I think I mentioned in my July recipe recap post that we hosted a pig roast at our place on the Fourth of July. Honestly, there were a lot of people involved in the process, so it was a pretty disorganized affair -- but in the end there was half a pig roasting on a spit in our back yard at 5 AM on July 4. By 6 PM that pig was perfectly cooked and smoked and ready to be shredded and devoured.
There were about 20 of us eating, but there were about 80 pounds of meat, so needless to say we had a lot of leftovers. Everyone was sent home with a gallon bag full of the pork, and Joe and I were still left with three gallon bags to use. In fact, two of those bags are still in our freezer.
I didn't waste any time using some of the leftovers to make these sandwiches, which had been on my radar for a long time. The banh mi is traditionally a Vietnamese-French fusion sandwich, but in this recipe, it gets a Southern spin with BBQ pork and sweet-pickled peppers and onions. I was surprised to find how well the flavors all worked together, and I think I'd eat that sriracha mayo on just about anything. Maybe I'll defrost some more of that pork so we can have these again this week...
Southern-Style Banh Mi Sandwiches
adapted from MyRecipes
For the pickled peppers and onions:
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
Ice water
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup white vinegar
6 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the sandwiches:
4 hoagie rolls
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon fish sauce or oyster sauce
2 cups cooked and shredded pork
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Fresh cilantro leaves
1. To make the pickled peppers and onions, soak the onions in ice water for 10 minutes; drain. Place the onions and sliced peppers in a sealable jar (I used a pickle jar).
2. Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the vegetables in the jar. Let stand uncovered for 1 hour, then seal the jar and refrigerate until serving (the longer they refrigerate the better they'll taste).
3. To make the sandwiches, toast the hoagie rolls in the broiler. Meanwhile, combine the sriracha and the mayo and set aside. Add the fish sauce to the carrots and set aside. Heat the pulled pork with the BBQ sauce in a medium saucepan, if needed.
4. To assemble the sandwiches, layer the bottom halves of the rolls with pulled pork, pickled peppers and onions, carrots, and cilantro leaves. Spread the roll tops with the sriracha mayo. Serve immediately.
I've probably mentioned this 20 times already, but I've been sort of obsessed with sandwiches this summer. Actually, I've been obsessed with sandwiches for quite some time, but I seem to be even more obsessed than usual lately. The reasons are probably pretty obvious: Sandwiches are quick and easy, and it's almost a given that they be served with chips, which negates the need for me to prepare a separate side dish. Easy cooking nights FTW! Also, my boys love sandwiches, and I find that they'll eat just about anything if it's placed between two slices of bread.
Although these melts are served on just once piece of bread (an English muffin, actually), the boys loved these. Typically they're not fans of avocado (I know -- how are they my kids?!), but they more than willingly ate it on these melts.
Joe and I loved these, too. The melts start with a toasted English muffin half, topped with a smear of chipotle mayonnaise, sliced avocado, sliced summer tomatoes, bacon, and Swiss cheese. They're broiled until the cheese is melted and gooey and all of the ingredients are warmed through. They're insanely delicious, so simple, and definitely a new summer go-to meal for us.
Avocado Bacon Tomato Melts
adapted from Twirl and Taste
4 English muffins, split
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo puree
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced
8 slices of tomato, salted
1 pound bacon, cooked to desired crispness
8 slices Swiss cheese
1. Preheat the broiler to high. Arrange the English muffin halves on a baking sheet, cut-side up. Broil until toasted.
2. Stir together the mayonnaise and the chipotle in adobo puree. Divide evenly among toasted muffin halves.
3. Top each muffin with sliced avocado, a slice of tomato, 2 slices of bacon, and a slice of Swiss cheese. Return to the oven and broil until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
If I have one weakness when it comes to "fair food," it would definitely be corn dogs. Oh, wait: I just remembered funnel cakes. So, I guess have two weaknesses. Then there's that lemonade slush...and the spice-roasted almonds...Okay, okay. I have lots of weaknesses when it comes to fair food, but today we're talking about corn dogs.
I've made corn dogs at home one other time, but those, while delicious, didn't hold a candle to this recipe. These corn dogs are absolutely perfect -- crunchy and a little bit sweet, and exactly like the ones they serve at the fair. The boys absolutely loved them, and loved helping me make them too. (They dunked the skewered hot dogs in the batter.)
Because I'm kind of a cheapskate, I didn't use a Dutch oven or similarly large soup pot to fry these bad boys (I don't have a deep fryer). I used a skillet with high sides, still filled pretty full, and I held on to the skewers as I cooked the corn dogs, twisting them constantly to get them evenly-browned. It worked well. So if you don't want to waste nearly as much oil, I recommend that method.
However you choose to fry them, though, you gotta make these. They're awesome.
Perfect Homemade Corn Dogs
from Life as a Lofthouse
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk or buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
10 hot dogs
10 wooden skewers or chopsticks
2 Quarts Vegetable Oil, for frying
1. In a medium or large pot, add the oil. Turn heat to medium and heat oil to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Stir together. Then add the beaten egg, milk or buttermilk, oil and honey. Stir
until combined.
3. Remove hot dogs from package. Wipe them all dry with a paper towel (this
will help the batter stick to them better). Insert one skewer or wooden
stick into each hot dog.
4. Pour the batter into a tall drinking glass. Holding by the skewer, take
one hot dog and dunk it into the batter, coating all of the hot dog.
Slowly remove from batter and let a little excess batter drip back into
the cup.
5. Immediately place the hot dog into the hot oil, while still holding the
stick. Turn as necessary to brown all sides. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or
until all sides are a deep golden brown. Remove from hot oil and place
on paper towels to drain grease. Repeat with all hot dogs.
Since I have now made this dish three separate times, all three times to rave reviews and multiple requests for the recipe, I figured it's high time that I share it with you. This is one of those recipes that everyone needs in their lives.
Basically, it's corn, bacon, and cheddar cheese, all bubbling together in a creamy sour cream sauce. It's perfectly seasoned and incredibly flavorful, with the sweet corn balancing out the smoky-salty bacon perfectly. And it's so easy to prepare, and can be served warm or at room temperature, which makes it perfect for cook-outs this summer. In fact, I think it's replaced broccoli salad as my go-to dish for family get-togethers. And that's really saying a lot, because my family is nuts over that broccoli salad. They may be even more nuts over this corn.
Corn Bacon Cheddar Bake
adapted from Taste and Tell
8 slices bacon, chopped
1 small red or white onion, chopped (I've made it with both, and think I prefer it with red onion)
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups freshly-shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package frozen corn
Chopped chives or scallions for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 1-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy; using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
3. Add the onion to the bacon drippings and cook until softened. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the flour until completely absorbed. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the sour cream and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese until melted. Stir in the corn and half of the bacon.
5. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and the rest of the bacon. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until heated through. Sprinkle with chopped chives or scallions before serving.
Can we talk about Pinterest for a minute? Can we? Because I'm kind of addicted to it here lately. I was doing so well there for a while; I wasn't checking it at all. But then, one afternoon a few weeks ago, I opened the app on my phone...and BAM. I was hooked all over again. Apparently, with me, Pinterest is an all-or-nothing sort of thing. I'm not one of those people who can log in and pin just two or three things. Oh no; I must PIN ALL THE THINGS! All The Food-Related Things, really, because I may actually make that stuff. I am not likely to turn a glove into a stuffed monkey or upcycle an old TV stand into a play kitchen. I know this about myself. So I mostly stick to the food.
I sure am glad I came back to Pinterest, because one of the first things I pinned in all my renewed pinning glory was this recipe for cheddar-fried squash. Are you kidding me?! Where has this recipe been all my life? And get this: The ingredients of the original recipe include the words, "Oil for frying, I used bacon grease." Yes. YESSS. Needless to say, when I made these, I also used bacon grease. (What? You don't have a tub of bacon grease in your freezer just waiting for recipes like this to come along? Really?)
Bacon grease aside, let's talk about the luscious squash itself. Summer squash is delicious on its own, but in this recipe, it gets a coating of panko breadcrumbs and cheddar cheese, creating this delicious, crispy-gooey sort of layer. It works perfectly with the tender squash. Talk about a perfect summer side dish -- these crispy golden discs of deliciousness are positively addictive.
Cheddar-Fried Summer Squash
adapted from Tasty Kitchen
3 medium summer squash
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Oil for frying (Bacon grease. DO IT.)
1. Slice the squash into 1/4-inch thick slices.
2. Combine the panko, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper in a shallow dish (I like to use a pie plate.) Place the eggs and flour in separate shallow dishes.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Dip the squash slices in the egg, then in the flour, then in the egg again, then in the panko-cheddar mixture.
5. Gently place the breaded slices in the oil and fry until golden and crispy, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt.
