Like I said in the video, making salmon on a Traeger rules. It's so easy and makes for some of the most flavorful salmon dishes I've ever, including restaurants. Now I still love my Traeger smoked salmon recipe which you can find here, but this Reverse Sear Salmon Traeger recipe requires minimal ingredients, zero marinade time and is just as flavorful.
Barebones prep
A brush of olive oil on both sides of the salmon filet and a sprinkle of Kosher salt is all I did. Speaking of Kosher salt, I went down a rabbit hole on brands in this post on Threads. Now I'm all about Diamond Kosher salt which you can sometimes find at a grocery store or online here.
Low 'n slow till you're almost at the finish line
I set my Traeger to 250 and placed the filet on the top rack. Just like I said in the video, I caught a workout and when I was done, the salmon hit about 127 degrees in the thickest part. Highly recommend using a thermometer like this one to check.
Let's get sear-ious
I tossed a tablespoon(or two) of butter in my non stick pan and once it began to foam, I placed the salmon flesh side down to sear off. How long you want to sear is your preference but I'm looking just a bit of color.
Besides my Traeger there is one other tool I use to cook salmon: a 12" Scanpan CS+. A while back I splurged on a Scanpan after pouring through reviews about the best nonstick pans out there. They aren't cheap but over a year into owning this Scanpan CS+ I have zero regrets. I got mine at a store but you can find them on Amazon.
Let it rest
After searing the filet on both sides, I immediately let it rest on a wire rack, something I use a lot when grilling, especially steaks. Proteins release juices when they rest and I like to keep that salmon skin nice and crisp. After about 5-10 minutes you can dig into this or keep it for meal prep.
Like I said in the video, this reverse sear salmon traeger recipe is great for salads, breakfast, snacking, you name it. The seasoning is minimal so the uses are versatile. Easy, delicious and healthy, it's hard not to make this a few times a month.
Brush filet on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle flesh side with Kosher salt
Preheat oven or grill to 250 degrees
Place in in grill and cook till an internal temp of 125-130 degrees
heat a non stick pan with butter, when it foams add salmon flesh side down
cook till a seared crust develops, about 5-7 minutes, flip to skin side down and crisp up skin for 2-5 minutes
rest on wire rack for approximately 10 minutes
serve at once or reserve for future use
The best food in Austin Texas: March 2024
My round up of my fav bites in town adds to the growing list of the best food in Austin Texas. It is a new month which means new restaurants I've tried this spring. And here they are in ascending order:
#4 best food in Austin March'24:
Redbud Icehouse
The Vitals:
the spot:Redbud Icehouse 2027 Anchor Ln, Austin, TX 78723
the eats: burger, pork chop sandwich
the bucks: $12-$15
the full nelson: a $12 chef driven smashed burger elevated just enough to keep you coming back for another
Redbud Icehouse is a new concept from a popular restaurant group in Austin that has drawn acclaim for chef driven elevated southern food. That is PR talk for biscuits you can't seem to get enough of, whether it be at their fine dining location at Olamaie or there chill neighborhood biscuit shop, Little Ola's.
But you aren't here for biscuits, you are here for a four ounce local Wagyu Smashed Burger. The beef is from Ranger cattle and it's quite tasty, but I was even more impressed with the custom poppy seed bun made by local bakery Texas French Bread and the very thin sliced shrettuce aka shredded lettuce bathed in a tangy mayo dressing. A single at $12 is respectable for most appetites but I will be going back for a double at $15.
#3 best food in Austin March'24:
Norte ATX
The Vitals:
the spot:Norte ATX 730 Shady Ln, Austin, TX 78702
the eats: all the tacos and tostads
the bucks: $10-$15 a person
the full nelson: craft tacos at a craft beer brewery
A menu that sites Ribeye as their bar for steak tacos should speak volumes. It's also hallmark of the taquero culture at Norte ATX: my #3 pick for the best food in Austin March 2024. Hailing from Monterrey Mexico, weekend Carne Asadas meant an all day grilling session Ribeye steak tacos.
I also like where Norte parks its truck: a damn good brewery: Hi Sign. Over the years breweries have stepped up their food game, particularly tacos. Craft IPA's and Ribeye steak tacos make for a winning combo and a sign that maybe we should all step up our steak taco game at home with premium cuts like Ribeye.
#2 best food in Austin March'24:
El Paso Flauta
The Vitals:
the spot:El Paso Flauta 7701 Colton-Bluff Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78744
the eats: all the flautas
the bucks: $15 a person
the full nelson: El Paso TexMex in Austin
El Paso Flautas was the first time I'd ever tried flautas, but it actually wasn't. Also known as taquitos, these fried tacos which are rolled but sometimes folded, per Texas Monthly Taco editor Jose Ralát, have probably come across your culinary trails. Although if your experience has been like mine, in far less impressive renditions. Real Talk: we used to get frozen taquitos and down 'em after a long night of drinking during college, and sadly for a stretch after.
El Paso Flautas takes its cue from El Paso TX where flautas are cherished. In honor of Sun City, El Paso Flautas in Austin takes their Flautas just as seriously. Get 'em two ways: stuffed with brisket and drizzled with crema, salsa and guacamole or the ground beef ones that get drowned in salsa and topped with shredded cheese. I became instantly hooked on flautas and I think you will too.
#1 best food in Austin March'24:
Burnt Bean Co.
The Vitals:
the spot:Burnt Bean Co 108 S Austin St, Seguin, TX 78155
the eats: athe burger only available on Thurs and Fri + all the BBQ
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: One of the most exceptional Barbecue restaurants in Texas makes one mean burger
Yes, my number one pick for Best Food in Austin March 2024 technically isn't in Austin, but hear me out. It took a year and a half for this James Beard nominated chef to come up with the Oklahoma style burger at Burnt Bean Co in Seguin and sure it tastes like it. The custom ground brisket trim, secret spice blend and the sauce inspired by Raising Cane's hit all the right notes but the burger is almost a sleeper.
Served only on Thursdays and Fridays, it often gets overlooked for Chef Ernest Servantes' competition winning brisket or his epic Sunday Brunch. I guess what I'm saying is you are gonna have to do what I did and eat two meals here: burger for appetizer and BBQ for main course. It's a tough life I live but I think you are up to it and the road trip from Austin to Seguin.
Yes, I have cracked the code on how to make Herdez tomatillo salsa at home. Call it a copycat recipe, call it a hack but I'm pretty satisfied that if you try this tomatillo salsa recipe out, you might be impressed with how close it gets to the mild version of Herdez Salsa Verde aka tomatillo salsa.
Step 1: boil all ingredients.
Begin by removing the husks from the tomatillos, rinsing off any sticky residue. Add all ingredients into a boiling pot of water boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
I like small batches of salsa(a mason jars worth) so I went with a pound of tomatillos, a quarter of a small white onion(paper and stem removed), a clove of garlic and three jalapenos(stem removed). You could add a serrano or two for heat but Herdez Mild is just that: a mellow everyday tomatillo salsa.
Step 2: put all ingredients into a blender
The tomatillos can burst so you will want to keep an eye on them starting at the halfway mark and place them into the blender as needed. Jalapeños take the longest to soften but don't sweat cooking them passed 10 minutes.
BEFORE Step 3: save the cooking water
No need to toss that water. You might want to hang on to it in order to thin out the salsa for desired consistency. Some tomatillo salsa recipes have you add all the water in there but I like my salsa a bit thicker, more so than the Herdez Salsa Verde that I'm trying to copy.
Step 3: blend all ingredients
Do yourself a favor and take it slow. I like to start at the low setting on my blender and the max I will go is a four on the dial. Remember it's a salsa not a smoothie.
Step 4: Simmer the salsa
This is where the magic happens. Simmer the salsa for 20 minutes, adding some of the reserved cooking water for desired consistency. Salt to taste and consider adding sugar to tame the heat if needed.
Let it cool completely and use right away or refrigerate. I've kept mine for about a week but it's usually gone in a few days.
Herdez Salsa hacked!! But a few tips to keep it that way.
I've made this twice now and the only tweaks I've made have been adding sugar to tame the heat down and adding lime juice to bring up the acidity/tart flavor. Adding lime is key if you add a fair amount of water to make the salsa runnier.
Other than that you can do whatever else you like: up the heat or say add cilantro, which is in the Herdez list of ingredients but I've never felt the need to add.
I'd love to know how it comes out for you - please comment your experiences below!
bring all ingredients to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes, taking any tomatillos out that are begining to burst
remove stems of peppers and blend at a medium to low setting to ensure desired consistency
heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil in saucepan, add salsa and simmer for 10 minutes
add salt to taste and sugar if necessary to tame down heat(I used 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1/4 tsp sugar)
add reserved cooking water for consistency, add lime juice to increase tartness
The Vitals:
the spot:Kincaid's Hamburgers multiple locations in Fort Worth, tested at the Camp Bowie location
the eats: Cheeseburger
the bucks: $7
the full nelson: The most quintessential Texas Burger I have ever tried
It took me under a month of living in Texas to try Whataburger: what many Texans consider the quintessential Texan burger. Whataburger is also a fast food chain and carries with it the limitations of fast food, namely consistency and a quality benchmark that his hampered by a price point. I was completely underwhelmed.
Some Texans would say thats because I'm from California and probably like In-N-Out. I do. But I also think In-N-Out is overrated and so is Whataburger. So where does one find the true quintessential Texan burger? Fort Worth TX comes to mind.
Kincaid's Hamburgers: The Quintessential Texas Burger
After a trip to Fort Worth earlier this year to cover the impressive burger scene, I walked away not only fat and happy but with a front runner for what I consider to the be the most quintessential burger in Texas: Kincaid's Hamburgers.
Originally a grocery store with a full service butcher shop, Charles Kincaid began cooking up burgers made from steak trim. The burgers became a hit and by 1991, Kincaid's transformed into a full time burger restaurant. By 2008, Kincaid's Hamburgers made the pages of Hamburger America, Burger Scholar George Motz's book about the best burgers in the country.
The third generation of Kincaid's Hamburgers
When I visited Kincaid's Hamburgers, I met Jonathan Gentry, the grandson of founder Charles Kincaid, pictured above. Like any well run family business, Jonathan has been working at Kincaid's Hamburgers since college before taking over in 2021. He guided my burger order and encouraged me to keep it simple. I went with the eight ounce burger which like their four ounce, features a 73/27 Angus patty. Seasoned only with sea salt, not even black pepper makes an appearance.
Simple. Perfect. Quality burger.
The burger was tremendously beefy. Although my medium rare burger came closer to medium well, it was a juicy one, no doubt because of the meat to fat ratio. The lettuce, tomato and onion are all cut with a deli slicer, ensuring balanced topping texture, like a great East Coast deli sandwich.
The only wet condiment was mustard and that was all I needed. In fact, going "mustard only" is a popular request amongst Texas burger purists. It doesn't hurt the pedigree that the pickles and bun, Best Maid and Mrs. Baird respectively, are not only Texas brands but Fort Worth brands as well.
Texans may always love Whataburger but I know what makes a good burger: quality ingredients and care. Kincaid's Hamburgers checks the boxes while delivering the hallmarks of a good Texas burger: a burger you can wrap your hands around dressed with the basics. The best part is the burger only costs $7 - that's true Cheap Eats right there.
