Cinco de Mayo Barbecue Burrito

George Hirsch May 4, 2023

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide, honoring Mexican heritage and marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than in Mexico. And many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music keep the experience to preserve & educate the public about its historical significance and culture.

A quick fix burrito made even better with yesterday’s leftover grilled chicken. And what a great way to kick off grilling season! Although my grilled chicken burrito recipe is not traditional for Cinco de Mayo - you will still get rave reviews. I have.

Chicken Barbecue Burrito

Barbecue Burrito

Makes 6 serving

chefgeorgehirsch.com | From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch cookbook

2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup Barbecue Chicken Burrito Rub

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Twelve 10-inch flour tortillas

Season chicken with rub (see below) and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the grill to high.

Brush chicken with olive oil, place on the grill, and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Move the chicken to a cooler side of the grill and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to cool for five minutes. Shred the meat, combine it with barbecue sauce in a small saucepan, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on the grill or side burner.

To serve, place 3-4 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture in the center of each flour tortilla. Fold each side toward the center and roll up from the bottom. Place the burritos on a medium-hot grill and heat on both sides for 1 to 2 minutes.

Chicken Burrito Rub

Makes 1/3 cup

1 Tablespoon each of sweet paprika, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin, lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly covered jar.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Cinco de Mayo with George's Posole

George Hirsch May 2, 2023

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide, honoring Mexican heritage and marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than in Mexico. And many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music keep the occasion to preserve & educate the public about its historical significance and culture.

A traditional Mexican dish from the Pacific coast region of Jalisco, Posole is a thick soup made with hominy–dried corn with the hull and germ removed. It makes any large gathering a fiesta!

George's Posole

Makes 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 pounds of pork shoulder chops

1/2 cup Posole Pork Rub

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, sliced thick, grilled, and chopped

4 jalapenos, roasted on the grill; split, seeded, and chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups hot chicken broth

4 cups canned hominy, drained and rinsed

1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

3 fresh red radishes, sliced thin

1 cup fresh cabbage, finely shredded

Rub pork on all sides with Posole Pork Rub, and refrigerate for at least two to 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat a large soup pot to high heat.

Brush chops with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add chops and sear pork on both sides until browned and not fully cooked. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the hot broth, jalapenos, and hominy and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chops, cool, and chop meat into small pieces. Put the pork back into the soup. Continue cooking for 30 additional minutes. The longer and slower the soup simmers, the better.

Stir in cilantro and serve bowls of soup topped with sliced radish, shredded cabbage, and warm corn tortillas.

Posole Pork Rub

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon each: ground cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, chili powder, thyme

1/2 teaspoon each: nutmeg, allspice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

KYFF, Pork BBQ

George Hirsch April 20, 2023

I’m getting into dangerous territory here because I’m talking pork Q. I like nothing better than a slow-cooked smoked pork shoulder or butt served with a soft piece of bread and vinegary sauce. Sounds good, doesn't it? However, you’ll have to wait five-plus hours for the real deal or jump in the car and head to your favorite smokehouse. Here’s a solution. Whip up my BBQ Pork Sandwich as a snack while you slowly cook up a pork shoulder.

It’s a winner just from the reaction I’ve received over the years from my TV show and grilling it up on many TV shows. The trick is in a little advanced planning by applying a dry rub on a tender pork tenderloin for 24 hours, then quickly grill for 15-25 minutes! I’ve prepared this crowd-pleaser many times. Enjoy!

George Hirsch's Pork BBQ Sandwich

Makes six servings

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

1/4 cup Pork Rub

2 Tablespoons olive oil

6 soft rolls or hamburger buns

1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup Q Sauce

Dry rub the pork tenderloin. Rub pork spices over pork tenderloin and refrigerate until ready to cook*. (*If time permits, putting the rub on one day prior or two hours before cooking will really increase the flavor)

PORK RUB:

2 teaspoons each of powdered garlic, paprika

1 Tablespoon each black pepper, rosemary, thyme, Chipotle rub

Q SAUCE:

1/4 cup BBQ Sauce

1/4 cup Steak Sauce

1/4 cup Hoisen sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce)

2 Tablespoons ketchup

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients. Serve sauce warm or at room temperature.

TIP: To cut the cooking time in half, butterfly the meat. Use skewers to keep the meat from curling up.

To cook pork:

Pre Heat Grill to high heat.

Rub olive oil over the pork tenderloin. Place pork tenderloins on high heat and grill to golden brown turning once on all sides. Lower heat to medium, and cook until pork is fully cooked, about 15-25 minutes* (see *Tip). Remove from the grill and let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Slice pork tenderloin very thin, and pile high on soft buns. Drizzle Q Sauce over meat, and top with finely shredded cabbage.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Top Of The Muffin To You

George Hirsch April 16, 2023

Who doesn’t like a good muffin? After all, once the recipe is mixed, it bakes in minutes and is ready to serve.

Tips: Using very ripe bananas (black) is the key to success with a banana muffin recipe. Save ripe bananas and freeze them in a plastic bag until you have enough to make a full recipe.

For a "lower fat" muffin, replace the butter in part or all with applesauce.

Banana Nut Muffins

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

makes 10-12 muffins

Optional: For the Crumb Topping:

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons nuts, chopped

1 Tablespoon sweet butter

Mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts in a small bowl. Blend butter in with a fork until the mixture is crumb-like.

For the Muffin Mix:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups, about 3-4 large very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup pure cane granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons honey

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 cup sweet butter, melted or replace with part/ all applesauce

Lightly grease 10 muffin cups or line them with muffin papers.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and follow the directions below.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, honey, egg, cinnamon, vanilla, zest, nuts, and melted butter. Fold in the banana mixture by hand with a spatula into the flour mixture until moistened.

Place batter into muffin cups filling each cup to three-quarters full. Divide the crumb topping evenly over the top of the muffin batter.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin; when a toothpick comes out clean or when touched lightly, the muffin should resist finger pressure slightly.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Angel Wings

George Hirsch April 6, 2023

Galani is also known as fried ribbons, bow ties, or angel wings in the U.S. The ribbons of sweet pasta dough are fried and covered with sugar or honey. It takes on different names throughout central Europe including; chrusciki, krusczyk, frappe, frappole, sfrappole, flappe, cenci, crustci, donzelli, crostoli, galani in Veneto, lattughe, nastri delle suore, bugie, and gigi. No matter what you call them - they are addictive.

Angel Wings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

6 egg yolks

pinch of salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

6 Tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon Sambuca, whiskey, or rum

frying oil

approximately 3/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar to pastries

By Mixer:

Place the flour in a mixing bowl with a dough hook, add all ingredients except the confectioners sugar, blend well at low speed, then mix for fifteen minutes.

By Hand:

If kneading by hand, make a well in the center. Add the egg yolks and rub in with the fingers until combined. Add all the other ingredients except the confectioner sugar. Blend well and keep kneading by repeating a pattern of folding the dough, flattening it, folding again, and flattening it for at least half an hour.

Divide the dough into four pieces and cover it in plastic wrap. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.

When ready to fry, roll out dough with a rolling stick 1/16th inch thick. Slice into one-and-a-half-inch wide strips. Cut the strips diagonally, preferably with a fluted pastry wheel, into 5-inch lengths. In each strip, cut a one-inch slit the long way in the middle. Pull one end of the strip through the slit so that it looks like a bowtie shape.

Preheat frying oil to 375F. Test a small piece first; it should become golden in about 45 seconds, then turn over. Fry the strips in small batches until they turn light golden, turning once. Drain on wire screens and allow to cool. When cool, move to a serving platter and dust with confectioners sugar.

Tip: The long mixing will create air pockets in the dough; you will want the air pockets to make the pastry puff when frying.