Cast Iron and Campfire

Since the Tamarind Barbecue Sirloins turned out so well, I decided to take a chance on another barbecue marinade. This time I made Coffee Jalapeno Steak. Much like with the Chipotle Coffee Beans (which would've worked great as a side), the coffee adds a nice boldness to the flavor, without leaving you feel like you're downing java. This dish was validated by no less than 3 people other than me, who just happened to be passing through the apartment. Vulgarity was used, but only in flattering ways, thus leading me to believe that this marinade slash barbecue sauce is the best yet to surface.

I stuck with the sort of rustic cowboy theme and made a Wild West Salad as a side. This received what I consider the greatest compliment ever when it comes to home cooking. "I don't normally like x, but this dish is [insert complimentary word here.]" In this case, x is mustard, and the Wild West salad was not only simple and quick to prepare, but a hearty and tasty side dish. There's something about corn and beans together as part of a salad; it's just the perfect blend of sweet and starchy (as if corn wasn't that already) combined with a simple, but flavorful dressing.

To accompany these two dishes I made a Cowboy Fry Bread. My first batch ended up with bunk yeast and I had a large, soft ball of not so useful dough. The second batch rose perfectly and, when fried, tasted almost like an unsweetened donut. All of these breads were gone almost immediately, so I'd recommend doubling the recipe, at least. I was expecting something similar to a biscuit crossed with bannock, but it was very light in texture and would make a nice moist sponge for anything involving a hearty sauce, such as stew.