Morg's Bar-B-Que Sauce

I have had a request to post my Bar-B-Que Sauce. I never thought to post it as there are so many "bottled" varieties out there, why go through the effort unless you really want tasty and flavorful BBQ. I have been making it this way for so many years and my family just can't get enough of it.

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup Ketchup (Hunts)
¼ cup chili sauce (Hunts)
⅓ cup red wine
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive Oil
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 small lemon
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
½ Tbsp fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp Worcester sauce
4-5 dashes Tabasco sauce

PREPARATION:

Peel and press the garlic. Wash the parsley shaking off the water; cut off the leaves and chop finely. Wash the rosemary shaking off the water; strip and finely chop the leaves. Juice the lemon.

In a medium mixing bowl add the Ketchup, Chili Sauce, wine, and oil. Mix well with a whisk. Continue adding the remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly. (Should yield about ¾ of a cup or so).

Boston Italian Sub Sandwich

Boston Italian Sub, or as it is also known as a Submarine sandwich, Sub, Hoagie, Italian sub, Torpedo, Grinder, or what ever else you may call it, this is the recipe for the Original Boston Italian Sub (cold) before it got adulterated with everything in the refrigerator. It's a simple combination of two preserved Italian cold cuts, hot Capicola and Genoa salami, with what could be called a salad on top served on a elongated roll (baguette)

INGREDIENTS: per sandwich

1 Italian sub roll

8 slices (⅛ lb)  Genoa salami, thinly sliced

4 slices (1/16 lb) Capicola, Hot thinly sliced (As free of fat as you can find)

Dash (Drizzle) extra virgin olive oil

Dash (Splash) red wine vinegar

Real mayonnaise

3 slices of red ripe tomato

2 or 3 leaves lettuce compressed

PREPARATION:

Wash the lettuce leaves, shaking off as much water as you can. Then compress or press (Flatten) the leaves. Cut the center rib out if it is overly large. Wash the tomato and slice it moderately thick (3/16 to ¼"). Set aside. Slice the roll most of the way through on the side lengthwise.

ASSEMBLY:

 

Open the sub roll up almost flat and spread a light to moderate layer of mayonnaise. Now spread the slices of Capicola across the roll followed by salami. They should bridge the "hinge" between the halves of the roll. Now arrange the tomato on the meat toward the top bun. Finish with lettuce to cover the tomato.

Now drizzle a red wine vinegar over the lettuce just 'till it just runs off and out the end of the bun. Drizzle a little olive oil over the lettuce (not as much). Sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Fold the sub roll closed and slice in half on a diagonal.

   

SERVE:

Serve in a wicker basket lined with wax paper for that "Sub Shop" experience. Add a bottle of beer or soda and some half sour pickles

Sausage Steeped in Beer with Wine infused Red Peppers

This recipe does not fall under the 1– ½ hour category, BUT it’s worth the effort

INGREDIENTS:

26” long 12oz. French bread loaf “Baguette”*
1 pound Italian Sweet sausage links (Anything BUT Johnsonville brand)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Large Sweet red bell peppers
1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle of beer
2 X 1/3 cup of burgundy wine

PREPARATION:

Wash the sausages & straighten. Clean the Peppers, remove the white rib and cut into ¼ -3/8” Julian strips. Cut the hard ends from the Baguette and cut into 5” sections; then cut lengthwise, but not through to form a bun just about the length of the sausages.

COOKING:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium (3-4) heat. Cook sausage until browned on all sides (I turn them about every 5 min. or so) for 30 min. slice the sausages lengthwise down the center in the pan do not cut thru! Just so you can open them. Remove sausage from pan pour any juice back in the pan. Place the sausages in a slow cooker or crock pot** and pour in a can of beer to cover.

Pour 1/3 cup of red wine into the pan deglaze, scraping any blackened bits from the bottom. Place the red peppers in the pan. Let them simmer for about 10 min. Then turn continue simmering (3-3 ½) until peppers are tender turning frequently for another 20 min. don’t let them burn.
Transfer the peppers and sauce into a container. Deglaze the frying pan with 1/3 cup of wine; scraping the bits loose, adding it to the peppers. Place the container in the pan with the steeping sausages to keep warm! Cover and simmer until sausage is cooked through (2 to 3 hours or longer).

Start the steamer at 300deg and reduce to 275deg after about ½ to ¾ of an hour.
Place the cut Baguette buns in the accompanying steamer and steam for about 15 to 20 min. before serving.

SERVING:
Remove a bun from the steamer, open it and place a sausage in it, spreading open the sausage. Scoop out a ladle of the juice (off the bottom avoiding the fat) and ladle it over the sausage and bun followed by peppers placed along the split in the sausage. Place in a wax paper lined basket and serve the best Sausage ‘n Pepper sandwich you ever had!

* In our area, I call the Safe Way stores bakery the day before and ask that they stretch the Baguette to the full length of the pan which results in a loaf about 26” long. Their Baguette are about 12 oz. avoid the 1 Lb. variety as they are too dowey.

** I use a contraption I built to hold everything in one place.

Ike’s Famous “Chicago Classic” Deep Dish Uno's Pizza

Well here it is as promised. Ike Sewell created the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza in 1943. This is my interpretation of it and is as true to the original Uno's pizza as you can get. It is not a “Build your own Pizza” as the balance to achieve the correct flavor is delicate.


PIZZA DOUGH:

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Package of Active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp sugar
½ Cup of milk
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
½ tsp salt
½ cup &  ¼ cup of warm water

In a pan heat the 1 Tbsp of butter until it melts, add ½ cup of milk, add ½ cup hot water and heat. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp Sugar ½ tsp salt. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl dissolve 1 pkg. dry yeast in ¼ cup of warm water. Pour in the previously prepared mixture into the bowl. Stir in 1-1/2 cups flour. Mix vigorously (Beat) for 1 min with a spoon. Add another 1-1/2 cups of flour and mix well.
Toss dough on floured bread board and knead for 5 min.
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1-1/2 hours. Punch down. Knead again for 1 to 2 min let rise again for another 1-1/2 hrs.

I have found that removing the sausage from the skin and frying to a golden brown first, removes a lot of grease and shortens the need for extended cooking time. I also recommend the use of Hot Italian sausage BUT NOT MADE BYJohnsonville they have put in more fat and changed the spices.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound Hot Italian pork sausage ( Anything BUT Johnsonville brand)
1 ea  28 oz. Can of peeled, crushed plum tomatoes
1 lb. Whole Mozzarella cheese (Fresh if you can find it)
1 Tbsp fresh basil (1 tsp. dried )
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary (1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh oregano (1 tsp. dried)
extra virgin olive oil - as needed
Yellow corn meal - as needed

PREPARATION:

Remove the sausage from the casing and crumble. Add to a frying pan and fry till golden brow. Pour off the oil and set sausage aside. Thinly slice the Mozzarella. Finely chop the fresh herbs.

Place the tomatoes in a sauce pan, add the herbs and mix well. Simmer very slowly while you prepare the dough . (At least one hour).

ASSEMBLY:

I use a 12” Iron frying pan with the handle cut off. It’s very close to UNO’s (Not cast Iron). Most any 3” deep frying pan will do. No rack in the pan.

Using your fingers, coat the pan with the olive oil sides and bottom. Then sprinkle a coating of yellow corn meal to lightly cover the pan, spinning the pan and shaking the corn meal at the same time (Sides to). Spread the dough out, place it in the pizza pan and stretch it up the sides of the pan. Using your fingers coat the dough with olive oil. Then spread about 2/3 of the Mozzarella over the dough. The cooked-crumbled sausage comes next, spread to cover the cheese. Spread the sauce over the Sausage. Top with the remainder of the Mozzarella.

COOKING:

Place the pan on the lowest rack in the lowest position of the oven. Crank up the heat to 475 to 500 deg. And bake for 10 min. Move the pan to the center of the oven and reduce the heat to 350 deg. (Don’t wait for the oven to cool) just bake for 20-25 min. ‘till the crust starts to brown on the edges.

Let set for 5 min. Cut and serve.