Be the Grillin’ Guru of your block with these incredible recipes that specialize in using leftover smoked and barbequed meats. Talk about good!
Garde de Donc Corndogs
When is a corndog not a corndog, but something better? When you get rid of the hotdog and put a smoked jalapeno popper in its place. And then you fill that popper with some cooked, smoked meat like brisket, pulled pork, barbecued chicken, streak strips…almost anything!
That’ll make you say garde de donc! That’s a Cajun French expression of excitement or amazement.
Ingredients for corndog batter:
- 1 cup Yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup White sugar
- 4 teaspoons Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Louisiana Love Seasoning Blends
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1 egg
- 2 quarts Vegetable oil for frying
Method:
- Combine all ingredients in a suitable bowl using a whisk.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator until needed.
Ingredients for jalapeno poppers:
- 6 large Jalapeno peppers
- 8 ounces Cream cheese (room temperature)
- 8 ounces Shredded cheese (cheddar)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon Louisiana Love, Extra Love Seasoning Blends
- 6-8 ounces Meat of choice (see above)
- 12-14 strips Smoked bacon (not thick cut)
- 12-16 toothpicks
- 5-6 tablespoons Honey (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoons Yellow mustard (optional)
Method:
- Prepare a hardwood fire, setting temperature to 350-375F degrees.
- Split each jalapeno pepper lengthwise and remove the seeds and white ribs, taking care to keep the matching halves together.
- Combine cream cheese, shredded cheese, egg, and seasoning in a bowl using a whisk or electric blender.
- Fill each pepper half with the cream cheese mixture, place the matching halves together, wrap with 2 strips of bacon, and secure with 2-3 toothpicks.
- Cook the poppers for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is rendered, turning every 5-10 minutes.
- Note: Watch closely for flare ups. Move poppers away from direct fire if needed.
- Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Heat oil to 375 degrees.
- Dip 2-3 poppers in the corndog mixture and carefully lower into oil.
- Poppers may have to be turned during cooking.
- Fry until golden brown and remove to a rack over a sheet pan.
- Once oil returns to temperature, repeat for remaining poppers.
- Remove toothpicks
- Place all popper on a serving platter and drizzle with honey and mustard if desired.
Pooyie Potpies
This is a delicious catch all recipe that incorporates whatever kind of leftover smoked meat you may have hanging around. Brisket, pulled pork, barbecued chicken, grilled steak, are all excellent in this one!
Mix in some black beans, grilled corn, cheese, cilantro, and puff pastry, and you have a killer recipe.
By the way…. pooyie is a Cajun expression that means, “Would you look at that!”
Ingredients:
- 4 ears Fresh corn (shucked and cleaned of silk)
- 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
- 1 medium White onion (chopped)
- 3-4 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 1 can Black beans (rinsed)
- ½ lb Smoked cajun sausage (cut into ¼ʺ, half moon slices)
- 1 cup Chicken stock (no sodium)
- 1 lb Meat of choice (see above)
- Louisiana Love Seasoning Blends to taste
- 2 tablespoons Flour (dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons cold water)
- 8-10 ounces Shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
- 1 package Frozen puff pastry
Method:
Prepare a hardwood fire.
Lightly oil corn and place on grill, cooking until lightly charred on all sides.
Remove, let cool, cut kernels off the cobs and reserve.
Place a large, heavy pot over direct heat and add oil.
Once hot, sauté onions until clear, add garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes more.
Add corn, beans, sausage, chicken stock, and Louisiana Love Seasoning Blends to taste.
Once boiling, reduce to simmer, stir in flour/water mixture, and cook for 7-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Prepare a deep casserole by oiling all interior surfaces.
Remove pot from heat, stir in cheese, meat of choice, taste, and adjust seasoning, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Flour a clean surface, lay out one sheet of puff pastry, roll out pastry to a thickness of ⅛ inch, then cut 1 inch larger than casserole size.
Pout mixture into casserole, cover with pastry, cut 3-4 slits in the top, and place on 375˚ grill for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is brown and filling is bubbling.
Allow to rest to 10 minutes before serving.
Saty hungry.