The Butcher's Steak � Too Good to Sell?

This great steak is considered something of a butcher shop �secret,� but not because they�re selfish, and can�t stand the thought of you being happy. It�s just an odd looking cut, which requires a specific trimming technique to remove one of the toughest pieces of connective tissue on the entire animal.

Combine that with the fact that there�s only one per cow, and you have something that�s a little tricky to sell, although that seems to be changing a bit. This steak has become popular on restaurant menus, going by the name, �hanger steak,� and that�s led to it being carried in some of your finer butcher shops.

Even though it takes a little bit of time, the trimming is pretty simple, and probably easier than I made it look. Carefully trim away any of the tough-feeling membranes on the surface, and divide in half lengthwise, along the center connective tissue. Once that�s cut away, you�re pretty much done, other than deciding how to cook it.

Butcher�s steak is great in a pan, under the broiler, and of course, on the grill. It takes to marinades wonderfully, and can sub in for any cut of steak in any recipe. It�s not only tender, and affordable, but also extremely beefy.

This is probably the most strongly flavored steak cut, and some even describe it as having a subtle gaminess, although I think that�s a bit much. There�s only one way to know for sure, so I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 whole butcher�s steak aka hanger steak, about 2 pounds

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon clarified butter

For the sauce:

2/3 cup chicken broth to deglaze pan

juices from resting steaks

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste

2 tablespoon cold butter, cut in cubes

salt to taste

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The Name's Cream...Clotted Cream

If you invented a cream preparation so incredibly delicious that you couldn�t bear the thought of anyone besides you, and the other dairy farmers in the area enjoying it, adding the word �clotted� to the name is a pretty sound strategy.

While the name doesn�t exactly make the mouth water, the flavor and texture are the stuff of legends. The long, slow cooking sort of toasts the cream, which imparts a sweet, nuttiness that I don�t think I�ve tasted in any other preparation.

Most modern ovens go down as low as 175-180 F., which is ideal for this technique. 200 F. will work, but maybe check after 10 hours, and see how things look. The other huge factor here is the cream. Be sure to get the best you can. It should be from grass-fed cows, and have a fat content of between 36-40%.

Avoid anything that says �Ultra-Pasteurized,� since it�s been heat-treated, and you�ll not get the same results. Other than this taking a day or two, the technique could not be easier, and I wasn�t exaggerating when I said it�s one of the most amazing things ever. I really do hope you give this a try soon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups heavy cream

8 x 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish

- Bake at 175-180 F. for 12 hours. Chill overnight before separating the �clots.� Use the reserved liquid for baking biscuits.

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�One-Step� Chicken Noodle Soup � For When You�re Sick of Following Recipes

Or, just plain sick. Yes, I�m a little under the weather, but as they say, the show must go on, and that �show� ended up being me just throwing all my chicken noodle soup ingredients into a pot, crossing my fingers, and hoping for the best.

And while I know this method didn�t produce �the best� chicken noodle soup, I was amazed at how really good it was, and how remarkably close it was to a certain canned variety. I can�t give brand names, but it rhymes with Frogresso.

If you do decide to use this one-step approach, there are a few things you need to pay attention to. You�ll want to use a pasta or noodle that�s at least a large as the fusilli I used so it doesn�t completely break down; as well as, to be sure to dice/slice your veggies nice and thin, so they get tender relatively quickly.

I just used a knife, but I bet you have one of those vegetable slicers somewhere, and this would be the perfect operation to use it for. Above and beyond that, feel free to add in other �medicinal� ingredients, such as garlic, ginger, and hot chilies. But whether you embellish or not, or you�re sick, or feeling just fine, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 pound raw or cooked chicken meat (I used 2 cubed-up breasts)

1/2 cup dried fusilli pasta (corkscrew pasta)

1/3 finely minced onions

1 carrot, very thinly sliced

1 rib celery, thinly sliced

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

2 teaspoons ketchup

1 fresh thyme sprig, or pinch of dried thyme, optional

4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley

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Norwegian Butter Sauce � Better Know as Sandefjordsm�r

My Norwegian pronunciations aren�t any better than my French ones, but as challenging as saying, �Sandefjordsm�r,� may be, this amazingly simple butter sauce is not very challenging to make. 

People get nervous about butter sauce, since many types can easily �break,� which means the butter separates, but because of the cream, this is extremely stable, and very user-friendly. As long you don�t dump all the cold butter cubes in at once, and just toss them in a few at a time, your sauce will not break. 

Along the same lines, if you make the sauce early, be sure to keep it in a warm spot, since if it gets cold and solidifies, and then you try and reheat it, the butter will most likely separate. Above and beyond being easy, and relatively sturdy, this Sandefjordsm�r is also quite versatile.

Not only is it wonderful on all types of fish, but also works beautifully with shrimp and lobster. Speaking of versatility, the same goes for changing up the herbs. So, no matter how you flavor it, or what you spoon it over, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 lemons, juiced

1/2 cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons cold unsalted, grass-fed butter, cut in cubes

salt and cayenne to taste

2 generous tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

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Salt-Crusted Beef Tenderloin � No Lomo

I received a food wish for lomo al trapo a while back, which I learned is a Colombian method for cooking beef tenderloin. The meat is encased in salt, wrapped in a kitchen towel, and then set on top of hot coals. 

Crediting the intense heat, and salt crust, aficionados of this Colombian technique say it produces the juiciest, most flavorful beef tenderloin you�ve ever had.

It really sounded amazing, and I wanted to try it, but realized many of you would have trouble explaining why you were destroying a perfectly good kitchen towel in the process. So, I decided to try a towel-free salt crust technique I�d used successfully on prime rib before, and despite some minor aesthetic issues, it worked amazingly well.

Beef tenderloin is a lean cut of meat, which can make for a fairly boring roast, but that was not the case here. The tenderloin took on an intensely beefy flavor, and was so juicy that I thought something was wrong.  There was so much on the cutting board, I was afraid there wouldn�t be any left in the meat, but I�m happy to report every single bite was dripping with moisture.

Maybe this summer, when the grill is fired up, and I have one too many kitchen towels around, I�ll try the real lomo al trapo technique, but in the meantime I was thrilled with how this came out, and really hope you give it a try soon. Stay tuned for the b�arnaise sauce video, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 pound center-cut beef tenderloin roast

1 garlic clove crushed

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 egg white

about 3 cups coarse-ground sea salt

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�Mille Feuille� (Napoleon) � Short and Sweet

This mille feuille, which I�m sure I pronounced perfectly in the video, is also referred to as a Napoleon, and is the easiest, �fancy� pastry I know. The technique for creating your �thousand leaves� is very simple, especially if you use frozen dough, which any sensible person should do.

Whether you use frozen or homemade dough, the key is to keep it flat. We do this by �docking� the dough, and pressing with another pan. I used a few layers of foil before placing the pan on top, to make sure it was in contact with the dough, and depending on the size and shape of your pans, you may need to do the same.

Most patisseriers will make these well ahead, and keep them in the fridge, so that the pastry softens a bit, as it absorbs moisture from the filling. This is standard procedure, and they are much easier to eat that way, but I actually prefer to enjoy them right away, so as to fully experience the contrast between the crispy, buttery pastry, and the cold, creamy custard. 

Stay tuned for the new and improved pastry cream video heading your way soon. In the meantime, your favorite recipe should work, as well as things like whipped cream, sweetened ricotta/mascarpone, and/or lemon curd. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

-- Bake at 400 F. for about 15 minutes �pressed,� and then continue for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered, or until browned and crisp. I turned mine once during that time.

-- To make the icing, simply add enough water or milk to powdered sugar, until the right consistency is reached. For the chocolate one, I started with one part unsweetened cocoa to four parts powdered sugar, and then stirred in the liquid. Check this video if you are confused.

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Chicken, Sausage, Peppers, and Potatoes � Name That Dish!

It�s kind of nice when the name of a recipe is simply what�s in it, as is the case with this pan of roasted chicken, sausage, peppers, and potatoes. As soon as you see the words, you know exactly what you�re getting into. 

The only problem is, �chicken, sausage, peppers, and potatoes,� uses up a lot of characters on Twitter, so if you did have an idea for a shorter and/or catchier name, I�m all ears.

By the way, the two most important things here are not on the ingredient list. That would include a large, heavy-duty roasting pan, as well as a very hot oven. Hopefully, you have something similar to what I used, but if not, you can divide everything up between several smaller casserole dishes; or even use those large, disposable aluminum pans.

I went with hot Italian sausage here, since it so highly-seasoned, but you can really tailor a dish like this to your personal tastes, by switching up what you use, as well as the herbs, and seasonings. No matter what you include, just be sure to season generously, and leave it in the oven long enough. We want everything beautifully caramelized, and our chicken fork tender. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

4 large Italian sausage links

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed

6 to 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 large handfuls, seeded and cut sweet peppers

1 sliced small red onion

1/2 sliced yellow onion

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered

2 generous teaspoons dried Italian herbs (I actually used an �Herb de Provence� herb blend, which included rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, basil, parsley, and lavender)

fresh Italian parsley to garnish, optional

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How to Make Berbere Spice and What to Do with It (Partial List)

I love berbere spice, but it never occurred to me to make my own. I usually get it pre-mixed from the fancy grocery store, and it�s never disappointed, but I�ve wanted to feature it in a recipe, so I figured I�d also show how to make a batch from scratch.

Well, sort of from scratch. To make this �for real,� you need to buy the whole spice seeds/pods, toast them, and grind it yourself. It does make a difference, but I rationalize not doing all that extra work because I usually toast the spices during the cooking process anyway.

I�m not exactly sure what dried chili pepper(s) would be most authentic, but many people are saying that the New Mexico chili I used does a nice job. They have a nice, sweet, earthy flavor, and are sort of medium spicy. If you can�t find it, they say California or ancho chilies can work.

Like I said in the video, please use the ingredients and amounts below as an outline, and adjust this to your tastes. Once you�ve perfected your formula, you�ll be the proud owner of one of the most delicious, and versitle spice mixes ever. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients (everything can/should be adjusted to taste):

1/2 cup ground dried New Mexico chiles

1/4 cup paprika

1 generous tablespoon cayenne

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon fenugreek

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

For the chicken:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, seasoned with salt and berbere spice to taste
2 teaspoon melted butter
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoon tomato paste
1/4 chicken broth, or as needed
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp berbere spice
salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

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Real Aioli for Real

I don�t usually like to put words like �real� or �classic� in front of recipe names, since who the hell really knows, but in the case this aioli, I�m feeling pretty confident. In its purest form, this amazing sauce is nothing more than olive oil emulsified into freshly crushed garlic, seasoned simply with salt and lemon.

It arguably the greatest cold sauce of all time. Speaking of cold, the health benefits of regular aioli consumption are legendary. There�s not much not to like here, unless you don�t like garlic, then there�s plenty. This is pure, fiery, intense garlic flavor like you may have never tasted. It�s also a clever trick to get you to buy a wooden, or marble mortar and pestle.

Sure, if you don�t have one you can smash the garlic against the cutting board, with the flat of a large knife, and sort of do the same thing, but you don�t get the extra pulverization when emulsifying the oil.  And it�s all about the pulverization.  That�s what releases all those volatile compounds in the garlic, producing aioli�s signature flavor. I really hope you give this a try soon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for about  2/3 cup Real Aioli:

4 large FRESH garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or other course grain salt

1 to 2 teaspoons freshly sqeezed lemon juice or vinegar, or to taste

1/2 cup *light flavored extra virgin olive oil
1 or 2 teaspoons of water to adjust texture 

- Note: This is best eaten fresh, but should be okay for about 24 hours. 

* Since this sauce has such a sharp, hot flavor from the garlic, you don�t want to use a really strongly flavored olive oil. We don�t want anything too peppery and bitter, which will clash with the garlic. Use something on the mild side, or cut with a neutral vegetable oil.

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�Naked� Cherry Tomato Salad � Sans Skin for the Win

I�ve wanted to show this �naked� cherry tomato technique for a while now, and after having something very similar at a Japanese restaurant recently, I decided the time was right. The tomatoes this time of year in Northern California are spectacularly sweet, and there is literally no better way to enjoy them, and that includes eaten raw.

You really don�t have any idea how tough a cherry tomato skin really is, until it�s not there anymore. With this we get that same sweet/tart explosion of juicy flavor, as the fruit pops in your mouth, but with no skin to distract us. We�re talking pure tomato pleasure.

I used sherry vinegar, since my tomatoes were like candy, but if yours are less stellar, you may want to go with a sweeter vinegar, like rice or balsamic. By the way, I usually go with basil for this, but the shiso they used at the restaurant worked so perfectly, that I decided to go with mint, which has a similar fragrance and sweetness.

I realize that peeling cherry tomatoes may seem tedious, or even ridiculous, and I�m sure there was a time when I felt the exactly same way; but then you try these, and it all makes complete sense. I really hope you give these naked cherry tomatoes a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 "Amuse Bouche" sized portions:

24 perfect cherry tomatoes (3 per portion, plus extra for �quality control�)

a little fresh mint, basil, or shiso

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

course sea salt to finish, optional

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Paper Pork Shoulder � It�s a Wrap

This �paper pork� was inspired by a technique for smoking beef brisket that involves wrapping the meat in parchment paper after a certain point in the cooking process, in an effort to keep the meat moist, and succulent. Turns out it works great for pork shoulder.

I decided to try it for an oven-roasted pork shoulder, wrapping it from the beginning, and it came out so perfectly tender, and juicy, I�ve been doing it that way ever since. Like I said in video, I�m not exactly sure how much better this comes out with the paper, verses just wrapping tightly in foil, but it seems to stay moister, and more importantly, it looks cool on the table.

We don�t get any kind of crust using this method, but it doesn�t lack for flavor, and if you�re going to use this for pulled pork sandwiches, along with your favorite bbq sauce, I don�t see how that�s going to be any kind of a problem.

Speaking of barbecue sauce, I�m going to show you an unusual one next week, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I really hope you give this paper pork a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

7 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast

for the rub:

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne

- Wrap and roast at 225 F. for 1.75 hours per pound

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Baking Bacon for the Perfect BLT

If I had a dollar for every request I've received for a BLT video, I'd have enough money to buy a lot of bacon. I�ve never gotten around to doing one, mostly because do you really need a video to make a BLT? 

However, I have wanted to show this little trick for making bacon by baking; and it gave me the perfect opportunity to show off my vision of what the perfect bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich looks like.

I recommend using heavy-duty foil for this, as it�s a little easier to work with, but regular foil will do the job. Like I said in the video, as long as you create some kind of valleys for the fat to flow into, the technique will work as shown. The result is perfectly flat, perfectly crisp, yet still succulent strips.

Your cooking time is going to vary depending on how thick the bacon is, so I�d start peeking at about 15-20 minutes, and go from there. You can crowd the bacon more that I did, and it�s okay if it�s very slightly overlapping, since it will shrink as it cooks. Just check after about 10-15 minutes, and re-space the pieces if needed. I really hope you give this great bacon technique a try soon. Enjoy!

Bake bacon at 375 F. for 25-30 minutes, or until you reach your desired level of doneness.

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Soft Hard Boiled Eggs � Cooking with Steam

As vaguely promised in the grilled shrimp Louie video, here is my foolproof method for doing hard-boiled eggs, when we want softer, creamier yolks. This style works very nicely for salads, and above and beyond the texture, we get pure egg flavor, without the sulfuric bitterness that over-boiled eggs suffer from.

Of course, there are variables. Large egg sizes can vary, as does the temperature of refrigerators, so your time to hard boiled egg nirvana may vary. For me, 6 to 7 minutes gives me a perfect runny yolk; 9 to 10 minutes gives me what you see in the video, or a �soft hard boiled egg,� if you prefer; and 11-12 gets you closer to the fully-cooked, classic yolk.

My suggestion is to get a dozen eggs, and do some tests. This steaming method is very precise, and repeatable, once you lock it in. By the way, there doesn�t seem to be a big difference whether you cook one egg or six, but I�ve never actually tried this with a whole dozen, so if you do, let me know the results. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 quart saucepan with lid

1 1/4 cup water

6 large eggs, straight from the refrigerator

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How to Make Sushi Rice That Even Works for Sushi

I don�t make sushi at home very often, or ever, since we�re surrounded by top-notch sushi chefs here in San Francisco, but that doesn�t mean I don�t make sushi rice. I think sushi rice makes a perfect side dish for just about any grilled meat, and since it�s perfectly fine at room temperature, it�s great for picnics.

You can even turn it into some quick tortilla-less tacos using nori seaweed wraps, as seen in the video. They make for such a unique summer meal � the perfect delivery system for any and all leftovers. I even seen it rolled into balls, and tossed in toasted sesame seeds, or seaweed, and served like truffles.

What I�m trying to say is, you can do a lot with this stuff. Including sushi. There are thousands of videos on YouTube showing how to make literally every type of sushi in existence, so check those out if you�re so inclined. Maybe one of these days I�ll even give it a go, if only for the �constructive criticism.�  I really hope you give this sushi rice technique a try soon.  Enjoy!

2 cups sushi rice, rinsed well, and left to dry for one hour

2 1/4 cups water

1/4 to 1/3 cup seasoned *rice vinegar, or to taste

* I buy mine already seasoned, but to make your own seasoned rice vinegar; combine:

1 cup rice vinegar, or cider vinegar

1/2 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons kosher salt

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Potato Roses � A Side Dish That's Stacked

I saw a picture of something called �potato stacks,� online last year, on a blog called Home Cooking Adventure, and I thought to myself, those sure look a lot more like roses than stacks. So, long story short, I stole the idea, and now that it has a much more social media-friendly name, I fully expect this to go viral.

The technique is straightforward, but make sure you season the potatoes generously. I use about two teaspoons of kosher salt in this, and along with the cheese, that seems to be just about right. Having said that, taste for salt varies greatly from person to person, so remember what you used, and adjust next time if need be. These would be great for entertaining, since you can make them ahead, and keep them warm in the pan, or cool and reheat in the oven when you are ready to serve. I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 12 Potato Roses:

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/3 to 1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

1 tablespoon minced rosemary or 2 tablespoon thyme leaves

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste

3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

- 400 F. for 45-60 minutes

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Easy One-Bowl, One-Step Hollandaise - A Miracle of Modern Science

I'm not sure what specifically that would be, but I assume there�s some kind of science behind this amazing, and possibly modern method I happened to stumble upon. I once saw a chef make hollandaise buy adding chucks of cold butter instead of whisking in hot melted butter, and it intrigued me.

Not enough to actually try it, but enough to make me wonder what would happen if we dumped everything in the bowl at once, and just cooked it all together. No one was more shocked than I was when it worked. And worked beautifully. By the way, I�m guessing I�m not the only person to have thought of this, but until I see proof, I will claim to be it�s inventor.

The only way this doesn�t work is if your heat is too high. I don�t have to tell you what will happen if it is. However, over a low flame (or double-boiler if you�re scared) this will come together very gradually, right before your eyes, and you�ll be able to stop anytime you see fit.  

Eggs are cheap, so give it a try, and see what happens. Being able to just dump everything into the bowl, and make hollandaise in one step is well worth the investment, especially with Mother�s Day coming up. Hint, hint. I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions (this can be scaled-up to how ever much you need):

1 large egg yolk

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (you can always add more to taste)

salt and cayenne or hot sauce to taste
NOTE: If sauce gets too thick, just thin with a little hot water.

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Perfect �Dry-Brined� Pork Chops � Come for the Oxymoron, Stay for the Juicy Meat

I�ve wanted to do a video on �dry-brining� for a while now, and was reminded of that fact after recently seeing a friend�s blog post on the subject. That friend would be the lovely and talented, Jennifer Yu, who publishes the blog, Use Real Butter.

Seeing those juicy pork chops in her post inspired this video, which features one of my favorite getting-meat-ready-for-the-grill techniques of all time. If you can call sprinkling salt on pork chops, a �technique,� and for the purposes of this post, we will. 

By the way, if this looks familiar, it should. We�ve used this trick before in previous videos, but just never called it �dry-brining,� mostly because that�s not a thing. By definition, a �brine� is a liquid, but since this contains the same active ingredients, and has the same effect, we don�t let a minor detail like no water get in our way.

I could go into a long, scientific explanation of what exactly happens here, but instead I�ll provide a link to this great article on Serious Eats, by J. Kenji L�pez-Alt. Jen used his cookbook, The Food Lab, as a guide, and so we�ll send you his way for all the pertinent details.

While our friend Kenji will do a much better job explaining the science behind this magical method, I think I did a decent job in the video explaining how wonderfully this works. As long as you don�t horribly overcook your meat, this �dry-brine� technique will produce the juiciest, and most flavorful pork chops you�ve ever had.

So, a big thank you to Jennifer for inspiring us, as well as to Kenji for inspiring her. With peak grilling season right around the corner, I really do hope you give this amazingly simple trick a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large pork chops:

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

- Mix and apply generously to both sides of the chops. Let �brine� uncovered in the fridge for 18-24 hours. Some say you can do this in less time, but I�ve always let it go at least overnight.

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Koji-Rubbed Steak � New Age Dry Age

First, let me give credit where credit�s due; and by �credit,� I mean possible blame. I got the idea from this article in Bon Appetit, where they showed how to use koji rice to simulate dry aging a steak. They say they borrowed the idea from Trentina chef, Jonathon Sawyer, and we�ll take them at their word.

Anyway, I tried it out, and had mixed results. The smell and flavor were vaguely reminiscent of dry-aged beef, but it didn�t have those same cheesy/funky/earthy background notes. As far as the texture goes, there was no difference from a regular steak, and it may have even given it a somewhat firmer texture.

That may have come from letting it go almost three days, instead of two, but hey, I was within the range. Besides, I�m not even sure anything happened. The idea here is that the fungus on the koji rice, which breaks down the proteins in beans, to make things like miso, would work the same magic on a steak.

While it did look like the koji had �bloomed� a bit, and there was more �white stuff� at the end of the process, there was no obvious signs that the meat had been �broken down.� The appearance was darker, and it kind of had that waxy look of dry aged meat, but that could�ve simply come from sitting uncovered in the fridge.

I found it a bit suspicious that there were no other posts regarding this online, but maybe it�s just too new. Time will tell. I'm looking at you, food blogger. In the meantime, any and all feedback is welcomed, especially if you are familiar with using koji rice. I�m not sure if you should give this a try, but, as always, enjoy!

Ingredients:

koji rice (I used this one)

steak

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Puffy Tacos � Part Three of the Taco Trilogy

When it comes to things like fast food, fair food, and street food, I�ve never been a big fan of recreating it at home. The only place you�re supposed to eat deep-fried butter is at the Iowa State Fair, and nowhere else. 

However, I will make an exception if I can�t find that certain something nearby, and this puffy taco is that something. I just don�t get to San Antonio, home of the puffy taco, as much as I�d like. 

I�ve actually only been there once, and as far as I know there are no puffy taco stands in San Francisco, so I decided to try them at home. This fast and simple to make taco shell is an addictive hybrid between your soft corn tortilla, and the crunchy, hard shell variety, preferred by America�s youth.

As long as you can find masa harina, which you can, the recipe and procedure are pretty simple. For the best results, make the dough, and use it right way. I�ve tried to make it ahead of time, but the tortillas didn�t seem to puff up nearly as much.

The same goes for serving. Get your meats and fixings ready ahead of time, so all you have to do is fry-and-fill. These only take a minute to cook, and you can use a larger pan to do two or three at once. I really hope you give this fun, puffy taco shell recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 small puffy taco shells:

1 cup masa harina
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

canola oil for frying

- Deep-fry at 350 F for about 90 seconds, or shallow-fry in a small pan until the tortilla is puffed and cooked through.

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