Alamo City Moms TASTE: Thank You For Smoking

Paula Disbrowe

That’s not a phrase you hear often, is it? So if it made you do double take, we promise the flavors included in this edition of Alamo City Moms TASTE will do the same.

Texas is all about barbecue, but those flavors go far beyond brisket. Where there’s fire, there’s smoke, and thankfully, award-winning author and grilling expert Paula Disbrowe is sharing how we can harness that smoke to add flavor to everything from desserts to cocktails, as well as entrées that will have your family saying, “Thank you for smoking.”

In her latest cookbook, Thank You for Smoking, Paula shows home cooks how to elevate everyday meals with seductive, smoky flavors with 100 recipes for smoking meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, nuts, grains, pantry staples, and even cocktails on a smoker or grill in as little as 30 minutes. For those of us who aren’t grill experts, Paula’s recipes include details on how to do it, making the book a how-to guide for fantastic flavors with a smoky nuance.

After tasting Paula’s amazing Rice Krispie treats, which have their roots in San Antonio, we knew we had to share so everyone else could enjoy them too. She was kind enough to share the recipe, along with two others from Thank You for Smoking: Burnt Orange Margarita and Hot Luck Tri-Tip, so you can sip, smoke, and savor. Notes from Paula are included with each recipe, so dig in and enjoy. And after you try these, we’re sure you’re going to want to add Thank You for Smoking to your cookbook collection – or give it as a gift to someone who loves flavor.

Burnt Marshmallow Krispies

Note from Paula: When I first tasted the brilliant Krispie squares made with “burnt” marshmallows at Larder, a stylish grab-and-go food shop at Hotel Emma, I felt like dancing. In chef John Brand’s recipe, he browns half of the butter for richness. My version uses straight-up butter to allow the Proustian flavor of burnt marshmallows to shine, and dried cranberries (feel free to use cherries) for a sweet-tart pop. These bars will taste quite salty right after you make them, but the flavor settles in upon standing, resulting in irresistible treats that both kids and grownups love. Note: You’ll need nonstick cooking spray and eight to ten metal skewers for this recipe. Makes about 16 squares.

Ingredients:

Burnt Marshmallow Krispies
  • 1 1⁄2 pounds (600 g) marshmallows
  • 3⁄4 c. (170 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 7 c. (560 g) crispy rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
  • 1⁄2 c. (110 g) toffee bits
  • 1⁄2 c. (60 g) dried cranberries or dried cherries

Instructions:

  1. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium fire or heat a gas grill to medium-high. When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, add your smoke source (chips, chunks, or log). Carefully wipe the preheated grill grates and a grill basket with a lightly oiled paper towel.
  2. Spray an eight-inch (20 cm.) square baking dish with cooking spray (or coat it with butter). Spray 8 to 10 skewers with cooking spray and slide 8 to 10 marshmallows on each skewer, leaving 1 1⁄2 inches (4 cm) bare on each end from which you will suspend the skewers.
  3. When the fire begins to produce a steady stream of smoke, suspend the skewers over the oiled grill basket and place the basket over direct heat. (Or, go old-school and remove the cooking grate and hold the skewers directly over the coals.) Toast the marshmallows until one side of the marshmallows is puffed and blackened. (If you try to toast both sides of the marshmallows, you’ll likely have multiple casualties.) Remove the basket from the heat and immediately scrape the marshmallows into a Dutch oven.
  4. Place the Dutch oven on the stove top over medium-low heat, add the butter, and stir until melted. When the mixture is mostly smooth, stir in the vanilla and salt. Remove the pot from the heat and use a rubber spatula to fold in the cereal, toffee bits, and dried cranberries. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, pressing gently to compress and smooth the surface. If you can’t wait, you can dig in immediately, but for the best texture and flavor, cover with plastic wrap and let the flavors meld for at least three hours before serving. Store the bars, covered, at room temperature for up to five days.

Burnt Orange Margarita

Note from Paula: Charred blood oranges and a spicy spirit make this margarita a force to be reckoned with. Alba Huerta, one of the South’s most talented mixologists and the owner of Julep in Houston, turned me on to Ancho Reyes, an ancho chile liqueur based on a 1927 recipe from Puebla, Mexico. The unique spirit adds a tingling heat to a traditional margarita (or any other tequila drink). Serves 1.

Burnt Orange Margarita

Ingredients:

  • 2 blood oranges
  • Border Dust (recipe follows), to rim
  • 1 ounce (30 ml) silver tequila
  • 3⁄4 ounce (20 ml) Ancho Reyes
  • 1 ounce (30 ml) Cointreau
  • 1 ounce (30 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions:

  1. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium fire, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, add your smoke source (chips, chunks, or log). Carefully wipe the preheated grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again.
  2. Halve one blood orange horizontally and grill it, cut side down, over direct heat until dark char marks appear (two to three minutes). Slice the other blood orange into 1⁄4-inch (6 mm) rounds and grill until charred on one side (about one minute). Place the Border Dust on a plate or shallow bowl. Juice the blood orange halves. Moisten the rim of a rocks glass and dip it into the Border Dust to coat. Combine the tequila, Ancho Reyes, Cointreau, 1 ounce (30 ml) juice from the charred blood orange, and the lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Fill the salt-rimmed glass with ice and strain the margarita into the glass. Garnish with a 1⁄2 round of charred blood orange.

Border Dust

Note from Paula: This blend of chile-tinged salt and sugar provides a kiss of heat for margaritas and palomas. While you can use any pure ground chile powder for this recipe, I prefer the bright, high-noon heat of red chiles (like ancho or arbol) and chipotle (made from dried and smoked jalapeños). Makes ½ cup (100 g).

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. ground chipotle chile powder
  • 1 Tbsp. pure ground chile powder (such as ancho or arbol)

Instructions:

  1. Combine the salt, sugar, and chile powders in a glass jar, cover, and store in a cool, dark place for up to one month.
  2. To use for a cocktail, place the Border Dust on a plate or shallow bowl. Moisten the glass rim with a lime wedge (or dip it in water), dip the rim in the Border Dust, and add your preferred beverage.

Hot Luck Tri-Tip with Fresh Herbs

Note from Paula: Tri-tip is a relatively inexpensive cut with a deep, beefy flavor that can stand up to punchy marinades and bold spices. To keep it moist on the grill, brush it with an extra coating of oil just before grilling and don’t cook it past medium-rare. The spicy meat is delicious served with crisp Bibb lettuce leaves, fragrant fresh herbs, and pickled carrots and radishes. Serves 4 to 6.

Hot Luck Tri-Tip

Ingredients:

  • 1 2 1⁄2-pound (1.1 kg) tri-tip (about 2 inches/5 cm thick)
  • vegetable oil, for drizzling
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated on a microplane
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp. Spicy Curry Salt (recipe below)
  • 12 Bibb lettuce leaves
  • 1 c. (30 g) fresh Thai basil leaves
  • 1⁄2 c. (20 g) lightly chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1⁄2 c. (20 g) lightly chopped fresh mint
  • pickled carrots and radishes (recipe below), for serving
  • hot sauce (such as sambal oelek), for serving

Instructions:

  1. Place the steak on a baking sheet and use a paring knife to make several 1⁄2-inch (1.3 cm) incisions on both sides of the meat; drizzle it with enough oil to lightly coat, and generously season with salt and pepper. Combine the garlic, ginger, and Spicy Curry Salt in a small bowl and then rub the mixture over the entire surface of the meat. Let the meat marinate at room temperature for one hour.
  2. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium fire, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, add your smoke source (chips, chunks, or log). Carefully wipe the preheated grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again.
  3. When the fire begins to produce a steady stream of smoke, place the steak over direct heat and grill for five to six minutes, then flip the meat and cook it for an additional 15 to 17 minutes (flipping every four to five minutes), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 125°F (52°C); carryover heat will take it to 130°F (55°C) for medium-rare as it rests.
  4. Transfer the steak to a cutting board to rest for five minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain and arrange the slices on a serving platter with the lettuce, herbs, pickled vegetables, and hot sauce.

Spicy Curry Salt

Note: Makes ½ cup (100 g).

Ingredients:

  • 1⁄4 c. (50 g) Madras curry
  • 1⁄4 c. (60 ml) kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes or crumbled chile pequin
  • 1 tsp. smoked marjoram or oregano

Instructions:

  1. Place the curry powder, salt, Korean chile flakes, red pepper flakes, and marjoram in a bowl and stir to combine. Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place for up to two months.

Pickled Carrots and Radishes

Makes about 1 quart (950g)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
  • 15 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1⁄2 c. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1 c. water
  • 1⁄2 c. rice wine vinegar

Instructions:

  1. Combine the carrot, radishes, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and use your fingers to gently massage the seasonings into the vegetables until dissolved.
  2. Transfer the vegetables and their liquid to a clean quart-size jar, add the water and rice vinegar, and stir to combine.
  3. You can use the pickles immediately, but they’ll be crisper and have more flavor if you refrigerate them overnight (they’ll last for up to one week).

All recipes reprinted with permission from Thank You for Smoking: Fun and Fearless Recipes Cooked with a Whiff of Wood Fire on Your Grill or Smoker by Paula Disbrowe, copyright © 2019. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography copyright: Johnny Autry © 2019.

Dawn
An Army brat who came to Texas for college and ultimately managed to make the Lone Star State her permanent home, Dawn became a mom “AMA” (advanced maternal age), giving her the opportunity to use a stroller vs. a walker as she navigates the world of motherhood. Her growing up way too fast native Texan loves all things Star Wars, Legos, dinosaurs and keeping his parents on their toes. When she’s not busy parenting the original strong-willed child, Dawn runs Tale to Tell Communications, a San Antonio-based PR and marketing agency. An award-winning writer, Dawn also contributes to San Antonio Woman, Rio Magazine and Texas Lifestyle Magazine. She and her family enjoy exploring all that San Antonio has to offer, going on adventures and playing tourist together as much as possible. Favorite Restaurant: Clementine Favorite Landmark: The beauty of the River Walk, especially La Villita Favorite San Antonio Tradition: Celebrating anything and everything with color, music and food