Bld Recipes

THE B.L.D

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Liberally sprinkle all sides of the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil. Sear the short ribs on all sides until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once seared, set aside on a plate. Add the carrots, garlic and onions to the pot with the short rib drippings and season with some salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until they turn golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up any developed fond (all the delicious brown bits) from the bottom. Bring the wine to a simmer and season with some salt and pepper. Add the thyme, bay leaf and short ribs and any leftover juices from the plate the short ribs were resting on. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven until the meat is fork tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Turn the short ribs one time during the cooking process after about 1 hour of cooking.
• Once the short ribs are tender, remove them from the braising liquid and set aside to cool. Skim the fat off the top of the braising liquid. Then strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve and bring to a simmer until it is reduced by half, about 8 minutes (to yield about 2/3 cup of reduced sauce). Remove the meat from the bone and cut in half horizontally to fit on the croissant.
• For the sandwich build: Lightly toast the croissants and then schmear some horseradish mustard on the bottom half of the croissant. Place the slices of short rib on top of the mustard and drizzle with some of the reduced sauce. Top with a fried egg and then a nice pile of the chips. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Do not cut and do not exceed 3 of these a day -- one for B, one for L and one for D. You can even sneak a bite for the other "D."
• Whisk together 8 cups water with 1/4 cup of the salt. Place the sliced potatoes into the water-and-salt solution and let soak for at least 20 minutes. After they have soaked, dry thoroughly on a paper towels or dish towels.
• Heat the oil a large Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a spice grinder, combine the buttermilk powder, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, dill and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Grind into a homogeneous powder.
• In handful-size batches, fry the potatoes until they just turn golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss immediately in a large bowl with some of the spice mixture. Then place them on a baking sheet and sprinkle them again with some of the spice mixture.
• Hold them in semi-airtight container for a few days, if you can stand it that long.

BLT MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients. Add the macaroni, tomato and onions; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, add lettuce and bacon; toss to coat.

CLASSIC BLT SANDWICH

Steps:

• Cook bacon until crispy, then drain on paper towels.
• Toast the 8 slices of bread.
• Spread 1 tablespoon mayo on each slice of toasted bread. (More or less, to taste).
• Add 1 slice of lettuce to 4 pieces of mayo-spreaded toast.
• Add 2 slices of tomato on top of lettuce.
• Arrange 3 slices of bacon evenly on top of tomato. (Break bacon slices in half to fit, if needed.).
• Add 1 slice of lettuce on top of bacon.
• Put the remaining 4 pieces of mayo-spreaded toast on top to finish the sandwiches.
• Enjoy!
• NOTE: I also like to butter the toast slices before adding the mayo -- higher in fat, but tastier, in my opinion!