By Lynn Nusom | For the Las Cruces Sun-News
January 26, 2010
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Whether we drive an SUV, a Prius or a Pickup we forget that New Mexico was shaped in a large part by cowboys on horseback. When driving between Las Cruces and Albuquerque I often wonder about the arduous trek our forefathers made on horseback or in wagons pulled by teams of horses or mules.
One thing our ancestors had in common with us is – they had to eat. Native Texan and cowboy-turned chef, Grady Spears and award-winning journalist and author, June Naylor have brought us a sense of how cowboys ate in that time and now in their new book, “Cooking the Cowboy Way.” Life in the saddle, on the trail, and in the outback has forged a lifestyle that renowned restaurant owner Spears gives us a glimpse of in this book. He takes you on a journey across the continent to amazing places full of food, history, and people who have appreciation that always including cooking and eating.
That cowboy spirit comes from a simple code of rustic lifestyles and hearty recipes. Cowboy cooks, ranchers, and locals from across North America share more than 100 of these mouthwatering creations. Each chapter focuses on a different region of the country such a places like the Wildcatter Ranch in Graham, Texas, the Bellamy Brothers Ranch in Darby, Fla., the Home Place Ranch in Alberta, Canada, and Rancho de la Osa in Tucson, Ariz.
If I have one fault to find with this book is that the authors did not feature a ranch in New Mexico. As the old saying goes, “nevertheless” it is a good read and gives us an insight into a both a world gone by and the present life on ranches. And most important, at least from our viewpoint – the book features some outstanding recipes.
Ranch-rubbed prime rib
Perini Ranch Steakhouse prime rib is known far and wide, and it’s one of the reasons that Texas Monthly magazine named Perini one of the top three steakhouses in the state. My favorite way to eat this is with a horseradish cream that you can make easily by blend in a cup of sour cream with a tablespoon (or more, if you’re game) of horseradish.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Thoroughly combine the salt, pepper, flour, garlic powder, and oregano in a small bowl, and rub the mixture over the entire surface of the meat. Place the roast on a wire rack in a roasting pan to keep it out of the drippings. Roast for 45 minutes to seal the juices, then decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees and roast to the desired doneness. Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature: 145 degrees is medium-rare and 155 to 160 degrees is medium. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before you slice it. Serve with horseradish sauce.
Serves 10.
Green chile cream gravy
In Texas, you can’t eat biscuits without good, homemade gravy made with real cream. Terry’s special gravy for our Sweethearts brunch was made with fire-roasted green chile. He likes Hatch or any other long green chile from New Mexico, but poblano chiles will work, too.
Roast the green chiles over an open heat source or under the broiler in an oven until they are black and blistered; transfer to a closed container to allow them to steam. Once the chiles have cooked, about 20 minutes or so, put on gloves to peel, seed, and chop them into a medium dice. Set the chiles aside.
Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. When the bacon is crisp, remove it and set aside to drain on paper towels; reserve the bacon for putting on top of pan de campo, if desired.
To make a roux, stir the flour into the bacon grease over medium heat, stirring constantly until the flour stops foaming. Add the cream, increase the heat to medium-high, and stir until the gravy begins to thicken. Decrease the heat to medium or medium low, continue to stir, and add the salt and pepper. Do not let the gravy boil. Stir in the green chiles, remove from the heat, and serve hot over biscuits.
Serves 10 to 14.
Minty mojitos
Place the mint leaves in a small pitcher with the lime juice. Add the confectioners’ sugar, then muddle the mint leaves to release the oils. If you don’t have a muddler, you can gently crush the leaves with the back of a spoon. Add crushed ice and the rum, stirring well. Pour the mixture equally into 4 Collins (or other tall) glasses, and top with a splash of soda. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve.
Serves 4.
Asparagus and portobello enchiladas in chipotle cream
Man, talk about good – these enchiladas will satisfy even a meat-lover. The chipotle cream adds richness, and the sharp cheddar on top is a great finishing touch.
For the Chipotle cream:
To make the cream: Blend the sour cream and buttermilk in a small bowl and let stand at room temperature for 12 hours, to thicken. After it’s thickened, add the adobo sauce to the sour cream mixture and set aside at room temperature until you’re ready to bake.
To make the enchiladas: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Wash the asparagus and trim the tips into 1-inch pieces, then cut another half-inch piece below the tip. (You can use the rest for soup or discard.) Heat the olive oil in a medium pan and sauté the asparagus, Portobello mushrooms, and garlic over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Chop the chiles and mix with the ricotta cheese, cumin, Parmesan cheese, and eggs. Add to the sautéed vegetables.
Heat the tortillas in a lightly greased frying pan, then wrap them in aluminum foil to keep them soft. Spray two 8-inch-by-8-inch glass baking dishes lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Fill one tortilla at a time with the asparagus mixture and roll it up. Arrange the enchiladas in the baking dishes-do not layer them. Pour 1 cup of the chicken broth into each dish. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the chipotle cream into each dish atop the enchiladas and chicken broth. Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes, then sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top and bake for an extra 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Sprinkle the cilantro on top and serve.
Serves 10 to 12.
Dutch’s blue cheese and bacon burger with chipotle mayo
Nothing beats the flavor combination of blue cheese, bacon, and chipotle. You get sweet, smoky, tangy, and a little bit of fire, all in one bite. This is a great burger any way you cook it, but if you use ground sirloin, you’ll taste the difference.
For the Burgers:
Prepare a gas or charcoal grill or heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Season each burger with kosher salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove the burger from the heat and let rest for 3 minutes. Spread a thin layer of chipotle mayo on the top and bottom of each bun. Place a burger on the bottom bun, then layer the bacon, tomato, and onion on top, and finish with the blue cheese crumbles. Put the top bun in place and serve warm.
Serves 4.
Chipotle mayo
In a bowl, combine the ingredients, mixing well. Season with the salt and refrigerate, covered, until needed.
Makes 1/2 cup.
Recipes From Cooking the Cowboy Way by Grady Spears with June Naylor/Andrews courtesy of McMeel Publishing.
Lynn Nusom is the award-winning author of 12 cookbooks, including “The New Mexico Cook Book,” “The Tequila Cook Book,” “Authentic Southwestern Cooking,” and “Crazy for Chipotle.” His Web site is www.lynnnusomskitchen.com
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