Meat | Megan Peck Cooks

Baked Sriracha BBQ Chicken

February 22, 2015 by Megan Leave a Comment

Have you heard of a little hot sauce called Sriracha? This Asian inspired chili sauce phenomenon continues dominate condiment sales across the US and seems to be a never ending trend. I’m a big fan so it was only a matter of time before this tasty spicy sauce made into one of my recipe posts. Combining an old fashioned classic BBQ sauce with hot sriracha seemed like a natural step. The sweet and spicy flavors of this sauce and tender pieces of chicken are like long lost friends. This pairing was meant to be.

Classic BBQ Chicken (the oven baked version with BBQ sauce) has recently been climbing the ranks of my favorite comfort foods list. Although BBQ Chicken is usually associated with summer grilling, there’s something comforting about baking chicken brushed with BBQ sauce and eating it with mash potatoes to suck up the flavorful juices. The only thing missing was a little spice. Sriracha chili sauce adds the spicy warmth this traditional dish was missing.

The base of the BBQ sauce recipe came from “The James Beard Cookbook,” by James beard – friend and mentor of my grandmother, Paula Peck. By omitting a few ingredients and adding sriracha and lime juice, this recipe turned into an addictive sweet and spicy sauce that marries well with not only chicken, but other meats and vegetables alike.

Although both my grandmother and James Beard never had the chance to taste sriracha or experience this nationwide obsession, I think they would have enjoyed it. As reflected in her cookbooks and recipes, my grandmother loved international cooking and ingredients. I imagine that if given the chance, a bottle of sriracha would have been a permament staple at the Peck household. She may have even created a sweet and spicy Sriracha BBQ chicken recipe such as this – garnished with finely chopped cilantro and a cooling side of avocado to balance the spice, of course.

Note: this BBQ chicken is also great on the grill!

Baked Sriracha BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

Sriracha BBQ Sauce

¼ cup olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 cup tomato puree

½ cup chicken broth

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

½ cup honey

½ cup sriracha chili sauce

juice of 1 lime

Any combination of skinless chicken:

6 legs and 6 thighs or

6 legs and 3-4 chicken breasts

Instructions

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add dry mustard and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato puree, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in Sriracha sauce and lime juice. Allow sauce to cool slightly before using on chicken.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place chicken pieces in the dish in one layer. Brush or spoon BBQ sauce over chicken.

Bake in oven for 45 minutes – 1hour or until juices run clear, basting chicken with sauce every 15 minutes.

Serve with avocado and chopped cilantro.

Beef Stew

January 11, 2015 by Megan Leave a Comment

As the darkest and coldest part of the winter looms, the next three months or so are the most difficult to get through. There’s little to look forward to (the Super Bowl doesn’t quite do it for me) and spring seems so far away. This is when I remind myself that it’s stew and soup season. These hearty but often healthy dishes can be as comforting as a fire in a fireplace (which most of us don’t have in NYC) on a cold winter day. If this winter becomes anything like last years – and lets hope it doesn’t – stews and soups are like that forgiving friend that’s always there for you. The cook times can work around your schedule and often the longer a soup or stew sits, the better it tastes. An easy one pot meal that can be made in the slow cooker while you’re at work.

Though it may not be the prettiest, this beef stew is a classic recipe that I adapted from my good old friend, “The James Beard Cookbook.” I also referred to a version by my grandmother, Paula Peck, in “The Art of Good Cooking.” Instead of just the standard, beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions – I also added mushrooms, tomatoes, and celery. Feel free to experiment with whichever vegetables you prefer. Since the beef needs to be cooked slowly to break down the fat and make it tender, I added each vegetable throughout the cooking process accordingly to my preferred doneness for each one. However, both the vegetables and beef could all easily be thrown together in a slow cooker. After just a few hours, the house smells of rich beef broth with scents of onion and thyme. Serve alone or over rice – the broth acts like a thick gravy that will be devoured with each steaming beefy bite. It may even make you forget about the long stretch of winter ahead, at least for the moment.

Beef Stew

Ingredients

2 lbs beef round or lean beef chuck, cubed

½ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, large dice

1 clove garlic

2 ½-3 cups beef stock or broth

1 bay leaf

4 red potatoes, diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

3 stalks celery, diced

3 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

Instructions

Place flour in a shallow dish and add salt and pepper. Roll meat cubes in flour mixture.

Melt butter in a large heavy soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and beef cubes. Brown beef cubes on all sides.

Add enough stock to fully cover meat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the bay leaf. Simmer, degreasing occasionally, until beef is tender (1 ½-2 hours).

Halfway through cooking (about 45 minutes), add the potatoes, carrots, celery, parsley, and thyme. Add the mushrooms and tomato about 15-20 minutes later.

Serves 6-8

Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. Serve hot in large bowls or with rice.

Chicken Saltimbocca

October 7, 2012 by Megan Leave a Comment

Saltimbocca has become somewhat of a classic. Originally Mediterranean, the name Saltimbocca is Italian for “jump in mouth” – a reference to the flavor explosion that takes place while eating this dish. There are varying ways to make saltimbocca. Veal, sage, capers, and sometimes provolone cheese are common ingredients. However, in each scenario the basics remain the same: the chicken or veal is sautéed and prosciutto is always involved (though I see no reason why you couldn’t use ham for a less expensive version). This recipe for Chicken Saltimbocca from “The Art of Good Cooking” happens to include black olives, which is somewhat rare but the beauty of this dish is its flexibility. Though I didn’t add it here, I think roasted red pepper could also make a nice addition to the center filling. The mozzarella is a natural match with the prosciutto and the crunchiness of the breading that soaks up some of the garlic butter is a combination that’s worth it alone – the other ingredients are just a bonus!

Note: the original recipe did not include toothpicks. I find that it’s easier to ensure the filling stays between the two cutlets by securing each package with a couple of toothpicks. Just make sure to take them out after cooking!

Chicken Saltimbocca

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts, boned, skinned, and cut in half (or 12 thin chicken cutlets)

6 thin slices of prosciutto, cut in half

12 pieces of mozzarella cheese, about ½ inch thick rectangles

12 pitted black olives, halved

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup flour

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

2 cups bread crumbs of your choice

¼ cup unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

toothpicks (optional)

¼ cup butter and ¼ cup olive oil (or enough to cover the bottom of a large skillet to a ¼ inch depth, equal parts)

Instructions

On one side of each breast or cutlet, place a piece of prosciutto, a piece of mozzarella, and two olive halves. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Fold unfilled side over to cover filling, and press edges firmly together to enclose filling or secure with toothpicks.

Flour each package so it is dusted on all sides. Beat egg slightly, adding milk. Dip chicken packages into mixture on both sides. Then dip into bread crumbs. Chill for at least a ½ hour or longer.

Melt ¼ cup butter in a small saucepan. Add half the chopped garlic and parsley. Keep warm until chicken is cooked.

Heat butter and olive oil in skillet with remaining garlic and parsley until fats are hot but not smoking. Place breaded chicken in skillet and turn heat to medium high. Saute chicken quickly, only until golden. Turn once to cook the other side.

Remove to heated serving dish. Remove toothpicks, if using. Pour warm garlic parsley butter on top.

Serves 8-10.

Adapted from “The Art of Good Cooking,” by Paula Peck.