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Chef Tom shares his tips & techniques for preparing a delicious hummus from scratch, including a recipe for fire roasted jalapeño and red bell pepper hummus, finished with a quality extra virgin olive oil and everything bagel seasoning.

Roasted Pepper Hummus

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Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper


• 2 jalapeños


• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed


• 3 tbsp basil, minced


• 3 tbsp tahini


• 3 tbsp lemon juice


• 2 tbsp Saica Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/2 tsp cumin


• Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt, to taste

For serving:

• Saica Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil


• Cattleman’s Grill Everything Bagel Seasoning

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Instructions

Roast the peppers over direct high heat (450ºF+), turning to blacken all sides. Place in a zip top bag and seal. Let steam 10-15 minutes. Remove from the bag. Peel the skin off of the flesh. Remove and discard the seeds and stem. Chop the flesh of the pepper.

Place half of the roasted peppers and all remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

You might also enjoy: Ribeye & White Bean Hummus Pizza

Serve topped with remaining diced roasted peppers, a drizzle of Saica Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a shake of Cattleman’s Grill Everything Bagel Seasoning.

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Chef Britt brings home the bacon by showing you exactly how to cure and smoke pork belly entirely from scratch!

Smokehouse Bacon

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Ingredients

For the cure (dry rub):

• 3 oz LEM Cure


• 28 oz Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Kosher Sea Salt


• 17 oz Brown Sugar

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Instructions

• Using a scale, weigh the ingredients accordingly and mix together kosher salt, brown sugar, and LEM Cure thoroughly to make the cure mixture. The quantities specified in this recipe is enough to cure roughly 56 lbs of pork belly. Simply dividing each quantity in half will yield enough mixture to cure approximately 28 lbs of raw pork belly.


• Wash belly with warm water and dry. Pierce the fat (skin) side with the tip of a paring knife. This will allow the cure mixture to penetrate the pork faster. If the skin is present on your pork belly, leave it on for the entire process of curing and smoking.


• Using a scale, get the total weight of the pork belly. Then calculate 24 grams of the cure for each pound of belly you have. For instance: a 5 lb. belly will need 120 grams of cure.


• Rub the bellies with the cure mix, making sure to cover all areas. Stack the bellies skin-side down in covered plastic or stainless-steel non-reactive containers.


• Refrigerate the pork covered for 7-10 days to cure. Overhaul every other day by re-rubbing them with the liquid that is released from the curing process. Rotate as needed.


• Rinse the bellies in slightly warm water. Soak in fresh warm water for 30 minutes and blot dry. Place the bellies on a wire rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate them uncovered for 12-18 hours to air-dry and form a pellicle.


• Set your Yoder Smokers Ys640s Pellet Smoker to 200℉ and hot-smoke the bellies until they reach an internal temperature between 150-160℉. If skin is present on your pork belly, removing the skin should be done immediately after smoking.


• Allow the bellies to cool before slicing/cutting the slab as needed for grilling, sauteing, or baking.


• The bacon may be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for 2 months before use.

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The Grilled Chicken Quesadilla is a go-to weeknight (or any night) meal! Chef Tom packs in the flavor with grilled chicken & onion and creamy cheeses, and pairs it up with grilled avocado salsa and spicy crema for dipping!

Grilled Chicken Quesadilla with Avocado Salsa Verde

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8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs


• Juice of 1 lime


• Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt


• Black pepper, fresh ground


• 1 large red onion, sliced into 3/4” thick slabs


• 8 large flour tortillas (recipe HERE!)


• 8 oz pepper jack cheese, grated


• 8 oz Oaxaca cheese, grated


• 8 oz sharp cheddar, grated


• Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning


• Chile Colonial Infused Spicy Oil

For the Avocado Salsa Verde: (Yields about one quart)

• 1 lb tomatillos, husks peeled


• 2-3 Anaheim peppers


• 4 large jalapeño peppers


• Flesh of 2 small avocados


• 1 small yellow onion, quartered


• 1/2 bunch cilantro


• 4 cloves garlic, smashed


• juice of 1 lime


• Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt, to taste

For the crema:

• 2 cups sour cream


• Flavolcano Smoky Red Pepper Hot Sauce, to taste


• Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning, to taste

Instructions

Set up the Napoleon Prestige P500 with a charcoal basket on one side and the cast iron griddle on the other. Build a hot charcoal fire (450ºF) in the basket.

Place the tomatillos, peppers and onion over the charcoal fire and grill until the outsides are nicely charred. The peppers should be blackened on the outside. Place the peppers in a zip-top bag. Allow the peppers to steam in the bag for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the peppers from the bag. Remove the stems and seeds. Peel the skins from the flesh and discard. Roughly chop the flesh of the peppers.

Remove the stems from the onions and roughly chop.

Combine all salsa ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Rub the chicken breasts and thighs with a thin layer of the Colonial Chile Oil. Season the chicken with the Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Grill the chicken and onion slabs over the charcoal. Char both sides of all chicken lightly and remove from the grill when the breasts reach 160ºF internal temperature and the thighs reach 170ºF. The onions should be charred on the surface and softened.

Dice the chicken and peppers to bite sized pieces, about 1/2”.

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Lay out a large flour tortilla. Fill one half with the cheeses, diced chicken and onions and a shake of Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning. Dollop in a few teaspoons of the avocado salsa verde, as well. Fold the empty half over the fillings. Repeat this process until you have enough tortillas filled to fill up your griddle.

Brush the griddle with Colonial Chile Oil. Toast the quesadillas slowly on each side. The cheese should be melted and the surface of the tortilla golden brown. Turn the burners under the griddle to medium-low heat to maintain a hot griddle.

Serve the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla with with Avocado Salsa Verde for dipping.