Don't Halfstep On Game Day, Bust Out A Few Recipes From Chef Aaron Sanchez & Impress Your Guests

When people ask you what you will be doing for the Super Bowl they really mean what are you cooking & drinking as well as where will you be watching the game. If you haven’t starting making plans yet you need to get on the fast track quickly. No one should wait until the last minute to pick up the needed libation mixers and finger foods to keep the party jumpin’ no matter what team prevails in the end. Although he is a certified Celebrity Chef, we prefer to refer to Chef Aaron Sanchez as a down to Earth, beast in the kitchen who creates the kind of dishes even the most judicious of tongues can’t turn down. 

Having met Chef Sanchez at a few events, you get the feeling this is the type of guy you can sit and shoot the breeze with over strong drinks without ever realizing your in the presence of kitchen royalty. For Super Bowl XLVII Chef Sanchez has laced our readers with an authentic recipe right from his stash-box.

Your guests will think your making the big money or have catered in something special when they get a taste of these Carne Asada Tacos w/ Roasted Tomatillo Salsa & fresh made Pickled Onions. 

The recipe is incredibly easy to follow and provides for about 8 servings. If that isn’t enough for you, make em early and enjoy em all alone. Then when your guests arrive and wonder what has the house smelling so amazing, tell them “I dunno must be something I burned prior to your arrival.”

Thanks for hook up Chef! 

(for the Entire Recipe, click Read More)

TACOS DE CARNE ASADA

Aarón Sánchezfor Simple Food, Big Flavor

(Makes 8 tacos)

Ingredients:

One 2-pound skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat

1 cup Pickled Onions, My Way, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 corn tortillas

¼ cup finely chopped white onion

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup Roasted Tomatillo Salsa or Roasted Tomato-Chile de Árbol Salsa

Radishes, cut into matchsticks, for garnish

Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions: 

Put the steak on a platter and cover it with the Pickled Onions, My Way.

Turn the steak over and let it sit at room temperature, covered, for 1 hour.

Discard the onions.

Preheat the grill to high or preheat the broiler.

Generously season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper.

Put the steak on the grill or under the broiler, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium-rare.

Let it rest of a cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

Warm the corn tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Or wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in a warm oven.

Stack 2 tortillas together, place the meat in the center of the tortillas, and top with the chopped onion and cilantro.

Drizzle about a tsp of Roasted Tomatillo Salsa or Roasted Tomato-Chile de Árbol Salsa on top of each taco.

Garnish with radish matchsticks and lime wedges and serve right away.

Pickled Onions

Aarón Sánchez for Simple Food, Big Flavor

(Makes about 2 cups)

Ingredients:                       

1 ½  cups red wine vinegar

1 cup water

2 TBS sugar

1 TBS Kosher salt

6 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes

2 large red onions, thinly sliced

                    
Directions:

Combine all ingredients except the onions in a heavy medium saucepan and set it over medium-high heat.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the onion slices, separating them into individual rings.

Let the mixture come back to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook until onions soften and wilt, 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover, and let the mixture cool completely. Transfer the onions and their pickling liquid to a quart-size glass jar.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
Aarón Sánchez for Simple Food, Big Flavor

(Makes appx. 3 cups)

Ingredients:

1½ lbs fresh tomatillos

5 fresh serrano of 10 jalapeño chiles, stemmed (seeds too for added heat)

3 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1 large white onion, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick

¼ cup olive oil

Kosher salt

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the broiler. Remove the husks from the tomatillos.

Rinse the tomatillos under warm water to remove the stickiness.

Dry them with a paper towel.

Put the tomatillos, chiles, garlic, and onion on a baking sheet.

Drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle on 2 tsp or so of kosher salt.

Broil them a few inches from the heat, turning everything once, until the tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes.

Let the vegetables cool to room temperature.

Transfer them to a blender with the cilantro and puree until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months.

Roasted Tomato-Chile de Arbol Salsa

Aarón Sánchezfor Simple Food, Big Flavor

(Makes 2 cups)

1 lb plum tomatoes (about 4)

3-6 chiles de árbol, depending on how spicy you like it

2 TBS olive oil

1 medium white onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp Kosher salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the boiler.

Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet and broil, until the tomatoes are nice and charred, 10 to 12 minutes.

Take the tomatoes out, let them cool just until you can handle them, slip off the skins, and cut out the tough cores.

Transfer the tomatoes to a big bowl (don’t you dare forget the tomato juice that has leaked out and reduced to awesomeness on the baking sheet), then roughly chop them.

While the tomatoes are broiling, heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles (in batches, if necessary), flipping them over occasionally, until they just begin to smoke, about 5 minutes.

Set them aside in a bowl.

Put the olive oil, onion, and garlic in a saucepan, set it over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.

Add the toasted chiles, tomatoes and 2 cups of water, bring to a simmer and cook for another 12 minutes, so the flavors come together.

Let it cool a bit.

Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender.

Add the cilantro, salt and pepper and puree until the mixture is very smooth.

Pour the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Store the salsa in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to a week, or in the freezer for a month.