Big appetites and ranch traditions go hand in hand for two Texas chefs
by Diane Welland | American Profile | 3/4/2010
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Cowboys (and cowgirls) come in all different shapes and sizes, but two things are certain: Life on the range stirs up a big appetite and breakfast is serious business. “Cowboy chef” Grady Spears and “cowgirl chef” Paula Disbrowe explain cowboy cooking and what a cowboy breakfast means to them.
Q. What does “cowboy cuisine” mean to you?
A. Cowboy Grady: Cowboy cooking is honest, straightforward, hearty comfort food. It’s approachable but simple and filling. At Grady’s, my restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, I use a lot of quail and goat (cabrito) because that’s what’s indigenous to the area. Meat, like rib-eye steaks, beef tenderloin and pork chops, is a big part of the cuisine. They don’t call Fort Worth “Cowtown” for nothing.
Q. What is your favorite cowboy breakfast?
A. Cowboy Grady: Chicken-fried steak with cream gravy, buttermilk biscuits, a couple of fried eggs, pinto beans with pico de gallo (tomato and roasted garlic salsa) and good, strong black coffee with a little sugar.
Q. How did you become a cowboy chef?
A. Cowboy Grady: Living in Texas, I always dreamed of being a cowboy, ever since I was a little boy. But roping cattle didn’t pay enough, so I took a job as a restaurant manager at the historic Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas. When the chef walked out in the middle of dinner service on a busy night, I started cooking. I had to, and from then on, I never stopped.
Q. What are you doing now? And what’s coming down the pike?
A. Cowboy Grady: Last October, I released my sixth cookbook, Cooking the Cowboy Way, highlighting ranches I visited across the country and in Canada, and the simple, hardy, regional recipes they serve. In early January 2009, I opened Grady’s restaurant, featuring upscale Texas cuisine like beer-battered chicken-fried steak and herb-crusted rack of lamb. I’m working on a children’s cowboy book, and I hope to launch a Web-based TV cooking show, where I travel across the country “cooking the cowboy way.” It should be really exciting.
Bacon Cheddar Scones
by Grady Spears
Here’s a hearty element for a bountiful holiday brunch spread.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 green onions, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
5 to 6 bacon slices, cooked and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk or heavy cream, divided
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Gradually cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles small peas. Stir in the cheese, just until combined. Add green onions, jalapeños, bacon, and 1/3 cup buttermilk. Mix by hand just until all the ingredients are incorporated. If the dough is too dry to hold together, use remaining buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball. Mix as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a light-textured scone.
3. Place dough on a lightly floured board. Pat dough into a ball. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten dough into a circle about 7 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal wedges.
4. Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl and brush tops of each scone.
5. Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet and bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm. Serves 8.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 270 calories, 15g fat, 9g protein, 25g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 430mg sodium.
Vaquero (Cowboy) Migas
by Grady Spears
Migas are the Mexican version of scrambled eggs with crispy fried corn tortilla chips mixed in. There are plenty of variations, but the one hard-and-fast rule is that you can’t use flour tortillas—that’s not authentic! Use yellow or white corn tortillas.
Ingredients
10 yellow or white corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
12 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar or a good Mexican white is preferred)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped firm, ripe tomato
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
1. Cut tortillas into 1- x 2-inch rectangles. Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, fry tortilla pieces, stirring to keep them from sticking together. Before they are crisp, transfer the chips to a platter covered with paper towels to drain. Set aside.
2. Discard about half the oil, return pan to heat, and add eggs. Season with salt and pepper, and stir constantly. As eggs begin to set, add tortilla chips and continue to stir, scraping the bottom of the pan. When the eggs reach a soft scramble, fold in cheese, followed by onion, tomato and jalapeños. Serves 6.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 340 calories, 18g fat, 19g protein, 26g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 445mg sodium.
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