Seekh Kabob Recipe

It has been a minute since I have been at the kitchen, or should I say the grill? After three weeks of road tripping I found myself longing to experiment with takeout comfort foods at home. Which found me wanting cross this one off the bucket list: Seekh Kabob.

Thanks to the internet and a global pandemic, I really had no excuse not to figure this one out. Added bonus: I made my very first chutney. Spoiler alert: it's as easy as making salsa  (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: The Pig Whole Hog BBQ 630 Weaver Dairy Road Chapel Hill N.C. 27514 the eats: Pulled Pork, Pork Ribs, Pork Cheek, you get the idea  the bucks: $10 a head if you're doing meats by the pound the full nelson: why folks from North Carolina love their bbq

The Pig Whole Hog BBQ is pretty much exactly that. A whole hog that has been rendered oh so tender with robust with flavor that can only come from whole hog cooking. And The Pig ain't serving up your average swine either. Their pork is locally raised, hormone and antibiotic free. Plus you can get pulled pork sandwich for $6 bucks. My kinda spot. (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue 15608 Spring Hill Lane #105 Pflugerville TX 78660 the eats: Brisket by the pound, Brisket Bahn Mi, Boudin the bucks: $13-$20 a person depending on whether you go sandwich or plate the full nelson: Central Texas Craft BBQ in the northern environs of greater Austin 

Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue in someways is part of the Central Texas barbecue new wave that started with Franklin's BBQ in 2009. Unlike Franklin's, the line isn't excessive and it's not part of the East Austin BBQ lineup. In fact Brotherton's technically isn't even in Austin. It's in Pflugerville, a town about 15 miles north of downtown Austin. But they got a brisket worth waiting in line for and they got the vision to put that brisket into a Bahn Mi. Yeah, Brotherton's is a real find. (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Steak 'n Shake vs Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers locations throughout US the eats: double steakburger w/ cheese.  the bucks: Steak 'n Shake: $3.99  Freddy's: $5.89 the full nelson: a smashed burger chain throw down!!

Steak 'n Shake vs Freddy's: a smashed burger chain throw down. Being a childhood fan of Steak 'n Shake, it seems ridiculous that I'm finally getting around to writing about this spot. But perhaps it was all mean to be. Enter Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, a relatively new player in the burger chain world and a burger I did not have the pleasure of growing up on. A tried and true veteran vs the young hot shot rookie. Who comes out on top? (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Giovanni's Deli 4309 Landis Ave Sea Isle City, NJ 08243 the eats: Sopresatta Special, build your own combo(the Ali) the bucks: $8-$12 the full nelson: my fav Italian American deli on the South Jersey Shore

I've been coming to Giovanni's Deli for the last 5 summers, pretty much every time I'm down at the Jersey Shore. I have my in-laws, who hail from the Philly area, to thank for making me a Giovanni's Deli regular. This is a deli that just feels like home. A home away from home built on cured meats and killer hoagie rolls. Now let's talk about what you need to order . . . (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Three Fold Noodle and Dumpling Co 611 S. Main St. Little Rock AR 72201(one of two locations) the eats: The Half and Half - Dumplings + Noodles the bucks: $10 the full nelson: legit dumplings in a slick setting that makes you respect the Little Rock food scene

Three Fold Noodle and Dumpling Co is the kind of place you want to have in your neighborhood. I've been to Little Rock once before, over 20 years ago and me thinks the food scene has changed a lot. Slick atmosphere, authentic Chinese fare and affordable prices make a statement in any city and that's what makes Three Fold Noodle a total gem. Now let's talk about what you need to order . . . (more…)

Tri Tip Roast

Tri Tip Roast is a flat out flavorful and affordable cut of beef that takes to the grill like beer at a baseball game. This cut is commonly found in California but don't be surprised to find them at your local butcher shops and Costcos. I have been on a big Tri Tip kick as of late and if you are looking for some Bang for your Steak Buck for this 4th of July, look no further. (more…)

Chimichurri recipe: the last word on BBQ sauce

I wish Argentina was a little closer. Their style of barbecue, asado, has long been the blueprint of many backyard bbqs at Casa Khan. For years I relied on the food processor and red wine vinegar for my benchmark chimichurri recipe. Then one fine day I found myself without red wine vinegar and too lazy to pull out the food processor. I turned to plain old white vinegar and my chef's knife. The result was a more balanced chimichurri recipe with better texture. I realize comparing American BBQ sauce to chimichurri is apples to oranges but man do I reach for it so much more often when it comes to my grilling adventures. The next time you are cooking up steak and sausages, try this recipe out. Maybe even for 4th of since it's around the corner (more…)

The Butter Chicken Recipe

This is it. The reason I tell people to buy an Instant Pot: the butter chicken recipe from famed Instant Pot Food Blogger Urvashi Pitre who literally is called "the butter chicken lady". The first time I tried this I told my wife we aren't ordering Indian takeout anymore. Yeah, this is a good one . . . (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: La Tunita 512 2400 Burleson road Austin TX 78741 the eats: Birria de Res tacos the bucks: $2 a taco, $3 for the consommé with meat, $3 for the queso taco. plan on $10 a person the full nelson: a signature taco trend lands in Austin

With a belly full of braised short rib tacos I present to you perhaps the most important taco trend hitting the US: Birria de Res Tacos. If you caught my post last year about Birrieria Gonzalez in Los Angeles, you caught wind that the Tijuana method of cooking beef in an earthen oven, cooked till falling part, and served with an intense earthy chilé studded broth had been sweeping the city. Well now it's here in Austin TX. And it's done with . . . brisket. (more…)