Great Texas Recipes

Enjoy these great recipes from some of the best Chefs in Texas!

Rough Creek Lodge Tortilla Soup 
Recipe by Chef Gerard Thompson


Soup
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 12-15 crispy corn tortilla chips
  • 4 to 6 vine ripe tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon whole cumin, freshly toasted
  • 2 ancho chiles, seeded
  • 2 quarts chicken broth
  • Kosher salt to taste

Garnish
  • 1 Haas avocado, diced, for garnish
  • 6 ounce grilled chicken breast, diced, for garnish
  • Crispy corn tortilla chips, for garnish
  • 1 cup cheddar or jack cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges, for garnish

Heat a large stainless-steel stock pot with the oil. Add the onion and garlic. Season with a little kosher salt. Stir. Add the crispy tortilla chips, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir so nothing burns on the bottom of pan. Cook slowly for 3-5 minutes. Add cumin, chiles and chicken broth. Season to taste with kosher salt. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and blend. Taste and adjust seasoning. Strain through a medium strainer and keep warm until ready to serve.

To serve, place soup in soup bowl, add chicken and avocado. Top with cheese and cilantro. Squeeze lime into soup just before serving.

Goat Cheese and Pine Nut Crusted Beef Tenderloin 
Recipe by Chef Jon Bonnell


Ingredients
8 ounces beef tenderloin filet
2 ounces fresh Texas goat cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
2 pinches kosher salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry nonstick pan to a light golden brown. Combine the herbs, garlic and goat cheese and mix with a pinch of salt. Season the filet with salt and pepper then sear in canola oil. Be sure to brown each side of the filet before turning over to really caramelize the outside. If the beef is thick, it may be necessary to finish cooking in the oven. Cook to desired temperature. When the beef is almost finished, smother the top with the herb goat cheese mixture and place in the oven for one minute to warm the cheese. Top with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

Chef's Comments: This is a classic way to combine the robust flavor of beef with the creaminess and earthy nature of goat's cheese. It's a match made in heaven.

Tamale Stuffing
Tamale Stuffing is one of the easiest dressings to make. We crumbled tamales and added tomatoes and spices to cook this zesty dish.

Ingredients

24 cooked beef and pork tamales (husks removed)
4 cups three-cheese blend (grated Cheddar, mozzarella and Jack cheeses)
28 oz. tomatoes with diced green chiles
2 cups chopped onions
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dark chili powder
1 to 3 tsps. kosher salt, to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, crumble tamales by hand into bite-size pieces. (Do not use a mixer or food processor or the stuffing will be too dense.) Toss all remaining ingredients and add to the tamales. Place in a large greased baking pan or two 9-inch ovenproof dishes and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until brown and hot throughout. Serves 12.

Mesquite Seared Beef Steak with Chipotle Brown Butter
by the "OUTLAW CHEF" Terry Chandler of Fred's Cafe 
www.Outlaw-Chef.com
Ingredients

1 pound of Beef steak per person cut at least 1 1/2 inches thick
Coarsly ground Black Pepper. 1 table spoon per steak
Minced garlic. 1 1/2 table spoons per steak
Salt of your choice. 2 pinches per steak(one per side)
Sweet Cream Butter 1 table spoon per steak
Freshly squezed lime juice. 1 tea spoon per serving
Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce. 1 table spoon per serving.
One bottle of beer, (the one you are probably drinkin!)

Directions

First take and season your meat with the "Holy Trinity" of steak; salt, black pepper & garlic. First, a lot of black pepper. As coarsely ground as you can find or manufacture. Now apply a good amount of garlic, freshly minced is preferable, granulated will work OK, my last choice being garlic powder. If you use garlic salt skip the salt. Now salt the meat. Be sure to do this to both sides. Next, sear the steak over a very hot mesquite fire, with the flames actually touching the meat to your desired temperature. Now for the Sauce. In a small, smoking hot, caste iron skillet, throw in a generous amount of sweet cream butter. About a table spoon per serving. Doing so with the skillet removed from the heat source. Next add freshly squeezed lime juice, about a 1/2 a tea spoon per serving. Followed by the chopped chipotles in adobo, about a table spoon per serving. (Make sure your hands and wrist are protected as this sauce tends to splatter a bit when the lime juice is added.) Add a little beer to thin the sauce down a bit and pour over the already plated steak.

Gorgonzola Lone Star Steak Butter 
The most recent creation of chef Michael Thomson
www.michaelscuisine.com
Texas Beef Council Hot Chef



Ingredients

1 Lb. Whole unsalted butter
2 Tbls. Olive oil
1/4 Cup fresh garlic, minced
1/4 Cup fresh rosemary, minced
10 Shakes tabasco sauce
2 Tbls. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 Tsp. Chipotle chile powder
1 Tsp. Old bay seasoning
1/2 Tsp. Fresh ground black pepper
2 Cups gorgonzola blue cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. In an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy.

2. While the butter is beating, in a skillet over medium fire, heat the olive oil with the garlic and cook until the garlic is golden brown and just toasted. Remove the skillet from the fire and add the rosemary, allow to cool.

3. To the rosemary garlic skillet, add the tabasco, worchestershire, chipotle powder, old bay, and pepper. Mix well.

4. Add the seasoning mixture to the butter, beat for another minute to fully incorporate the seasoning.

5. Add the gorgonzola crumbles and beat until incorporated. Divide into three equal parts.

6. Place each third of the butter mixture onto the center of a sheet of waxed paper, or plastic wrap, fold one side over the butter. Using your fingers, or the handle of a wooden spoon, roll into a log about 2" in diameter. Twist the ends tight to press the butter log into a solid piece. Freeze to maintain the shape. (See chefs note) the log can be cut into 1/2 " thick medallions for use. After cutting allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Chefs Notes;

Compound butter is made by blending any number of flavorings into whipped whole butter. The flavored butter can be piped into rosettes, or simply rolled into a log, wrapped in waxed or parchment paper, plastic wrap, or foil. It stores well for up to 6 months in the freezer, and simply needs to be cut into medallions and brought to room temperature for service.

Compound butters are a great way to top-off a grilled steak. It can also be used to finish vegetables including grilled asparagus.

Allow the flavors to marry with the butter by leaving the finished butter at room temperature for a couple of hours prior to freezing.

Or added presentation the butter log can be un-wrapped, coated with finely minced parsley, and re-wrapped until needed.


Classic Texas Steak Rub  

Ingredients

2 heads garlic
1/2 cup whole black peppercorns
2 tbsp. kosher salt

Directions

Peel all of the garlic and mash the cloves into a paste. Use a mortar and pestle, adding a little virgin olive oil if necessary and grind the peppercorns and salt so they reach the consistency of fine to course gravel, not sand.

Mix the peppercorns and salt in with the garlic, and press the mixture into your pieces of steak, covering both sides with a nice, thin coat. Now, grill your steaks the way you like 'em. Happy grillin'.


Marinade for Grilled Beef  
Spice up your life with this recipe from Chef Michael Thomson
Texas Beef Council Hot Chef

Ingredients

1 cup red wine
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup corn oil
1-1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1-1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1-1/2 tsp. ancho chile powder
1 Tbsp. fresh black pepper

Directions

Mix all ingredients well. Coat each piece of meat completely - do not just pour marinade over the meat. Turn meat every 15 minutes while marinating. Marinate for 2 hours. Grill as usual.


Perini Ranch Steak Rub 
From Texas Beef Council and Tom Perini
Texas Beef Council Hot Chef

A texas-style steak rub worth committing to memory! Easy-to-find spices combine to add fantastic flavor to any steak, while helping to seal in the natural juices.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons corn starch or flour
2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons coarse-ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 teaspoons garlic powder
4 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon beef stock base (granulated)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Either sprinkle or rub into meat before cooking.

Ranch Roasted Ribeye Rub  
Chef Tom Perini's favorite ribeye rub
Texas Beef Council Hot Chef

Ingredients

1 cup salt
2 cups coarse ground black pepper
1/3 cup flour or corn starch
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/3 cup oregano
Directions

1. Blend all ingredients together in large mixing bowl.
2. Rub on prime rib as recommended in Ranch Roasted Ribeye recipe.

Texas Marinade  

From Texas with it's southwest accent on flavors comes this great marinade for just about any steak you care to cook.

Ingredients

1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup light olive oil
2 Tbs chili sauce
2 Tbs fresh ground black pepper
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme

Directions

Mix ingredients thoroughly. Marinate steaks for 2 to 4 hours turning occasionally. Discard marinade and do not reuse. Cook steaks over a HOT fire until done. Serve immediately. REMEMBER: A steak continues to cook for 5 to 10 minutes after being taken off the grill. So under cook just a bit so that it will be correct when the knife hits.