Grady Spears Makes Some Good Cowboy Grub

by Marialisa Calta | NewsOK.com
January 15, 2010
View Article

It’s fashionable to talk about “cuisine,” but what most of us understand is “cooking.” That’s why recipes from Grady Spears, a former cowpoke turned professional chef and cookbook author, are so appealing. Spears says he would rather be called a “cowboy cook” than a “chef,” and all of us who rustle up grub on a daily basis are grateful for that. His food is rustic, accessible and spectacularly delicious.

The story goes that Spears, a Texas native, was working as a ranch hand and took a job as a restaurant manager to help make ends meet. When the chef walked out in the middle of the weekend rush, Spears stepped up to the stove, and his career as a chef — oops, “cowboy cook” — began. He now runs Grady’s Restaurant in his hometown of Fort Worth. As Terry Chandler, the cook for the historic 6666 Ranch in West Texas, told Spears, “Working cattle and doing this kind of cooking are ‘all about want-to.’” In his new book, “Cooking the Cowboy Way” (Andrews McMeel, 2009), Spears concludes, “Both cowboys and chuck-wagon cooks do what they do strictly for the love of the job, because neither are in danger of getting rich in their work.”

But Spears is not your average “pot-rassler.” He has mastered the nuances of Kansas City barbecue, Mexican chili peppers and Cuban seasonings from other cowboy cooks reaching west to Arizona, north to Canada and east to Florida. He’s as comfortable offering a recipe for citrus remoulade and tomatillo hollandaise as he is for chili and cornbread. But all of Spears’ dishes are infused with the “cowboy code,” which he defines as “a respect for hard work, an understanding of the rhythms of nature and … an appreciation for honest food.” Below is a simple menu of such “honest food” from Spears’ newest book, and from an older one, “The Texas Cowboy Kitchen” (Andrews McMeel, 2007).

Grady Spears, it could be said, not only walks the walk but rides the ride. This book — and his others — will make you want to “roll out and bite the biscuit,” or “hit the grub pile.” Come and git it.

CUBAN PICODILLO
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup coarsely chopped pimento-stuffed olives
1 cup golden raisins
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups cooked white rice, for serving

In a large skillet set over medium heat, warm the oil and brown the meat with the onion, garlic and pepper. Decrease the heat to medium-low, and add the tomato sauce and wine. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the olives and raisins. Add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes longer. The consistency should be similar to chili. Serve hot, over rice.
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe from “Cooking the Cowboy Way” by Grady Spears (Andrews McMeel, 2009)

MEXICAN CAESAR SALAD
For the dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 finely chopped scallions, white parts only
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup anchovy paste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

For the salad:
2 large heads romaine lettuce
1/2 cup queso fresco or mild feta

For garnish:
6 to 8 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips and deep-fried until crisp, or 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Make the dressing: Combine 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise, the garlic, cilantro, scallions, salt, pepper, lime juice, anchovy paste and mustard in a blender or food processor until well mixed. Pour into a bowl, and whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Whisk well right before using. Trim, rinse, and spin or pat dry the romaine leaves. Tear into 1-inch pieces. Toss half the dressing and the queso fresco (or feta) with the lettuce in a large bowl. Serve on plates, and top with the fried tortilla strips or toasted pumpkin seeds. Pass the extra dressing.
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe from “Cooking the Cowboy Way” by Grady Spears (Andrews McMeel, 2009)

BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 cups buttermilk
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
1-1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Bring the water and sugar to a boil, remove from heat, cool and refrigerate until cold. Combine the sugar syrup with the remaining ingredients, and freeze in a 2-quart ice-cream maker.
Yield: about 7 cups
Recipe slightly adapted from “The Texas Cowboy Kitchen” by Grady Spears (Andrews McMeel, 2007)

Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.
Copyright 2010, Marialisa Calta. Distributed by UFS, Inc.
EAT IN AND SAVE is a trademark of United Feature Syndicate, Inc.