In honor of Labor Day, (aka BBQ Nation Day) I will take some of my recipes out of the vault and share them with you. Because I love you all so much and want you to eat delicious things.

First up: Mexican Hot Chocolate Carne Asada

It looks and tastes like something that a Targaryen would eat (Holla at my Mutha of Dragons!)

This goes really well with home made tortillas and guacamole. Or home made fire (breathing) roasted salsa.

Ingredients:

1 package, family sized, of skirt steak or flap steak

1/3 cup oil (I use Canola)

Small can chipotle peppers, 3-4 peppers, depending on how hot you want it

2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

Set meat aside, combine remaining ingredients in a food processor. Mix until smooth.

*Cut meat into small pieces (quarter sized) if cooking in a pan. If grilling, let it be. Or if you find yourself in times of trouble . . . you get the picture.

Place meat in large ziploc bag, coat thoroughly with sauce, let sit for 20-30 minutes. Can sit for longer if needed.

Cook in pan, on grill, in a box with a fox, on a train, in the rain, to your liking. Slap it on some tortillas, devour immediately.

 

Britt’s Fire Roasted Salsa

This is super easy to make, I mean painfully easy. Cheap too and you’ll look like a champ if you show up to something with it. Can work on grill or with a broiler. You will also need a blender and a paper bag.

* To change it to Guacamole, substitute 3 tomatoes to large avocados.  Split ‘cados in half and grill. Mash avocados after grill time and mix remaining blend into the mash.

Ingredients:

4 large tomatoes

1 large green bell pepper

Jalapenos
* 2 for mild 3-4 for hot. If you really don’t want hot at all, cut open and rid it of any seeds. Then scrub your hands like a mofo. Get under the nails with soap and brush. I don’t know how many times I have forgotten this and then my contacts laden eyes have suffered for it.

* If you want it extra hot, throw in a serrano pepper

1 onion, cut into 4ths and taken apart

1 bunch cilantro, leaves stripped

Salt, to your taste

Put all ingredients except the cilantro on grill tray or on a tray in your broiler. Let sit, turning occasionally. Allow to char. Tomatoes will char, split, break.

Remove from heat, grill or oven.

Place peppers in paper bag 10-15 minutes, to “sweat”

Place all ingredients in blender: Peppers first, onions second, tomatoes third and cilantro on top. Blend slow, just a few seconds burst at a time. Salsa will be reddish brown in color.

 

Eat and enjoy.

 

Tastes better than fish sticks and custard, promise.