Victoria's Dry Rub

Grilled Duck Breasts

July 3, 2013

Grilled Duck BreastsGrilled Duck Breasts

I don’t often eat duck because quite frankly I forget about it.  While I was at the market last weekend I ran across duck breasts and decided to throw them in my cart not knowing what I was going to do with them of course.  Here is what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS

8 Duck Breasts (2 per Person)

1 Bottle Beer

1/4 Cup Meat Rub

8 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Ziplock Bag

Most of you know that I’m really into marinating things in the ziplock bags.  For these duck breasts you really need to marinate them overnight in the beer.  Place the duck breasts into the ziplock bag and pour the beer in.  Zip up the bag and give it a gentle shake to evenly distribute the beer.  Place the filled bag onto a plate in case there is any drip and put into the fridge overnight.  Remove from the fridge when you are getting ready to grill.  Remove the duck from the beer and throw the beer away.  Place the duck onto a large plate and drizzle both sides with the olive oil.  Then rub your favorite meat rub onto both sides of the duck breasts.  I used Victoria’s Dry Rub which was fabulous.  After preparing the duck breasts let them rest on the counter while you prepare the grill.  Get the grill to a medium-high heat.  Place the prepared duck breasts onto the grill and close the lid.  Cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side depending on how rare you like them.  Remove from the grill when done and place onto a serving platter.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Slice or serve whole.  Serves 4

Note:  If you don’t have a grill or can’t barbeque remember that whatever you can do on a grill you can do under an oven broiler or in a grill pan on top of a burner.

Za’atar Pita Chips

May 8, 2013

Za’atar Pita ChipsZa'atar 2

These Za’atar Pita Chips are really pretty addictive.  They are baked so they are much healthier than deep fried chips.  If you want to leave the za’atar off then just use kosher salt and pepper as your seasoning.

INGREDIENTS

12 Pita Bread Pockets

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Victoria’s Za’atar

Preheat your oven to 400º F.  Slice each pita bread into 10 triangles.  Place the triangles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  In a small size bowl combine the olive oil and the za’atar.  Brush each triangle with the oil & za’atar mixture.  Place in the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes.  You will want them to be light brown and crisp.  Be careful because if left unattended they will burn.  Serves 12

 

 

*If you need my za’atar recipe it’s on my website or send me an email and I’ll send you some.

 

Za'atar Pita

Roasted Cornish Hens

May 9, 2012

Roasted Cornish Hens

 

Use Victoria’s Dry Rub to add new flavor to these roasted hens.  You can stuff them with either wild rice or my Southern Cornbread (recipe to follow). 

 

INGREDIENTS

Stuffing & Hens:

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

6 Ounces Diced Andouille Sausage

3 Diced Carrots

1/2 Cup Chopped Onion

3 Diced Celery Stalks

3 Minced Garlic Cloves

1 Bay Leaf

2 Tablespoons Chopped Sage

Crumbled Southern Cornbread or Wild Rice

1/4 Cup Chicken Stock

4 Cornish Game Hens (1 1/2 Pounds Each)

 

Victoria’s Dry Rub

Or 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt & 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

 

1 Tablespoon Melted Unsalted Butter

 

Prepare the stuffing.  In a large skillet melt the butter over a medium heat.  Add the Andouille sausage, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and bay leaf.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add the sage and either cornbread or cooked wild rice.  Continue to cook for a few minutes.  Stir continuously to blend the flavors.  Add the chicken stock, stir and continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside until you are ready to stuff the hens.  This stuffing can be prepared and refrigerate, covered, up to a day in advance.  Remove the bay leaf before stuffing. 

Thoroughly rinse and dry the hens. Rub the hens inside and out with Victoria’s Dry Rub or the salt and pepper mixture.  Fill the cavity of each hen with 3/4 cup of stuffing.  Spoon the remaining stuffing into a well buttered baking dish and cover with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil.  Arrange the hens in a roasting pan and brush with the melted butter.  Place the pan and baking dish in the oven.  Roast for 45 minutes until the hens are nicely browned and crisp and the juices run clear when a thigh is pricked with a fork.  The dish of stuffing should be very hot.  Serve each hen on a small bed of additional stuffing.  Serves 4

Dry Rubbed Pork Loin Roast

October 20, 2011

Dry Rubbed Pork Loin Roast

If you couldn’t tell by now I love rubs. Rubs really spice up the meat and make them much more tender. Here is such an easy recipe for basic pork loin roast. Use Victoria’s Dry Rub for this Pork Loin Roast. This recipe is great for Sunday dinners. Roast some potatoes, make a nice salad and you have a complete meal without a lot of work.

INGREDIENTS

½ Cup Victoria’s Dry Rub

2 Pounds Boneless Center Trimmed Pork Loin Roast

½ Cup Prepared BBQ Sauce

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Coat a wire rack and shallow roasting pan with olive oil. Rub Victoria’s Dry Rub all over the pork to coat. Set the pork on the rack in the roasting pan and roast for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the BBQ sauce if you like. Serves 6

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