Cheers,

In this Issue

RECIPES

Brat Burgers with Fennel Mustard Seed Slaw

Grilled Potato Salad

Honey-Caramelized Peaches with Vanilla Mascarpone Ice Cream

EVENTS

Cooking Neapolitan Style Pizza with Chef Roberto Caporuscio of Keste Pizza and Vino

If you are new to making sausage, this recipe is a great one to start with because you don’t need to fuss with any casings. If you prefer not to grind your own pork, you can mix the spices in this recipe into 80% lean pre-ground pork.

Author: Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Servings: 6
Course: Entrees

Ingredients:

3 pounds pork shoulder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo chili (you can find this at Williams Sonoma)

1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground juniper berries

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon whole black mustard seed, coarsely-ground

1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar

2 pinches fine sea salt

About 6 ounces of thinly-shaved fennel bulb plus the wispy fronds

6 slices Emmenthaler Swiss cheese

6 pretzel hamburger buns, sliced

6 large tomato slices

Instructions:

Cut the pork shoulder into 1/2 –inch cubes. Pork shoulder is roughly 80% lean, so it is perfect for a grilled burger application like this. Place the meat pieces in a single layer and sprinkle evenly with the salt, Aleppo chili, coriander, cardamom and juniper berries. Please note that the flavor of freshly-ground spices is much stronger than pre-ground spices. A coffee grinder is a perfect piece of equipment for the task. Transfer the seasoned meat to a metal bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. A metal bowl will help transfer the cold to the meat. It is important that the fat be well-chilled prior to grinding.Place the mayonnaise, mustard seed, champagne vinegar and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Toss in the fennel and reserve.

Use a meat grinder, a food grinder attachment on your mixer or a food processor to finely grind the meat. Form into 6 equal patties, slightly larger than the buns and recessed in the middles (check out Bobby Flay’s burger tip in our Heavenly Burgers recipe).

Prepare the grill for direct grilling over a medium-hot fire, about 500°F. Grill the burgers, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Add a slice of cheese to each for the last minute of cooking. Lightly toast the buns on the grill at this time.

Assemble the burgers with a slice of tomato and the fennel slaw and serve.

Perfectly-grilled petite potato halves are crispy on the outside and flaky-tender on the inside. The dressing is spiked with paprika and chipotle powder for a deeper flavor and a little kick while sliced baby bell peppers deliver a bright flavor highlight.

Author: Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Servings: 6
Course: Sides

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon Colman’s mustard powder

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar

3 hard- or soft-boiled eggs

3 slices bacon, cooked crisp

2 green onions, thinly sliced

6 assorted baby sweet peppers, thinly sliced (I also used 2 baby purple jalapenos for a more intense salad)

9 petite gold potatoes, halved lengthwise

9 petite red potatoes, halved lengthwise

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Instructions:

First, make the dressing. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly. Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking at 500°F. While the grill is heating, prepare all of the remaining ingredients. Toss the potatoes in olive oil to coat and sprinkle liberally with salt.

Transfer the potatoes to the grill surface in the indirect zone with the cut-sides down. Close the hood and roast the potatoes until the skins are somewhat crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For each plate, put down 6 potato halves and drizzle with dressing. Add half an egg and half a slice of bacon. Garnish with green onions and bell peppers.

Author: Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Servings: 6
Course: Desserts

Ingredients:

1 cup mascarpone cheese (8 ounces)

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

Freshly-grated nutmeg (about 1/4 of an average-size seed)

Seeds scraped from one vanilla bean

About 1/2 cup wildflower honey

6 peaches, quartered, pits removed

Instructions:

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk vigorously until the cheese is incorporated and the sugar dissolved.

Add the mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make the ice cream. When finished, chill in the freezer until it hardens sufficiently. This may require a couple of hours, so make your ice cream in advance.

Cover the bottom of a 14-inch skillet with honey. Warm the honey over medium heat and add the peaches with one of the cut sides down. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the peaches for 5 to 7 minutes without turning them. The cooked side should be slightly browned when you turn them. Turn each slice onto the other cut side and continue cooking for about another 4 minutes.

Serve the warm peaches with the cold ice cream.

Chef Roberto and his team served pizzas with smoked mozzarella and fresh lemon as well as classic Margherita pizzas. They worked fast, cooking each pizza in about 90 seconds, and I have never seen anyone so deft with a pizza peel. It was a real treat to watch the masters at work.

If you are a fan of Neapolitan pizza, you may have heard of the APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani). This organization teaches the art of the Neapolitan pizza and provides certification to restaurants that pursue the authentic style. Chef Roberto is the president of the APN, and co-owner of Keste Pizza and Vino. I highly recommend visiting Keste if you are in New York.

Chef Roberto said our ovens performed great and exceeded his expectations. And this is a man who truly knows how a pizza oven should work. Check out the gallery from that evening on our Facebook page.

Congratulations to Chef Art Smith and a big thank you to Chef Roberto Caporuscio.

Cheers,

In this Issue

RECIPES

Grape and Ricotta Pizza with Thyme, Bacon and Honey

Grilled Vegetable Pizza

Fiery Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Mixed Berry Pizza

Ginger Shandy Beer Cocktail

Cherry Peach Pale Ale Beer Cocktail

VIDEO

Artisan Fire Pizza Oven Demo 

Author: Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Course: Appetizers
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1/2 batch White Wine Pizza Dough, about 14 ounces

1/4 cup high-quality ricotta cheese (I use Miceli’s)

Honey

Pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

2 slices cooked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch  pieces

12 large, red seedless grapes, halved

Instructions:

Prepare the pizza oven or grill for baking pizza (see our online guide for perfect pizza on the grill).Roll out the pizza dough to about 14″ and transfer to a pizza prep peel lightly dusted with corn meal. Spread the ricotta over the dough. Drizzle with honey. A little will go a long way. Start with just a couple of teaspoons or so. Sprinkle on the thyme leaves and sea salt. Distribute the bacon on top and place the grapes cut-side down.Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are hot. At 500 degrees it should take about 10 minutes. At 750 degrees it will take only about 3 minutes.

Author: Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Servings: 4 to 6
Course: Entrees

Ingredients:

1/2 zucchini squash

1/4 yellow squash

1/4 red onion

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

1/2 batch White Wine Pizza Dough, about 14 ounces

2 ounces (1/4 cup) fresh tomato red sauce (recipe follows)

3 ounces Scamorza cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Prepare the grill for direct grilling over a hot fire. A charcoal fire is preferred for grilling the vegetables because of its drier heat characteristics.Quarter the squash lengthwise. Slice the onion into narrow wedges. Pierce toothpicks through the layers of the onion to help keep the wedges together on the grill. Brush all with olive oil and sprinkle generously with kosher salt.Grill the vegetables over the hot fire until nicely marked. The pieces will continue to cook on the pizza, so pull them off the grill before they are fully tender. Slice the squash into smaller pieces for the pizza. Separate the layers of the onion wedges.Prepare the pizza oven or grill for baking pizza (see our online guide for perfect pizza on the grill).

Roll out the pizza dough to about 14″ and transfer to a pizza prep peel lightly dusted with corn meal. Spread on the sauce (a 2 ounce ladle is a handy tool if you make pizzas often), sprinkle on the cheese and distribute the vegetables.

Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are hot. At 500 degrees it should take about 10 minutes. At 750 degrees it will take only about 3 minutes.

Fresh Tomato Red Sauce

Yields about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Combine the tomatoes, garlic, sea salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a blender or food processor. Thoroughly process until the liquid is smooth and frothy. Transfer to a large sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce to a thick sauce. Store any extra sauce in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.

Author: Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Servings: 4 to 6
Course: Entrees

Ingredients:

1/4 red onion, cut into narrow wedges

1 ear of corn, shucked

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, butterflied

Olive oil

Kosher salt

About 3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) Chipotle Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)

1/2 batch White Wine Pizza Dough, about 14 ounces

2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1 ounce Scamorza cheese, shredded

1 Serrano chile, thinly sliced

A dozen fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions:

Prepare the grill for direct grilling over a hot fire.Skewer each onion wedge with a toothpick to help keep it together on the grill. Brush the onion, corn and chicken with olive oil and season liberally with kosher salt. Separate off 1 ounce of the barbecue sauce for basting the chicken.

Quickly grill the chicken, about 3 minutes per side. Do not over-cook it, because it will be cooked some more on the pizza. After grilling the first side and turning it over, brush on some of the barbecue sauce. After the second side is marked by the fire, turn the chicken again and brush barbecue sauce on the second side. Briefly grill both sides to caramelize the sauce.Grill the onion on both sides until nicely marked and starting to get tender. Grill the corn until well-marked all around.

Slice the chicken, cut the corn from the cob and separate the layers of the onion wedges.

Prepare the pizza oven or grill for baking pizza (see our online guide for perfect pizza on the grill).

Roll out the pizza dough to about 14″ and transfer to a pizza prep peel lightly dusted with corn meal. Spread on 2 ounces of Chipotle Barbecue Sauce (a 2 ounce ladle is a handy tool if you make pizzas often), sprinkle on the cheese and distribute the chicken, corn, onion and Serrano.

Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are hot. At 500 degrees it should take about 10 minutes. At 750 degrees it will take only about 3 minutes.

Top with fresh cilantro before serving.

Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Yields 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

7.5 ounces canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped

6 ounces tomato paste

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons balsamic

1 clove garlic

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Thoroughly process until liquefied. Test for the right balance of sweetness and spice, adding more molasses or brown sugar if needed. Note, the flavor of this sauce is quite intense and is meant to be an accompaniment used in small quantities. Store any extra sauce in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 7 days.

Author: Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Servings: 4 to 6
Course: Desserts

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons crème fraîche

1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese

1/2 batch White Wine Pizza Dough, about 14 ounces

3 ounces mixed blackberries, raspberries and blueberries

1 to 2 teaspoons honey

Pinch of sea salt

Fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

Prepare the pizza oven or grill for baking pizza at (see our online guide for perfect pizza on the grill).Combine the crème fraiche and mascarpone cheese.Roll out the pizza dough to about 14″ and transfer to a pizza prep peel lightly dusted with corn meal. Spread on the crème fraîche mixture. Drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with salt. Break up the raspberries and blackberries, removing and discarding the cores from the blackberries. Distribute all the berries evenly across the pizza.

Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are hot. At 500 degrees it should take about 10 minutes. At 750 degrees it will take only about 3 minutes.

Garnish with mint leaves before serving.