Gourmet Seasoning

Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven or a grill set up for indirect heat to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, beans, cilantro (or green onion), BKW Original Gourmet Seasoning, and BKW Fire seasoning.
  3. Place two slices of pepper jack cheese on the edge of a burrito as shown below and top with 1/6th of the chicken mixture (a few spoonfuls).  Roll the burrito up and place seam side down in a lightly greased casserole dish.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and chicken mixture.
  4. Place the burritos in the oven or grill and cook until the tortilla tops are starting to brown, about 20 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan and saute the diced onion and red bell pepper until softened about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat, add the cream and heat just below a simmer, stirring occasionally, until a "skin" forms on the top, about 10 minutes.  
  6. Stir in the shredded cheese in small batches and stir until melted.  Add the cilantro (or green onion) and BKW Original Gourmet Seasoning.  Taste and add more BKW Original as desired.  Keep warm over very low heat until burritos are served.
  7. Remove the burritos, top with about 1/4 cup of the cheese sauce, and serve.

We used fresh red bell pepper but you could also use roasted red bell pepper for a smokier flavor.  Just add it with the cilantro at the end instead of sauteing it with the onion.

If you like black beans instead, feel free to use them.

How to roll a burrito
Setting it up like this makes it easy to roll up.

how to roll a burrito
Fold the sides in like this and then use your thumbs to roll up the bottom edge.  Thank goodness for opposable thumbs or the human species may never have made burritos.

how to roll a burrito
Then just keep rolling up until the seam is on the bottom.  Done!

We like to serve these with a quick Tex Mex Rice.
Big Kahuna Wing Festival 
So back to the Big Kahuna Wing Festival in Knoxville this coming weekend - you want to check this out if you're local.

I got the chance to sit down with the festival organizer, Matt Beeler, last week to find out more about this exciting event. 

Even though the contest is only in its second year, it's development starts way back in the 60's when Matt's family had a special wing rub that they made each year for their University of Tennessee tailgates.  This special wing rub is now BKW Original Gourmet Seasoning, the cornerstone of Matt's family business - BKW Seasonings.


Matt attended the Southern Hot Wing Festival in Memphis and decided organizing a wing contest in Knoxville would not only be good for marketing but it would be fun for the community and help raise funds for charities as well. 

The Big Kahuna Wing Festival will feature 30 teams that will descend on World's Fair Park on Saturday, June 21, 2014 to battle it out for the ultimate bragging rights for best wings in the region.  The teams include restaurants, companies, and competition cooking teams.  The teams will cook 6,000 pounds of wings for the hungry crowds (unlike BBQ competitions which usually only cook for the judges).   The cooking methods will vary, including frying, smoking, grilling, and probably some combinations of those methods.  The contest will be decided by a panel of celebrity judges, who will determine who makes the best wings around.

General admission tickets are just $10 ($8 if you buy them in advance online or at Food City) and that will get you 30 wings - one sample from each team.  If you really want more wings from a certain team, you can get more from them by donating a $1 per wing.  If you have a ravenous appetite, you can buy a VIP ticket and get unlimited samples plus get in an hour early before the lines start.

In addition to the wing contest, there will be live music pretty much all day, there are 5 bands lined up.  There will also be a wing eating competition, a kids fun section, and a silent auction. So if you are in the area, come on down to the Big Kahuna Wing Festival this Saturday and join me in pounding down some delicious wings!

BKW Seasonings are available ONLINE and in select grocery stores, such as; Kroger, Food City, Winn-Dixie, and Fresh Market.  I'll be doing a full post about the rubs, sauces, and the new BKW Restaurant opening soon, coming up shortly but so far I like what I've tasted. 

[Standard FTC Disclaimer]  I have no affiliation with BKW Seasonings, I did not receive any compensation for this post, and I paid full price for my BKW Seasonings.