Partners, fire up those grills!
By Ann Mauzé
El Grande Cook-off
Sat, July 4, noon–7pm
Team sign-up: Longhorn Smokehouse
Salida a Celaya 6
Vista Antigua
cnr Avenida Independencia and Libramiento a Dolores
100 pesos
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Texas barbecue, not to be confused with any other kind, comes to San Miguel with the first annual invitational El Grande Cook-off on July 4. |
In the great tradition of Texas cook-offs, the competition features categories from ribs, chili and beans to brisket, stews and margaritas, along with a cook’s choice category. This fired-up event is going down at Vista Antigua, a Coates/Dolan development and primary sponsor of El Grande.
It’s rumored that some folks, possibly from another planet, are asking, “What exactly is barbecue?” Rodney Hutto, Chairman of the Cook-off Teams’ Judges and a champion in his own right, patiently tells them, “It’s smoked meat, usually seasoned up pretty good and allowed to simmer—from a few hours for things like chicken and ribs, all the way to 12 hours or longer for good Texas brisket, the real king of the barbecue world!”
An authority like Hutto knows better than anyone that cooks are very secretive about everything they do: the seasonings they use, the exact method of trimming their meat before cooking, the type of wood smoke they prefer, how long they keep the meat smoking and at what temperature. However, some experts have been known to “spill the beans” occasionally—and that’s what makes a cook-off fun for everyone.
Hold-outs still have time to decide to compete for the Cook-off Grand Prize: a week at the beach in a luxury vacation home in La Manzanilla and a Weber Grill. While the owner of the vacation home has “put a lid” on his recipe, the folks from Weber Grill in San Miguel have generously provided one for time-tested barbecued chicken (see sidebar). To enter the cook-off, register at the Longhorn Smokehouse or visit
www.elgrandecookoffsanmiguel.com
for all the details.
Barbecue won’t be the only action at El Grande. From noon until 7pm, the day is filled with activities starting with Team Sorting (a timed horseback competition), supervised kids’ activities, a petting zoo, live music and entertainment, crafts vendors, food, beverages and lots more.
General admission tickets are 100 pesos; tickets for the Patron Tent, which features a gourmet picnic lunch and an open bar throughout the day, are 1000 pesos. Purchase tickets at La Conexión, Solutions, Border Crossings, Longhorn Smokehouse, Dos Casas, Feed the Hungry, Patronato Pro Niños, Vista Antigua or online at:
www.elgrandecookoffsanmiguel.com.
All proceeds from El Grande Cook-off go to Feed the Hungry and Patronato Pro Niños to provide nourishment, health and dental care for thousands of our area’s most underprivileged children.
Beer-Marinated Chicken Tacos
Adapted from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 to 4 hours
Grilling Time: 8 to 10 minutes
Marinade
1 cup dark Mexican beer
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4 ounces each
6 flour or corn tortillas (6 to 7 inches)
1. In a small bowl whisk the marinade ingredients. Place the thighs in a large, plastic re-sealable bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
2. Remove the thighs from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill over direct high heat (450°F to 550°F), with the lid closed as securely as possible, until the meat is firm and the juices run clear, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Cut the chicken into thin strips.
3. Warm the tortillas over direct medium heat (350°F to 450°F) for about 1 minute, turning once. Pile the sliced chicken inside the tortillas.
Top each with a spoonful of guacamole. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
| What’s that? Don't have a favorite barbecue recipe? No worries! The highly anticipated, long awaited Taste of San Miguel: The Cookbook makes its debut and goes on sale at this event with a special introductory price! |
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A fabulous and fun cookbook, it’s one that is meant to be used on a regular basis—written in, spilled on, smudged, splattered and dog-eared. It’s a book that contains new, unusual and delicious recipes that will have your family and guests pushing their chairs back from the table, loosening their belts and begging you to stop them. Then they’ll change their minds and ask for more!
More than 200 recipes are featured from some of the best cooks, chefs and restaurants in San Miguel. All recipes are provided in English and Spanish.
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Visit the Feed the Hungry tent at the El Grande Cook-off, sample some of the goodies from the cookbook and stock up for Christmas at the special event price of only 300 pesos each, or US$22.50. This is an absolute must-have for every kitchen, north and south of the Río Grande! |
Feed the Hungry
www.feedthehungrysma.org
Contact: Development Director Cathy Cooper Long, c/o La Conexión, Aldama 3,
152-2402, contact@feedthehungrysma.org
Donations: Feed the Hungry San Miguel, Inc. (our 501 (c) (3) US corporation),
220 N. Zapata Hwy., Suite 11, Laredo, TX 78043, US: (505) 349-3700 or Feed the Hungry A.C, (our Mexican Asociación Civil), c/o Aldama 3, Box 636, San Miguel de Allende, Gto., 37700
Registered in the US and Mexico, Feed the Hungry is a nonprofit organization that provides hot, nutritious meals to thousands of hungry children every school day in San Miguel de Allende and the surrounding ranchos.
| Despite these uncertain and difficult times, Feed the Hungry has continued to thrive; we added five new kitchens and hundreds of children in 2008. We now operate 35 kitchens and feed 4,000 children every school day. | |
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Patronato Pro Niños
www.patronatoproninos.org
Contacts: Office Coordinator Lily Castañeda, 152-7796, lily@patronatoproninos.org
Development Director Floyd Edwards, 152-7796, info@patronatoproninos.org
Donations: Donations are 100-percent tax-deductible in the US and Mexico
Patronato Pro Niños (PPN) provides medical and dental care to children of families living in poverty. PPN’s three goals for 2009 are to begin providing medical and dental services in its new children’s health center, to expand its Wellness Program in rural communities and to launch a “Wash Your Hands” program.
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