By Joell Folger
Welcome to another installment of cooking adventures with my chef Ben. He has been in the kitchen with me from his very early days. I joked that he was a foodie at 5 and that we should have started a blog then. Hard to imagine that he is on the cusp of his 21st birthday. Lately, he has taken to cooking us dinner at least one night a week. What a delicious treat this has been. This week he tackled beef barbacoa, the modern way, braised, rather than the traditional way in an earthen pit.
The fun began with a trip to gather the ingredients. Fueled by a coffee stop on the way to the market, the shopping was interesting and successful at best. No bumper cart games, maybe ome antics. It was early, the store was quiet... We started in the produce section for peppers, cilantro, limes and avocados. In the meat department, we found a very nice brisket for our beef. We opted for extra sharp white cheddar cheese. Home to start the cooking process.
It was all Ben in the kitchen. I did nothing but watch and grate the cheese. He seasoned the meat with cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, oregano, smoky salt and pepper. These were the same spices for the braising liquid with the addition of chipotle and poblano peppers. The meat was seared, the peppers and liquids were added so Ben set off to his next task, salsa.
To compliment the savory beef, John suggested a pineapple salsa. Using a can of crushed pineapple, Ben chopped up a jalapeno, some mini red and orange peppers, red onion and cilantro. By the time dinner was ready, the flavors of the salsa melded together. Note to self, keep this recipe handy for the summer when it is too hot to eat, this would be fantastic as a cold soup.
After braising for about 4 hours, the brisket was tender, all set to be shredded into bite size strips of spicy deliciousness. We were so anxious to eat, we had been salivating all afternoon. We ate the barbacoa in street taco size flour shells, topped with fresh strips of avocados and that pineapple salsa. Oh and cheese, can’t forget the cheese. We all layered our cheese first on the warmed tortillas before adding the warm beef. This stacking order ensured that our cheese was melted and not going to fall out.
I’m not sure what I enjoyed more, the actual food or the sense of pride for his success in the kitchen. The barbacoa tacos were some of the best tacos I’ve had. The food was perfectly prepared by my foodie (at 20), ahahaa. Ben, himself, admitted that this was one of the best meals that he has ever made.
John and I enjoy watching Ben hone his skills in the kitchen and grow with each new recipe he tackles. Just some sappy lucky and proud parents, for certain, so excited to see where his skills will take him. In the meantime, we are already looking forward to the next meal, stay tuned.
