Most Wanted

By Brenda Shafer

These hosts know how to whip up a gourmet meal that their guests will keep talking about long after they finish their last bite. Here, they’ve recreated for us their most-loved dishes!

Dr. Lund, orthopaedic surgeon at Erlanger Bone and Joint, and his wife Courtney love entertaining with New Orleans Creole cuisine. Grits & Grillandes is traditionally servied as brunch or a late night, after-party supper.

Dr. Peter and Courtney Lund

Lund Family Grits and Grillades

For Seasoning Mix:

1 & 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 & 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 & 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. gumbo filé

For Grillades:

2 lbs. veal, cut into thin slices
1 cup all- purpose flour
7 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup green bell peppers, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
3 cups of dark chicken or beef stock
1/2 cup of red wine
1 & 1/2 canned whole tomatoes, drained and diced into small pieces
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dried thyme

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle about 2 tsp. of the mix on both sides of the meat. In a sheet pan, combine 1/2 cup of the flour with another tsp. of seasoning mix. Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven and fry the meat, in batches, until golden brown – about 2 or 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate and leave the oil in the skillet over high heat.

Sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the roux is a medium brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately dump in the vegetables and garlic and stir with a wooden spoon or roux spoon until blended. Add the bay leaves and 2 tsp. of seasoning mix. Continue cooking around 5 minutes while stirring constantly. Then add stock.

Bring the stock to a boil and keep stirring while adding the meat and wine, then tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for around 40 minutes. Halfway through, check your seasoning, and with the remaining seasoning left over, add to taste. Serve with hot, cheese grits. Enjoy!

Photos by Rich Smith

Brooke, VP at Reliance Human Capital Management, and John, who works at Partners in Recognition, enjoy making interactive dishes for their guests.

Brooke  and John Maedel

Southwestern Pulled Brisket

3 lbs. beef brisket
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 & 1/2 cups water
1 (14 & 1/2-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
1 to 2 chipotle chilies en adobo (from a can)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup molasses

Season the brisket generously with salt and pepper, to preference. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until beginning to smoke. Add brisket and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides – about 10 minutes total. Transfer meat to slow cooker; leave skillet on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant – about one minute. Add vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone (stand back!), scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (brisket should pull apart easily with a fork).

Remove brisket and strain the sauce to remove vegetables and bay leaves. Pour the cooking liquid back into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced to 2/3 of original volume; taste for seasoning. Add the brisket to this sauce, shred with forks, and serve with your favorite taco night fixings. Suggestions: crumbled queso fresco cheese (feta substitutes well), diced yellow onion, cilantro, sliced avocado, lime wedges, and slaw; serve with charred corn, flour tortillas, and black beans. Serves 4-6 easily with taco fixings.

For Vinegar Slaw:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tbsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste
1 head purple cabbage, shredded
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 carrots, shredded or grated
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

Shake vinegar, lime juice, oil, honey, salt and pepper together in a container with a tight fitting lid to mix up slaw dressing. Combine all vegetables in a bowl and pour dressing over, tossing to coat. Let stand for 4-6 hours to marinate vegetables. Toss occasionally to ensure all the slaw is mixed with the dressing.

Serve room temperature or slightly chilled.

Photos by Rich Smith

Executive director at Lula Lake Land Trust, Mike takes every opportunity to fire up his wood oven.

Mike Pollock

Neapolitan Pizza Dough

3 cups strong flour (for making bread)
1/8 tsp. granulated yeast
1 tbsp. kosher salt
15 oz. slightly warm tap water

This recipe is easy but requires 30-32 hours. Using a standard food processor with a dough blade, pulse first three dry ingredients once or twice. Then begin to add the water slowly. As the dough moistens, it will form a ball. Continue adding water until the ball begins to come apart and come away from the spindle. At this point, you should have a firm batter. Scrape out onto floured surface and let sit for 15 minutes.

After the rest, scape the dough from the surface and begin to knead adding flour to keep from sticking. Knead 3-5 minutes. Transfer dough to a slightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 8 hours until the mixture appears wet, glistening, and bubbly. Turn out again and form a baguette. Make 4 to 5 cuts and form the dough into balls. Place in sealable bowls and refrigerator overnight.

Allow dough to warm to room temperature before using. Do not roll the dough out. Use your fingertips and more flour to spread the dough to about 12-inch rounds. A pizza stone heated in a home oven to 550° or higher for about 1 hour will yield a great pizza crust. The hotter the better.

Photos by Terry Henson

Buck, owner of The Schimpf Company, entertains his family and friends with this much-requested dish.

Buck Schimpf

Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Gravy

Pork tenderloin cut into medallions 1-1/2-inch thick
Tony Chachere’s seasoning
Butter, for sautéing
1 onion, chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped
4 baked sweet potatoes
1/4 cup molasses
Chicken stock, enough for desired gravy consistency
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped green onion for garnish

Season medallions liberally with Tony Chachere’s. Sauté in butter about three minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Add chopped onions and pecans to same pan and sauté until onions are soft.

Add mashed, cooked sweet potatoes. Add molasses. Add chicken stock and stir until desired consistency is reached for the gravy. Add pork medallions back to gravy and simmer on low, covered, until medallions are heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove medallions and plate. Cover with gravy and garnish with chopped green onions.

Photos by Terry Henson

Mike and Jinger, owners of Wadel Media, enjoy Mike’s popular ribs at family gatherings.

Mike Wadel

Mike’s Award-Deserving Sous Vide Ribs

For Rub:

1 cup paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup ground mustard
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. sea salt
2 tsp. black pepper

Combine all rub ingredients in a bowl. Rub ribs, reserving a tbsp. of the rub, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Smoke ribs for at least 3 hours. Seal in vacuum bag and cook sous vide (immersed in temperature controlled water) at 147° for 48 hours.

For Pan Sauce

1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup ketchup,
2 tbsp. Worchester sauce

Drain Juice from one bag to a pan on stove top. Reduce by one half. Add all ingredients and reserved tbsp. of the rub. Lightly paint ribs with sauce and sear with a torch. Serve.

Photos by Matthew Holland

UTC head basketball coach, Lamont Paris, loves cooking up something tasty to enjoy. He received this recipe from his mother, Kathy.

Lamont Paris

Kathy’s Tangy Chili

Olive oil, to cook with
1 lb. ground beef (I prefer 93% lean ground beef—ground
turkey can also be substituted)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small to medium onion
1 poblano pepper
1 can (14.5-oz.) diced tomatoes
(I recommend zesty chili style tomatoes)
1 can (16-oz.) kidney bean
(pinto bean can be substituted if you prefer)
1 bottle (12-oz.) chili sauce
1 can (8-oz.) tomato sauce
1 heaping tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. chili powder (add more to taste)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Lightly coat medium sized pan with olive oil. Brown ground beef over medium high heat, season with salt and fresh black pepper. Dice onion and poblano pepper. Seed pepper first. Lightly coat separate pan with olive oil and sauté half of the diced onion and diced poblano pepper over medium high heat. When pepper skin is blistered, transfer pepper and onion mixture to browned ground beef. Add all canned and bottled ingredients one at a time. If you use chili flavored kidney/pinto beans do not drain them.  If you use regular kidney/pinto beans I recommend draining them. (Note: If you like heartier chili only use half of the can of tomato sauce.) Stir in remaining dry ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 45 minutes. (The longer you simmer the more the flavor will permeate through the chili, but chili will be delicious with only 5 minutes of simmering.)

Fixins (optional chili toppings)

Other half of diced raw onions
Raw jalapeño peppers, diced or sliced
Shredded mild cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Bacon

Photos by Rich Smith