Friday, April 24, 2020

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
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.


A pair of gorgeous USDA Prime, Certified Angus Beef Brand ribeye steaks from Food City.
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.  

Diva Q's Barbecue is full of great grilling tips, BBQ knowledge, and almost 200 lip-smacking recipes.
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.



I diverted a little bit from Danielle's recipe technique.  I par-cooked my potatoes by topping each one with a tablespoon of butter, wrapping in foil, and cooking on the Big Green Egg at 400°f for 45 minutes.  Make sure the foil seam starts at the top and fold the end edges UP instead of down to keep the butter inside the foil pack while cooking.

Cooking potatoes on a Big Green Egg kamado grill
Next, I unwrapped the potatoes, seasoned them with kosher salt, and put them back in the Egg for another 30 minutes.  My grill set up on the Big Green Egg was a Kick Ash Basket full of Tennessee hardwood lump charcoal, a stock ConvEGGtor (aka platesetter), and Craycort grill grates.


You can season the slashed potatoes in many ways for the second half of the cook.  BBQ rub, other seasonings, bacon bits, and shredded cheese are all excellent options. 
Cooking Certified Angus Beef Brand ribeye steaks on a Big Green Egg Mini-Max small kamado grill
While the potatoes where finishing, I fired up my Big Green Egg Mini-Max to grill the steaks.  Thunderstorms were rolling into East Tennessee, so there was no time to waste.


 
Seasoning Certified Angus Beef Brand ribeye steaks with my Umami Steak Seasoning
I applied about a tablespoon of oil to the steaks and seasoned them on both sides with my NMT Umami Steak Seasoning recipe.  This recipe has 3 types of ground, dried mushrooms that provide natural flavor enhancers, which bring out the taste of the steak instead of covering it up.  

Moo'd Enhancer

My Umami Steak Seasoning is fantastic, but I understand that dehydrating and grinding the mushrooms can be a pain, and buying the powder is rather expensive. I made this recipe because my favorite beef rub, Moo'd Enhancer by Shane Draper, had gone out of production.  Turns out, Moo'd Enhancer is available again at the BBQ Pro Shop!  If you don't want to make my recipe, give Moo'd Enhancer a try on your steak, briskets, or any beef.

Certified Angus Beef Brand ribeye steaks from Food City on a Big Green Egg Mini-Max small kamado grill
My set up for the Mini-Max was "raised direct."  I had a Kick-Ash Basket of lump charcoal, a Woo Rig to slightly raise the cooking grate, and a BGE stock cast iron grate.  In the standard position, the coals are perilously close to the coals on the Mini-Max, which is fine for searing sous-vide style.  But when grilling steaks on this small kamado, I like that extra distance that the Woo Rig provides.  The lid still closes in this position.



I cooked the ribeyes for 4 minutes per side at 450°f with an internal temperature of 125°f when I pulled them off.


The chipotle aioli is creamy, smoky, and just the right amount of heat.  These potatoes are an absolute winner of a side dish for steaks.