Upta Camp Skillet Suppah

Spicey Honey Glazed Chicken with a Roasted Root Vegetable Medley

Before I start with my recipe for this dish, let me just get one thing out of the way first. Yes...you read the title of this post correctly; Upta Camp is really a thing and for most Mainers it is the absolute best place on earth. If you live in Maine or are familiar with our quirky ways then you know what camp is.  In Maine we do not have lake homes or cozy cottages...we have camp.  If you do not have a camp of your own, you go to a friends camp or rent a camp but at some point in time you have been to camp and if you are a real Mainer, you loved it and have gone back again and again.

I own a camp, along with my husband and two best friends, on beautiful Moosehead Lake.  It is located at the very top of the lake in the North West Carry in a quiet little cove where there is no electricity, cell phone service or running water.  There is no place like it and there is no place on this earth I would rather be than upta camp!  I could go on and on about camp but I will share more in a later post on my Maine people and places page.  Now lets get to the business of cooking at camp!

Cooking for a large group of people at camp can be somewhat challenging but we always eat well.  Every once in a while we have some guests that love to cook and will help out in the kitchen but for the most part, I am the camp cook.  I love cooking for people at home but I especially love cooking for people at camp.  Somehow the food just tastes better and everyone looks forward to a good camp dinner at the end of each day.

For this camp dinner I decided to break out my trusty cast iron skillet.  It was a chilly rainy day at the end of June so this was a nice hearty dinner to warm us up.  This is also a great meal because it requires only two pans to cook the whole meal.  Honestly, it could have been done in the cast iron skillet alone but I used a sheet pan so I could accomplish two things at the same time.  Here is how I put this camp meal together.

First I started by cutting 3 beets, 4 carrots and 2 large potatoes into medium size cubes.  You want to make sure that you cut everything as close to the same size as you can so they are all done cooking at the same time.  

I spread the cubes out evenly on a foil lined sheet pan, season them with salt, pepper and olive oil and stick them in the oven for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

While the veggies are baking, heat the cast iron skillet on high and add two to three tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.  I season 4 bone-in chicken thighs with the few items that I could find in my camp cupboards.

I found some salt, pepper, dried thyme, natures seasoning and a meat rub called Spice Monkey.  

Once you have seasoned the chicken and your pan is nice and hot, add the chicken thighs to the pan just until the skin is brown and crispy on both sides.  Once you have browned the chicken, remove it from the pan and then deglaze the pan by pouring a couple of tablespoons of wine or chicken stock into the pan and scraping the bits of chicken from the bottom.  Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT discard the juices and bits of chicken from the bottom of your pan.  This is where all of your big flavor comes from so just leave it right where it is when you are done deglazing!

Next, remove your partially roasted vegetables from the oven, add them to the cast iron skillet and then place the 4 chicken thighs on top of the veggies.  Add a little more salt, pepper, olive oil, and Spice Monkey and once all of those ingredients are in the pan it is time to add the secret incredient...two tablespoons of Maine Made Honey.

Cover the entire skillet with tin foil or a cover if you have one and place the pan in the oven and bake at 425 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.  

This skillet dinner was one of the most flavorful dishes that I have ever made at camp.  The addition of the honey really kicked the flavor of this meal up a notch.  It was the perfect accompaniment to the spice rub on the chicken and the earthy flavors of the root vegetables.  This recipe fed two of us quite well and we had some left over for lunch the next day. It would be a fantastic meal to make for a larger crowd. 

 This rustic skillet dish is just the kind of heart warming and welcoming meal to  keep your guest wanting to come back Upta Camp again and again!

Enjoy!

Super Food Side Dish

Grill Fire Roasted Fiddleheads

In one of my very first posts, I shared a recipe for pickled fiddleheads that has been quite popular with my followers so I thought I would share another one of my favorite preparations for a super food side dish. You can honestly do just about anything with them; they are not just a side dish.  You can use them as a pizza topping, in a salad, in a casserole, and in a sandwich...the possibilities are endless.  The traditional Maine way to prepare them is to simply boil or steam them with some salt pork and serve them slathered in butter and a little vinegar.  There is nothing fancy at all about the Maine way but they are delicious and the preparation has stood the test of time.

Fiddleheads are rich in vitamins and minerals and contain antioxidants along with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  They are used throughout the world in many different cultures and cuisines.  The fiddlehead otherwise know as the Ostrich Fern grows wild and are harvested in the Northeastern part of North America and are a traditional dish of Northern New England (especially Maine).  In mid to late spring here in Maine you can find them being sold at farm stands, supermarkets, farmers markets and even on the side of the road throughout the State.  

Mainers are quite serious about their fiddleheads and the season for harvesting is very short, so at the first sign of those little green heads emerging from the ground...it's on!  

As I mentioned earlier, there are many ways to use fiddleheads but whatever way you decide to use them they must always be cooked first.  Fiddleheads can be toxic if not cooked properly so after they have been thoroughly cleaned and dried you will need to boil or steam them for about 10 to 15 minutes.  

The fiddleheads used in this recipe were harvested in Presque Isle, Maine by my father.  They are big and hearty and perfect for holding up to the heat of the grill.  This is a super quick and easy super food side dish to prepare especially when someone else has picked, cleaned and bagged them for you already.  Here is how I prepared them

Even though I am grilling these fiddleheads, they still need to be boiled or steamed first.  After they have been properly boiled, place them in a strainer or a grill pan (shown above) and let the water drain out of them for a bit.  Once the water has been drained, drizzle the fiddleheads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then add salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.  I use garlic powder because fresh garlic would burn in the pan very quickly from the heat of the grill. 

Grill the fiddleheads over medium high heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until they start to brown up and crisp a bit.  Remove them from the heat and add a little more balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional).  Give the fiddleheads a good toss to coat them evenly and serve.

Cooking fiddleheads this way reduces the bitterness and I found them to be really quite sweet.  I personally like the bitterness of the fiddlehead but some people will not eat them because of it so this is a great way to prepare them if you find their natural bitterness to be off putting.  It does not matter how you prepare them or what you serve the with...the important thing is that you eat them!

Enjoy!

Dim Sum Surprise

Cheese Steak Egg Rolls

I love egg rolls, I love making egg rolls and most importantly, I love eating egg rolls.  In my opinion there is no appetizer on this earth better than a good egg roll.  It took me years to perfect the art of making egg rolls and when I finally got it right, it was one of my proudest moments in the kitchen! I know that sounds silly but trust me when I say, there is an art to making an egg roll.

One evening a couple of years ago, my husband and I were watching one of our favorite cooking shows; which featured a food truck and their signature menu item was Philly cheese steak egg rolls.  The concept was interesting to me but as hard as I had worked to perfect an authentic egg roll, I rejected the idea instantly.  Then I looked over at my husband and realized that it was love at first sight for him and I would be attempting to make these cheese steak egg rolls soon. 

It was not too long after watching the show that I decided to surprise my family and make what I now call steak rolls.  There were an instant hit and I have been serving them ever since.  I do not serve them more than my "real" egg rolls but I have to admit that when I am looking for a quick meal to serve and a little change of pace, this is one of my go to recipes.  Here is how I do it...

Preparing the ingredients

First I start by cutting red and green bell peppers in long and thin slices

Next I thinly slice about one and a half pounds of beef short ribs.  You can use any cut of beef that you prefer and to make the process easier, you can purchase shaved steak from the grocery store but I would not use steakums or any other kind of processed and frozen beef product.  

When I am done preparing the vegetables and meat, I throw the bell peppers into a saute pan with about a table spoon of olive oil, sea salt and pepper to taste and cook until they are good and tender. Remove the peppers from the pan and place them onto a paper plate that is covered with a few paper towels to absorb the grease and moisture.  Place the plate of peppers into the refrigerator to cool. 

Next I add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and then add the beef short ribs.  Season the short ribs with sea salt and cracked black pepper and one clove of thinly diced garlic.  Cook the beef to medium rare and remove from the pan and also place these on a paper plate with paper towels and place in the refrigerator to cool.  The cooling process only takes about 10 minutes as long as you spread the meat out on the plate.  Use two plates if you have to in order to spread all the pieces out properly. *Note- If you do not cool the peppers and beef before you place them onto the egg roll wrapper, the heat and the moisture will make the wrapper fall apart while you are trying to roll them.

Once the peppers and beef are cooled, take them out of the refrigerator and pat them with a paper towel to absorb any excessive moisture.  Now it is time to start building your rolls.

Place  your egg roll wrapper on a paper plate (you can purchase egg roll wrappers in your grocery store) and start with a layer of beef and then a layer of peppers in the middle of the wrapper.  Top the beef and peppers with shredded cheese.  Here I have used two different types of cheddar cheese but you can use any type of cheese you desire.  Do not overfill the wrapper or it will split and fall apart.  Once you are done layering, pull the bottom corner of the egg roll wrapper up over the layered mixture and gently pull it back a little bit toward you so you have a nice little pocket at the bottom of the roll.  Pull both side corners of the wrapper over the pocket that you created and then roll the mixture up almost to the top corner of the wrapper.  Before you roll it all the way, wet the very top corner of the wrapper with some water or a beaten egg yolk using the tip of your finger or a pastry brush.  Then finish rolling the wrapper making sure that very top corner is sealed.  Repeat this process until all of the beef and peppers have been used.  This recipe should make about 10 to 12 rolls.

Your roll should look similar to this when you are done.

When you are done making your rolls, preheat a saute pan to medium high heat and add about three to four table spoons of peanut or olive oil (depending on the size of your pan) and add three or four rolls to the pan. Cook the rolls until they are crispy and golden brown on all sides.  Remove the rolls from the pan and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to cool a bit.  Repeat this until you have cooked all of the rolls. I would tell you the best way to serve them and what to serve them with but they are usually just taken straight out off the cooling plate seconds after coming out of the pan.  They are eaten just about as fast as I can make them!

I really do enjoy this dish as much as I cringed initially at the thought of putting steak and cheese in an egg roll wrapper.  They are simply delicious and when you put steak and cheese in an egg roll, it is a meal not an appetizer.  This has become a popular meal in my house and I have to say that the process is much faster and easier than making an authentic egg roll.  While they are by no means a replacement for my beloved egg rolls, I have to admit that they are a huge crowd pleaser and putting a smile on some one's face with food is the ultimate goal!

Enjoy!

Saco River Dinner

The Elusive Maine Brown Trout

The Maine Brown Trout, also known as German Brown Trout, Brownie, Loch Leven Trout, and Swiss Lake Trout was first introduced to the United States in the 1800's.  One of the first areas of this country that it was introduced to was Branch Lake in Ellsworth, Maine in 1885.  The Brown Trout is often mistaken for landlocked salmon because of it's silvery coloration but the typical Brown Trout is a yellowish brown with large brown, black or reddish spots at it's sides.  

For years my husband has referred to this fish as "the elusive Brown Trout." In fact, it has been given that distinction by many Maine fisherman over the years.  It has been said that the Brown Trout is very clever and as difficult as they can be to catch, getting one on your hook is only the beginning of the battle.  The Brown Trout is clever enough to attempt a number of different strategies to escape after being caught.  It will actually try to tangle the line around different obstacles in the water and if that does not work; it will perform a variety of different acrobatics out of the water to escape.  My husband was lucky enough to win the battle with the Brown Trout in the picture above and I was all the more lucky to be able to enjoy my first taste of Brown Trout this season on Mother's Day this year.

Rather than focus on a specific recipe, I would like to talk more about the different ways of preparing and cooking this delicious fish.  I think a Mainer's first instinct would be to fillet the fish, dredge it through some flour or cornmeal and fry it up in a pan with lard, bacon fat or butter. There is nothing wrong with that long standing tradition!  It is an easy and incredibly delicious way to prepare this fish especially at camp when you have a bunch of hungry mouths to feed.  

A more sophisticated preparation would be to bake the trout in parchment paper.  This preparation is called Trout en Papillote.  It is not nearly as difficult a preparation as the name is to pronounce.  To prepare the fish this way, you simply cut two pieces of parchment paper large enough to cover the trout.  Score the fish on both sides by cutting small slits into the flesh until you feel the bone.  Place the fish on one of the pieces of parchment paper and add garlic, onions, lemon, herbs or anything else that you may desire to cook the fish with.  Drizzle some olive oil over the fish and place the second piece of parchment paper over the top.  Fold up the ends of both pieces of parchment paper to make a pouch and to seal the fish inside.  Cut a couple small slits in the top of the pouch and place into a small baking pan to cook for about 15 minutes.  

You can also poach a trout like you would a salmon by placing it into a large skillet on top of a bed of lemons, onions, and garlic with about 2 cups of chicken broth, water or white wine.  Season the fish with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.  Cover the skillet and lightly simmer the fish for 8 to 10 minutes.  This preparation is especially good served on a nice bed of greens or over a salad. Trout prepared this way is so light and mild tasting.  It is a great alternative to salmon if you are not a fan of the stronger tasting fish.

My personal favorite preparation for Brown Trout is as simple as the rest but the most flavorful way to prepare it in my opinion.  After the fish has been dressed (gutted), I stuff it with lemon slices, garlic and fresh herbs.  I score the fish on both sides and season with sea salt, cracked black pepper, more fresh herbs and drizzle with olive oil.  I place the whole fish, head and all, onto a piece of tin foil and wrap the sides of the foil up around it leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Then I throw the fish onto a hot grill for about 10 minutes or until the flesh becomes flaky and you can peel the skin off.  

You can eat every part of this fish including the skin and eyes.  It is mild and a little bit on the oily side; which only adds to the flavor in my opinion.  My personal favorite part of the fish is the cheeks.  Yes...fish have cheeks!  They are the tiny pocket of meat just below the eye.  The taste and texture of the cheek is similar to a scallop.  They are quite small on a brown trout but are delicious and should not be wasted no matter the size.  

Now that you have been  given a number of preparations to try, the only thing left to do is go out and catch yourself a nice Brown Trout.  I can promise you that it will be the only challenging part of the meal.  If your attempts to catch one fail, you can always visit your local fish market and buy a trout, salmon or any other fish and use one of these preparations on them just the same!

Enjoy!

Super Quick Super Food Side Dish

Grilled Brussel Sprouts & Radishes

I am sure you all remember my very first Super Food Side Dish featuring brussel sprouts; well I am bringing back my favorite Brassica and paring it with another one of my favorites...the radish.  The radish is a relative of the brussel sprout, in fact, they are both part of the mustard family.  Vegetables belonging to the mustard family are called Brassicas or Brassicaceae.  The older name for Brassicas is Crucifers or Cruciferea meaning "cross-bearing" describing the four petals of the mustard flowers resembling a cross on the stem or the stalk of the plant.  It came as no surprise to me at all to learn that these two vegetables are in the same family.  I crave one equally as much as the other and it seems fitting to me that they are both cross-bearing creations sent to us from the Heavens!

This is a really quick and easy side dish to prepare with very few ingredients and since the grilling season is upon us, I decided to cook these on the grill tonight.  Here are the ingredients

1 pound of brussel sprouts, 1 pound of radishes, olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, 1 clove of garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt and cracked black pepper.

In a large bowl, combine 1 pound of brussel sprouts, each cut lengthwise 3 or 4 times depending on the size, 1 pound of radishes, each cut in half, two tablespoons of olive, two tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette, 1 large clove of garlic minced, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.  Give all of the ingredients a good stir to thoroughly combine.

My Grilling tool

To cook my brussels and radishes on the grill, I am using my new grill Wok. You can find one of these in any kitchen store.  You can also use any kind of vegetable grilling basket or you can go really rustic and make a cooking basket out of tin foil.  Any of these tools will work just fine.

Turn your grill on to medium heat and grill the vegetables, stirring frequently, until both the brussel sprouts and radishes are nicely charred and are fork tender. Remove from the heat and serve them as a meal or with just about any main dish you are serving up.

Call me crazy, and many people do, but I love to serve this side dish in place of french fries or potato chips with a sandwich or a burger.  I adore the earthy and pungent flavors of both of these vegetables. They really compliment each other quite well.  The radish, that usually offers a little bit of a spicy note when eaten raw, can become surprisingly sweet when grilled or sauteed; which is perfect when paired with the nutty flavor of the brussel sprout.  I could go on and on about how much I love this dish but I think I will just let you get to the business of cooking it and trying it for yourself.

Enjoy!

Down East Asia

Grilled Sticky Sesame Asian Wings With A Homemade Asian Slaw 

The chicken wing served slathered in a hot chili sauce, now known as the buffalo wing, started gaining popularity in the early 1980's.  It is said that the popular bar/party food originated in Buffalo New York at an establishment called Anchor Bar.  That claim has been disputed over the years but there is little dispute about the fact that the dish originated in Buffalo, New York and gained still more popularity after the Buffalo Bills made 4 consecutive appearances to the super bowl from 1991 to 1994.  This gave Buffalo cuisine nationwide exposure and the buffalo wing became one of America's favorite super bowl party treats.  

Today, there are franchise restaurants that specialize in serving buffalo wings in a variety of different flavors.  Over the years, sauces other than traditional buffalo sauce have become quite popular.  These sauces have been influenced by Chinese, Japanese, Caribbean and Indian cuisines.  Tonight I have prepared a wing sauce that was influenced by Chinese cuisine.  It has a more subtle spicy kick to it than the traditional buffalo sauce but packs a whole lot of flavor in every bite.  Here are the ingredients for my sticky sesame Asian wings sauce.

Black vinegar, dark soy sauce, low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha chili sauce, Maine maple syrup, Maine made honey, white pepper, Chinese five spice, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic and 1 lime.

Preparing the marinade

In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of black vinegar, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of Sriracha chili sauce, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, 1/3 cup of honey, a dash of white pepper and Chinese five spice to taste, a couple good pinches of red pepper flakes, 1 inch piece of ginger grated, 1 large garlic clove minced and the juice of 1 lime.  

Give all of the ingredients a good mix and pour 3/4 of the marinade over the chicken wings in a plastic back or a bowl and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 to 3 hours before cooking. Set aside the remainder of the marinade to use to baste the wings while cooking.

While the wings are marinating, it is time to prepare the Asian slaw.  Here are the ingredients for the dressing.

Shao Shing cooking wine, low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, Maine maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.

In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of Shao Shing cooking wine, 5 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, two tablespoons of maple syrup, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons of sesame seeds, and couple good pinches of red pepper flakes (optional).  Give the dressing a good stir and set aside to prepare the other ingredients.

First start by thinly slicing strips of green cabbage and red cabbage.  You will slice 1 cup of each kind of cabbage.  You can use a food processor for this but I like slicing the cabbage by hand to get the size and the texture that I am looking for.  I do this by rolling the leaves of the cabbage and slicing the roll into thin strips as shown above.

Add 1 cup of thin strips of carrots.  I use a vegetable peeler to make the thin strips but you can use a grater or a food processor for this as well

Next I add 8 to 10 ounces of snow peas which I thinly slice at an angle julienne style.

Once you are done slicing and dicing the vegetables, combine them all in a medium size bowl, pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir all of the ingredients thoroughly.  Set in the refrigerator to chill.

Now to cook the wings.  Tonight I have decided to grill my wings but you can also bake them or if you want to deep fry them, do not marinate them before frying.  Fry your wings first and then dredge them in the marinade after frying.  

If you decide to grill, turn your grill on to medium high heat and and thoroughly cook the chicken all the way through.  Each time you turn the wings on the grill, baste them with the reserved marinade until you have used all of it.  Once the wings are cooked remove from the grill and prepare to serve.

To serve, place the wings on top of a bed of the homemade Asian slaw on a large plate or platter.  Sprinkle sesame seeds over the wings (as much as preferred) and top with scallions, spring onions or any other topping you that you prefer.  Here I have topped my wings with scallions.  It is not what I prefer but they add the perfect touch for plating and presentation.  

I know what some of you are thinking...this is The Maine Harvest Table and I am featuring a dish that originated in a different State.  Well, that honestly is likely to be the case with a lot of my recipes but you will notice that I usually manage to sneak in some Maine made ingredients as I have in both of the recipes tonight.  

I love serving this dish as a light meal on a hot summer night as well as a party snack during the super bowl or at any other fun gathering.  The Asian slaw can be served as a side with a number of dishes or added as a topping to a gourmet sandwich.  I have even added it as a topping to a hot or cold noodle bowl.  It is extremely versatile and delicious.  It is one of my favorite go to super food side dishes.  I just love it and I hope you will too!

Enjoy!

Friday Night Special - Tacos With A Twist

Beef Short Rib Tacos with Grill Fire Roasted Corn Salsa and Spicy Quick Pickle Cabbage

It's Friday night and I am treating my husband to his favorite Mexican dish...the beloved Taco!  Oh but this isn't just any taco my friends, no...this is a taco with a twist.  While I think that the pre-packaged taco kit served with hamburger, tomatoes, shredded lettuce and Mexican seasoned cheese in a bag is delicious; I really do not consider it to be an authentic Mexican dish.  It is the easy to make at home in a box version of a taco; which is perfectly fine and pleasing to the palate but tonight I am kicking it up a notch and serving a more authentic style taco.

I am not an authority on Mexican cuisine by any means.  I have not studied it nearly as much as I have studied other cuisines nor do I eat it as much as others, but I certainly do enjoy it whenever I get the opportunity and I have spent some time experimenting with my own Mexican dishes over the years.  While doing some research on the taco, I was interested to learn that the original use of the word means "plug" or "wad" used to fill a hole.  I suppose this means to fill a tortilla or taco shell but the first thing that came to my mind was to fill a void, to fill a hole in the stomach and by doing so, feeding the soul.   It can be interpreted in a number of ways but I think I like my version of it best!

For the taco dish I have served this evening, I have gone all out and made everything but the tortilla from scratch.  It may seem a little labor intensive but each of the recipes in this dish are pretty simple.  Let's start with the preparation of the short ribs.

Here I have a little over a half pound of short ribs and my homemade taco seasoning.

The recipe for the seasoning is as follows;

1 tbls of chili powder

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of onion powder

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

This makes a pretty good amount of seasoning.  whatever you do not use can be stored in a plastic bag or sealed container for later use.

Thinly slice your short ribs across the grain and then place the slices of meat into a bowl.  Sprinkle the seasoning over the meat and toss or stir so that each piece of meat is thoroughly covered with the seasoning.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the bowl into the refrigerator while you prepare your other ingredients.

 Next, we will prepare the spicy quick pickle cabbage

The ingredients are red cabbage, green cabbage, serrano peppers, rice wine vinegar, salt, sugar and water

First start by slicing both the red and green cabbage into long thin strips.  I used about 1/4 of the large green cabbage and half of the small red cabbage in the picture above.  Then I slice the serrano peppers into good size rings and add to the cabbage.

For the quick pickle brine

In a measuring cup, add 1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of water, 1 tbls of salt and 1 tbls of sugar.

Place the cabbage and pepper mixture into a small bowl and then pour the brine over the cabbage and peppers.  Give the mixture a good stir then cover and set in the refrigerator to pickle.

Making the salsa

The ingredients are 3 ears of corn, 1 pint of sweet cherry tomatoes, 1 jalapeno pepper, two cloves of garlic, 1 15.5 once can of black beans, sea salt, cracked black pepper and a 1 teaspoon of vinegar.

In a small food processor add the cherry tomatoes, the jalapeno pepper, two garlic cloves, a teaspoon of sea salt and cracked black pepper and a teaspoon of vinegar. Chop the ingredients in the food processor until all of the ingredients are well blended and you have a nice chunky consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator

Next, you will place your ears of corn (still in their husks) on the grill for about a half hour or until you are able to easily stick a fork into the corn.  

*** Note - Before grilling the corn, soak the corn in their husks for a half hour.  Soaking the corn will prevent the husk from burning or catching on fire and it will also help to steam the corn while cooking on the grill.

When the corn is done roasting, remove the husk and then shave the kernels off the cob by running a sharp knife down around the entire cob until you have removed all of the kernels.  

Add the corn kernels along with the black beans to the tomato, jalapeno and garlic mixture.

Cooking the short ribs

First prepare a quick mixture of 1 tablespoon of corn starch and 1 tablespoon of water and set aside.

In a large pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and then add the thin slices of short ribs.  When the short ribs are cooked to about medium rare, add the mixture of corn starch and water and stir until the sauce starts to boil and thicken.  Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

To serve this dish, I like to spread all of the ingredients out on a platter so people can build their taco to their liking.  You can add as many toppings to your taco platter as you wish.  Here is just one example of how to build this platter.

Everyone has their own unique way to build a taco.  I like mine with a small layer of short rib, then a good spoon full of corn and black bean salsa, a pinch of the spicy quick pickle, a dollop of sour cream, a few leaves of cilantro and finally a nice squeeze of lime juice.

This is really fun and festive meal to serve to your family or for a group of people at a gathering.  It is a tasty and satisfying meal and you will be sure to impress your friends and family with this amazing taco platter.  

I really enjoyed preparing this dish for all of you and for my husband of course.  I know you will enjoy preparing it for your family and friends as much as I do!

Enjoy!