My Dad Vinnie

Usually when I create recipes I pull from my memories growing up or from a recent restaurant dish I adore.  For this burger I called my Dad in South Florida (aka Southern New York) to see what proteins I should combine for a new burger I was creating; Veal and Sausage or Veal and beef or Sausage and Beef;  decisions I just couldn't make.  I began, "Hey Dad,  I am making an Italian Burger for my show and I need your help."  From there it went like this  "There is no such thing, C, you mean you are making a F$%#ing Meatball!"  Gotta love my Dad and his honesty.  However, he came around to the idea and told me I had to use a veal/sausage mixture, Provolone for melting and Garlic Bread Buns (let me tell you, these buns are ridiculously good) told me to "be careful" and call him again tomorrow.

Print the recipe, heat your grill, put on some Sinatra, start chopping your garlic and parsley, invite over your friends, open a bottle of Chianti and be careful...not really sure why, but that is what Vinnie would tell you!  Mangia, Mangia!

Garlic Bread Italian Burger

1 lb ground veal

1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage

1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Handful fresh flat leaf parsley

1 egg

2 T olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and form into 6-8 patties. 

Grill until the internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Top cooked burger with Sliced Provolone from the deli department, should only take a minute or two to melt.

2 T prepared pesto (store bought or homemade)

3 T mayo

Mix together to serve as condiment on burger.

Good hamburger buns

Brush with 4 T melted butter, 

1 clove chopped garlic and 

2T chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Broil in oven until golden or toast on grill

Assemble and enjoy! 

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It's a family affair!

I’ve been tailgating for a few years now and my past experience and research shows everyone loves a good BRAT.  But, you know I like to make things a bit more homemade and a tad fancy.  So, a good friend of mine mentioned her husband serves his brats with sliced jalapenos and melted cheddar, genius!  It is so simple yet shows you went the extra mile, of course I had to steal the idea!  I got to thinking about how I could tailor these brats for everyone in my family and here you go.  Try these out or create your own….but if you do, let me know what turned out best!!! 

 Brat's 3 Ways

1 package Brats

1 red onion, caramelized

Goat cheese

Sliced jalapeños

Cooked bacon

Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Hoagie Rolls

Grill each brat

Slice the brat lengthwise so it lies rather flat

Top the brats with the following ingredients and place back on the grill for a minute or two to melt the flavors together

Kid’s Brat:

Crumbled Bacon and Cheddar cheese

Mom’s Brat:

Caramelized Red Onion and Crumbled Goat Cheese

Dad’s Brat:

Sliced jalapeños and Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese or a mixture of both

                    

Serve each brat in a hollowed out hoagie roll

Note:

To caramelize red onion, slice a large red onion and sauté in 4T olive oil on med heat until soft and tender. 

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Make the most of your Meat...Kabobs

Kabobs remind me of growing up in South Florida....my mom made kabobs and deviled eggs for every bar-b-que we ever hosted.  My updated version use a beef shoulder petite tender cut of meat..it is really tasty, easy to cube and inexpensive...like under $4.00!  Ask your butcher (or the guy at Kroger behind the meat counter) if you don't see it right away.  I also use japanese eggplant on these...this might be my favorite veggie ever!  It is more tender and less bitter than regular eggplant, no need to soak or over salt either.  In the Atlanta area you can find Japanese Eggplant at any farmer's market or Super H market.

Celeste's Beef, Japanese Eggplant, Red Onion and 

Baby Portabella Mushroom Kabobs 

Drizzled with a fresh Chimichurri Sauce

Kabobs:

1-2 Beef Shoulder Petite Tenders, cubed (can also use Sirloin)

1-2 Japanese eggplants, sliced into 1 inch chunks

1 red onion, cut into wedges

12-15 baby portabella mushrooms, clean and remove stems

Olive Oil

2 Limes

Kosher Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Cube meat, cut eggplant and onion and add mushrooms to large bowl. 

Add 1/4-1/2cup olive oil, salt, pepper and juice from one lime.

Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Thread meat, eggplant, onion and mushrooms on kabobs.

Grill a few minutes on each side until eggplant is soft and desired tenderness of meat is achieved.

Chimichurri:

Add the following to your food processor:

Huge handful of parsley, torn from stems

3 cloves raw garlic

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Juice from 1 lime

Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch of Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

Turn Machine on and stream in Olive Oil until mixture resembles a dipping sauce (about 1 cup olive oil).

Serve Kabobs warm with a drizzle of Chimichurri or put on a hoagie roll and serve as a sandwich

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Tailgating Tidbits is Back and Sizzlin' Hot

This year I have a new sponsor, BIC FlameDisk!  All my recipes are cooked from start to finish on a table top grill heated by FlameDisk.  This thing is incredible...it heats in 4 minutes, burns for 40 minutes and when it is finished you literally throw the FlameDisk away (you can even recycle it). The best part...no charcoal or lighter fluid!  It is perfect for tailgating, camping, or even a summer beach bar-b-que!  BIC FlameDisk will be in grocery stores everywhere starting in May...you can find out more here, Grill with Bic  


My new season Tailgating Tidbits will air May, June and July on Comcast Sports Southeast.  I promise easy, upscale and trendy yet delicious recipes each week....I'll even give you a Tailgating Breakfast and gluten free option (fancy, I know).  Please tune in every Thursday night during SEC Tonight to see me by the grill!  You can print each recipe here on my blog or re-watch the recipe and segment at CSS.

Thanks so much for all the support over the years....so excited to be back with Tailgating Tidbits!