No matter the sport, tailgating never goes out of style. But why settle for lukewarm hot dogs when you could have something almost as easy and much more delicious?
Dallas chef and James Beard semi-finalist Omar Flores recently invited us into the kitchen at tapas spot Casa Rubia, where he's executive chef. Flores developed three elevated tailgating recipes using beer (a Mexican lager in this case) as an ingredient, all of which are sure to please hungry sports fans.
For some of the recipes, chef Flores suggested doing the prep ahead of time. Others he said would be better to create ahead of time and bring to the game, since they hold well. We have the recipes and videos of Flores' demonstration below. So grab your bibs, we're about to dive into his three dishes.
Montejo Marinated Carne Asado Tacos
Marinade ingredients:
- 1 beer (Flores uses Montejo, which is a Mexican lager similar to Corona or Dos XX)
- 2 lbs. skirt or flap steak
- 1/3 cup rough cut cilantro
- 1/2 a jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard
Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa ingredients:
- 1/2 lb. of tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
- 1/2 a jalapeño, rough chopped
- 1 small avocado
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients together with steak. Marinate for 4-6 hours. Once marinated, remove steak and season with salt and pepper. Grill over and open fire until desired doneness. For salsa, add all ingredients in blender. Pulse until salsa is creamy but still maintains some chunks of veggies. Serve tacos on corn tortillas with salsa and garnish with cilantro.
Borracho Black Beans
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. black beans, soaked overnight
- 1 beer
- 1 large white onion, minced
- 2 jalapeños, minced
- 4 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro, minced
- 1/2 lb. of bacon, diced
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2-3 cups of beef stock
- 1 ham hock
- Salt and pepper to taste
Soak black beans overnight in water. Cook beans with fresh water and ham hock until tender. Strain beans and reserve 2-3 cups of the liquid. In a large, two-handed pot over medium heat, cook bacon until rendered and crispy. Add onion, tomato, and jalapeño, and sweat slightly until translucent. Deglaze with one beer, beef stock and lime juice. Add beans into pot and season with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder and paprika. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add 1-2 cups of the reserve bean stock to adjust consistency. Finish with fresh minced cilantro.
Carnitas Sopes en Salsa de Cerveza
Carnitas ingredients:
- 2 lbs. pork butt, large diced and seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 whole tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 white onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeños, minced
- 3 tomatillos, small diced
- 1 beer
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup sweetened and condensed milk
- 2 cilantro stocks
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sopes ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups masa harina
- 2 tbsp. butter or lard
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 quarts corn oil (if frying)
In a Dutch oven or large two-handed pot over high heat, add olive oil and brown seasoned pork butt. Remove once browned and reserve in a separate container. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeños, and tomatillos to Dutch oven and cook until reduced by half. Add reserved pork butt, beer, cumin, cilantro stock, orange juice, and condensed milk. Cover pot and cook for 1.5-2 hours on low heat until pork is tender. For sopes, combine all ingredients to create a slightly tacky dough. Cover in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Take a handful of dough and form a circular masa cup. Deep fry or bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Serve a spoonful of stew on top of sope. Garnish with cabbage, pickled onions, lime crema and cotija cheese.
