Book Cook: Diva Q's Slashed Potatoes with Chipotle Aioli

[FTC Standard Disclosure]  I received no compensation for this post.  The book link is an Amazon Affiliate link.

This recipe puts a spin on the typical "steak and potatoes" in both flavor and flair.  The Hasselbeck style potato and chipotle aioli are eye-catching and palate-pleasing.

Diva Q's Slashed Potatoes with Chipotle Aioli

I found these two gorgeous USDA Prime, Certified Angus Beef® Brand ribeye steaks, and I wanted to come up with a side worthy of the steaks.

I've had people ask me if I get special treatment from the butchers at Food City because my steaks always look so good.  The assumption is that the butchers hold the "good stuff" for me.  While I am friendly with Justin and the team, almost every steak I cook on here was bought straight out of the meat counter.  

I went to my bookcase, found this recipe in Danielle Bennett's Diva Q's Barbecue, found this recipe, and knew it was "the one."  I did a full book review when it came out in 2016. Filled with almost 200 lip-smacking recipes and loaded with grilling tips, this book should be in your BBQ library.

When I slice Hasselbeck potatoes, I put chopsticks on both sides of the potato as a guide to keep me from inadvertently slicing all the way through the potato.

Book Cook: Ribeye Steak with Brown Butter Bacon Sauce

[FTC Standard Disclosure]  I received no compensation for this post.

Brown butter is clarified butter's wilder brother.  Where clarified butter is polished and mild, brown butter is edgy and has a boisterous flavor.  It is nutty and fragrant from the browned milk solids. Chef Tuffy Stone harnesses that raucousness to create a multifaceted steak in his recipe:  New York Strip with Brown-Butter Bacon Sauce and Balsamic Drizzle.  

I used a ribeye steak instead.  This recipe would work amazingly with any of the major steaks, such as;  strip, ribeye, porterhouse, or filet. 

Cool Smoke:  The Art of Great Barbecue 

I first learned about this book from the author himself at a Smithfield event back in 2016 when he was in the midst of the writing process. 

Tuffy Stone sharing his wisdom on cuts of pork and how their position on the animal affects your cooking strategies.  

This was a limited and informal event, so we had ample opportunity to talk with Tuffy about his vision for the book, recipes that he was developing, and his experience with the process.  Tuffy spoke passionately about wanting to focus on simple, approachable food that still rocks the palate.  I couldn't wait to pre-order the book and was thrilled when it came out in 2018.

Tuffy Stone is well-known as a judge from the BBQ Pitmasters shows and a multiple-time BBQ World Champion. He is also a classically trained chef.  He draws on all of those talents and knowledge in his first book - Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue. [Amazon Affiliate link]

Ribeye Steak with Brown Butter Bacon Sauce

The original recipe calls for NY Strip Steaks.  I went with ribeye instead.  Not for any strategic reason, it was only because the Certified Angus Beef® Brand USDA Prime ribeye steaks were the best looking in the case that day.  

[FTC Standard Disclosure]  We received no compensation for this post. 

Several people have asked about the beer-battered onion rings that were shown in our post about the I Would Do Anything For Loaf meatloaf sandwich, so here it is.

The secret ingredient is Meat Church Holy Voodoo seasoning, which as the name implies, is a Cajun seasoning.  You could probably substitute Slap Ya Mama's (my other favorite Cajun seasoning) but Holy Voodoo has sugar in it.  I suspect that little bit of sugar contributes to the extra golden color.

Cajun Beer Battered Onion Rings

By www.nibblemethis.com
Published 04/15/2020

Ingredients

• 12-ounce lager style beer
• 2 cups self-rising flour (divided)
• 1 tablespoon Meat Church Holy Voodoo seasoning or other Cajun Seasoning
• 1 large white onion, peeled and cut into 1/2" rings
• fine salt

I Would Do Anything For Loaf - Meatloaf Sandwich

[FTC Standard Disclosure]  I received no compensation for this post.

Do you know what the best thing is about meatloaf? Having leftovers and being able to have a meatloaf sandwich later. It's in my top 5, for sure!

My All-Time Top 5 Favorite Sandwiches

• Pulled pork sandwich - smoked pork, maybe sauce (vinegar, mustard, or sweet), maybe slaw
• Kentucky Hot Brown - sliced turkey, tomato, bacon, and Mornay sauce (cheesy bechamel)
• Meatloaf sandwich - leftover meatloaf, Chipotle BBQ sauce, cheddar, onion ring
• Spaghetti Sandwich (aka the Slim Shady) - leftover spaghetti, toasted garlic bread, Provolone, Parmesan 
• Croque Madame - sourdough, smoked ham, Mornay sauce, Sunnyside up egg

My meatloaf sandwich is the "I Would Do Anything For Loaf," and it consists of:

• Leftover slice of meatloaf
• Chipotle Honey BBQ Sauce
• Sliced mild cheddar
• Beer Battered Onion Rings
• Spicy pickles
• Toasted brioche bun

Here are the ones that Alexis and I made this weekend.

UPDATE:  Several people have asked for it so I have posted the onion ring recipe.

Of course, the key to any meatloaf sandwich is staring with a juicy, well-seasoned meatloaf.  So we started with the Cheddar Chipotle Meatloaf recipe from my second book, The Offset Smoker Cookbook.  

Cheddar Chipotle Meatloaf pictured in The Offset Smoker Cookbook (Ulysses Press)

Even though my second book was all cooked on offset smokers, the recipes are easily converted to a kamado-style grill like the Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe.  I cooked the meatloaf for these sandwiches on one of our large Big Green Eggs. 

Flank Steak and Cheese Mini-Subs

[FTC Standard Disclosures]  I received my bags of Jealous Devil at the 2020 Chain of Lakes Eggfest.  Other than that, I received no compensation for this post.

These Flank Steak and Cheese Mini-Subs are low-effort but high-reward.  How could these not be awesome when they are filled with thin-sliced grilled flank steak, sauteed peppers and onions, and warm gooey cheese?  I made these last week after a refrigerator and freezer dive.  

Before any purists get their knickers in a twist, these are not Philly cheesesteaks.  That would be different meat, different bread, maybe different cheese, and a different cooking method.  

These steak-and-cheese subs are cheesy and easy.  They would be spot on for tailgates and happy hours, once we can do those types of things again.

Holy Voodoo Chicken Wings on the Big Green Egg

[FTC Standard Disclosure]  I received no compensation for this post.

With the Safer at Home guidelines in place, Alexis and I have missed dining at Knoxville's local restaurants.  I particularly miss our weekly happy hour at Big Kahuna Wings.  BKW does their wings similar to Memphis dry-style ribs, they serve them deep-fried and seasoned with their BKW Original or BKW Fire seasonings.  Your choice of sauce is on the side, so the wings stay extra crispy.

Instead of deep-frying mine, I fire-roasted them and then finished them over direct heat to make them crispy like BKW wings.

Crispy fire-roasted wings seasoned with Meat Church Holy Voodoo and served with an Alabama-style white BBQ sauce on the side.