Happy 2009

This was how we ended up celebrating the end of 2008. We modified a Nigel Slater recipe, creating a marinade of honey, fish sauce, kecap, star anise, soy sauce, sugar, and Sichuan peppercorns. The ribs went into the oven for 3 hours or so, and they came out pretty darn well. Nowhere near as good as some properly smoked meat, though! Ah well. Summer’s coming soon enough (or so I tell myself).

Tacos & More Is Open!

And I’m excited! I think it might be run by the nice people who had the taco cart by McCarren Park briefly earlier in the year. Lots of good stuff on offer: chilaquiles, tortas, enchiladas, egg sandwiches (I am so getting one tomorrow, avec chorizo!) various meat platters, and of course… tacos. From the menu, it looks like barbacoa and lengua are regular options in addition to the standard fillings – yay! Fingers crossed that the food is good, and that a new business can thrive despite this terrible economy.

Tacos & More, 688 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11222 (just past the intersection of Bedford and Manhattan Aves)

718.349.2626

Vanocka

AKA Czech Christmas bread. My mother makes the best.

La Guera/Ricos Tamales

We had lunch at this tiny restaurant (which grew out of an insanely popular stand around the corner) over the weekend, as Christmas carols blasted from lamppost-mounted speakers outside on 5th Avenue and the temperature dipped into the ‘teens. To counter the brutal wind, we tried one of the weekend specials: consome y barbacoa. Was it good? Was it ever: a huge bowl of broth, the color of dark brick, rich with chunks of long-stewed goat meat and tendon. A quick stir revealed a generous amount of chickpeas lurking at the bottom. We squeezed in lime juice and added a handful of chopped cilantro, et  voila (as my favorite Frenchman would say). Pure bliss. We also tried a couple of chorizo tacos, which came with cubes instead of the loose meat we were expecting. No matter. They were great, with a nice, garlicky flavor and good snap to the sausage, and a generous siding of radishes, chopped onion and cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, and mild, salty green sauce. I suppose we could have stopped there, but restraint isn’t the point (and besides, those tacos are tiny). We couldn’t leave without having a few of the signature item: tamales. We asked for one mole and one salsa verde, but received two of the latter. Oh well. With food this delicious (and cheap!), I’m not complaining about minor mix-ups. The tamales lived up to the hype, with soft, fluffy masa, tender chunks of chicken, and a truly fiery sauce. I could have eaten another two or three, easily. Next time. And oh, how I look forward to it!

La Guera/Ricos Tamales, 4603 5th Avenue, Brooklyn 11220

The Web site: http://www.sunset-park.com/mall/LAGUERA/menu.html

PS – Just read a few negative “reviews” of this place on Yelp, including one from a guy complaining that the tamales seemed “pre-cooked.” No shit. If they weren’t, you’d be waiting a couple of hours for your order.

MEAT

Short ribs a la John Besh: http://www.esquire.com/features/recipes-for-men/shortribs1107?click=main_sr.

Meat from Grazin’ Angus Acres. It’s a great recipe, but next time I’ll add less sugar. Extremely tasty, but just a bit too sweet.

Favorite Things

This stuff is GOOD. I have yet to try the green version, but it’s on the list.

This stuff is REALLY GOOD. Very hot, evil-looking condiment made from green mango.

How Sweet It Is…

Yes, we did.

Great News!

Coming soon to Manhattan Ave. Hope it lives up to the excitement.

I Will Beat You Senseless With My Ear of Locally-Grown Corn

I know that all of the lovely, fresh produce and meat with a conscience is a beautiful thing, and I would hate going without it, but sometimes it seems like the Union Square Greenmarket is one of the city’s foremost purveyors of bad vibes.

Jerk-A-Rama!

Al had his eye on this sassily-named joint for a while. He succumbed to the the lure of the steaming drum grills last night and brought home a large container of jerk, which was a great move on his part. That’s some tasty chicken, folks. The spicing wasn’t as aggressive as I would have liked, and the hot sauce was too sweet. Still, the meat was cooked damn near perfectly with a satisfyingly deep smokiness. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Jerk-A-Rama can do.

Jerk-A-Rama, 704 Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn, NY