The Italian Texan

Any reason’s a good reason for a steak on the Big Green Egg! For this one I went with Hardcore Carnivore’s Black seasoning and topped it with spicy chimichurri from my man Al Frugoni! . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #texas #texasbeef #cowboycutribeye #cowboysteak #cowboyribeye #tomahawk #steak #beef #steak #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #steakdinner #hardcorecarnivore @biggreenegg @alfrugoni @hardcorecarnivore

OK I know I get really into Hatch pepper season here in South Texas, but I had to share this salsa recipe! As I said in the video, you can put this on anything! Sandwiches like this, tacos, salads, enchiladas, even bacon and eggs (@heb makes a Hatch bacon too, it’s amazing)! You can get Hatch peppers in hot or mild, so use whatever combination best suits your heat preference. Either way they pack a lot of flavor, so it’s really just about how much heat you like. Let me know what you think! . Here’s what you need: 8 or 9 Hatch peppers, depending on size 6 medium/large fresh tomatillos, skins removed 1 medium size onion, cut in half 1 head of garlic, roasted Fresh cilantro Juice of one fresh lime Salt & Pepper to taste Here’s what you do: Wash all the produce, then light your grill and roast the peppers, tomatillos and onions. Cut the tip off the head of garlic and wrap in foil, and roast that too. Once the peppers are charred and softened up, place them in a bowl and cover with foil for about 10 minutes to loosen up the skin. Peel the peppers, then slice them open and remove the seeds. Give them a rough chop. Rough chop the onion, then throw it in a blender with the chopped Hatch peppers, the tomatillos (they won’t require any chopping), a handful of fresh cilantro leaves and the lime juice. Turn on the blender and let it run for about 15 seconds, then open it up. Scrape the sides of the blender bowl, squeeze in the roasted garlic and then season the salsa with salt & pepper. Run the blender again for about another 15-20 seconds. I like my salsa a little chunky, but you may want yours blended a little more. Check the taste and adjust salt & pepper according to your taste, and you’re done! . . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #cooking #homechef #lunch #dinner #texaslife #texas #hatch #salsa #hatchpepper #hatchseason #hatchchili #heb #sausage #smokedsausage #porklove #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #roastedpeppers #sandwich #southwestcooking #big

I don’t care if it’s hot outside, it’s hatch season at @central_market and I wanted some hatch chili with some hatch tomatillo salsa! As always, served Frito pie style and yes I added beans, so if it’s not chili, then whatever it is was delicious! . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #texas #texasbeef #dinner #chili #chiliornotchili #youchiliyourwayillchilimine #outdoorcooking

August is hatch pepper season!! Here’s one to try for next Taco Tuesday (or Thursday, or Sunday... pretty much any day’s a great day for tacos. I cooked these on the Blackstone with some Hatch pork, Hatch tortillas and fresh Hatch peppers from @heb, and finished them off with this killer Hatch Jalapeno Aioli from @terrapinridgefarms. Threw in some fresh avocado, lime juice, cilantro and a little cotija cheese! Keep watching for more hatch ideas. . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #cooking #homechef #dinnertime #lunchtime #lunch #letseat #southwestcooking #southwestkitchen #avocado #cilantro #hatchpeppers #hatch #heb #terrapinridgefarms #aioli #texmex #texas #pork #outdoorcooking #peppers #onions #cilantro

Lobster Mac & Cheese! This is a great dish for any time of year! I’ve done a couple mac & cheese cooks on here but this one’s a bit elevated, and came out great! The flavor of the buttery lobster with the zing of Cajun flavors makes for succulent lobster, and these cheeses work extremely well together to compliment all of that! Enjoy! Here’s what you need: 2 4-5oz lobster tail 6oz Cavatappi pasta 2 cups cheese, plus more for topping (I used Indigo Ridge and Caldera Espana from @riverwheycheese) 2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning 3 Tbsp flour 6 Tbsp butter 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup cream 3 oz cream cheese 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs Salt & Pepper to taste . Here’s what you do: 1. Start by butterflying the lobster tails. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter and add a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, then baste the lobster meat with the butter. 2. Steam the lobster tails in about 1/4” of boiling water in a frying pan. 3. Remove the meat from the tails and chop. I like to drizzle them with a little more seasoned butter. Set aside. 4. Cook your pasta to package instructions and preheat your oven to about 400°F. 5. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, and once melted, stir in the flour. Mix that to make a roux, then add the milk and heavy cream to make a bechamel. 6. Whisk the bechamel over medium heat until it starts to thicken, this may take a couple minutes. Add the other Tbsp of seasoning, and salt & pepper to taste. 7. Add the cream cheese as well as the other cheeses you’re using. Stir until all the cheese melts, and then remove from the heat. Taste and make any seasoning adjustments according to your personal taste. 8. Mix the cheese sauce into the macaroni, and then fold in the cooked lobster meat and distribute into ramekins, I had enough to fill 3. 9. Take the panko bread crumbs and mix with about ¼ cup grated cheese and a pinch of chopped parsley, then use as a topping over the mac & cheese. 10. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, cool and enjoy! . . . . . .

Easy weeknight dinner! Skip the jarred Alfredo sauce and try this quick sauce. The flavor of the cheeses really came through on this one! Here’s what you need: 9 oz Tortellini 1/2 cup butter 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup grated pecorino romano 1 cups grated parmigiano reggiano 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp salt Pinch of nutmeg . Here’s what you do: Melt the butter in a 2qt saucepan, then add the garlic and let it simmer until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and lemon juice, and whisk with the butter, let it cook about another 4 minutes, whisking regularly until it starts to thicken up. Add salt, pepper, onion powder and nutmeg, then stir together and then add the cheese. As the cheese melts, keep stirring and let it cook about another 2 minutes, then take it off the heat. . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #italiancooking #italian #lemonspaghetti #spaghetti #summer #lemon #lemons #italianparsley #cheese #cooking #homechef #dinnertime #cheese #garlic #pasta #tortellini #parmigianoreggiano #pecorinoromano

I’ve done lemon orzo myself before, but I highly recommend it! My wife saw this recipe for lemon orzo with shrimp from @bon_appetite_recipes and wanted to try it. Made it last night and it was a hit! Check out their page for the recipe... . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #texas #italianfood #shrimp #orzo #pasta #lemon #asparagus #healthy

It’s summer time, and the time for great cookouts and barbeque! I know I tend to separate Italian food from the South Texas Barbecue I share on here, but outdoor grilling isn’t exactly a foreign concept over in Italy, they call it Grigliata! For this one we had some eggplant and squash, cherry tomatoes, beef & chicken and some hot Italian sausages! Eggplant was great with the Sicilian olive oil from @txhillcountryoliveoil and seasoned with Pizza & Pasta herb seasoning from @apothecary.spices! . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #texas #texasbeef #steak #beef #chicken #sausage #italiansausage #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #italianbbq #italianbarbecue #dinner #biggreenegg #bgenation #outdoorcooking #grigliata #veggies #eggplant #squash #summertime

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! . . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #cooking #homechef #lunch #dinner #texaslife #texas #burger #hotdog #hamburger #hotdogsandhamburgers #biggreenegg #bgenation @biggreenegg

Bang bang shrimp tacos! . Picked up the seasoning at Sam’s Club of all places, used it seasoned the shrimp and to make the sauce! Great, easy idea for your next #TacoTuesday! . . . . . . . #italiantexan #theitaliantexan #italian #bangbangsauce #bangbang #shrimp #tacos #taconight #spicy #weeknightdinner #weeknightmeals #tortilla

Spring is coming to an end here in South Texas, and summer is upon us! Great time for a dish like this with fresh, bold flavors! This is a new cheese I’m using here, that was ‘born’ during the recent eclipse over at @riverwheycheese! Thought it’d work great in this dish, so check it out! Here’s what you need: ½ lb dried spaghetti Juice from 2 lemons, plus zest 1 cup fine grated cheese (I used Eweclipse cheese, again from River Whey Creamery) 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 pats butter, about 1 1/2 Tbsp Salt & Freshly ground black pepper to taste Chopped Italian Parsley for serving . Here’s what you do: Start your pasta water, cooking to about 2 minutes shorter than package instructions (it’ll finish cooking in the sauce). DO NOT DRAIN THE PASTA, remove it with tongs so you can retain the pasta water! WHILE the pasta is cooking, start your sauce. Add the olive oil to a shallow fry or braising pan over medium heat, then add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to brown, add some pasta water (not too much) to the pan. I started with 1 ladle, you can add more later if needed. Add your pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Next add the lemon juice and zest, and toss again. Throw in the grated cheese, this will emulsify with the pasta water to create a creamy sauce. If your sauce is too thick, add a little more pasta water. Cook for about 2 more minutes on medium heat. Cut the heat and remove the pan from the burner. Add in 2 pats of butter and cover for about 2 minutes. Remove the lid and stir, the butter should be melted and mix with the sauce to make it nice and creamy. Serve topped with some chopped Italian Parsley. You’re done! . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #italiancooking #italian #lemonspaghetti #spaghetti #summer #lemon #lemons #italianparsley #cheese #riverwheycreamery #cooking #homechef #dinnertime #lunchtime #lunch #letseat #cheese #garlic #pasta

Fired up the Big Green Egg to smoke a piece of brisket point, spotted these Garlic Butter sausages from @hardcorecarnivore and had to try them. I think they’re my favorite sausage of theirs so far… all ingredients found at @heb! . . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #cooking #homechef #lunch #dinner #texaslife #texas #sausage #smokedsausage #hardcorecarnivore #porklove #beef #beeflove #brisket #smokedbrisket #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #smokedmeat #sandwich #bbqsauce #jalapenos #brisketsandwich #southwestcooking #slowandlow #smoker #biggreenegg #bgenation @biggreenegg

Well it may not quite be summer on the calendar yet, but we’ve definitely got summer weather here in South Texas! My wife has been asking for this chicken almost every week lately, so I wanted to share it with you. . Here’s what you need: 1/2 cup Spicy Barbecue Sauce (I used HEB’s Texas Style) 1/2 cup Sweet Barbecue Sauce (I used Fischer & Wieser’s Peaches & Whiskey BBQ Sauce) 2 Tbsp Honey 2 Tbsp Bourbon (at least!) BBQ rub/seasoning of your choice. I went w/ the Buffalo Trace seasoning since it works w/ the theme of ingredients 8-pack of boneless/skinless chicken thighs . Here’s what you do: Pretty self-explanatory, combine all ingredients and stir to combine and saturate all the chicken. Refrigerate overnight in the marinade. Season the chicken individually before cooking. Cook on a hot grill, basting the chicken with both sauces each time you turn it. Grill it to 165°F internal temp, let rest for 5-10 minutes and enjoy! . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texas #recipes #cooking #texaslife #homechef #lunch #dinner #letseat #southwestcooking #chickenthighs #biggreenegg #bgenation #bge #bbqchicken #barbecue #barbeque #bbq #chicken #bbqsauce @heb @fischerandwieser @bulleit @biggreenegg

On our trip to Dallas, we visited our first @hmartofficial and bought way too much stuff! Had to try making some Beef Bulgogi! Delicious! Next time from scratch! . . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #cooking #homechef #lunch #dinner #letseat #bulgogi #hmart #beef #beefbulgogi #wok #wokcooking #koreanfood #korean #asmr

In Texas, every days a great day for grilling! . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #texas #texasbeef #steak #beef #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #sirloin #dinner #biggreenegg #bgenation #outdoorcooking #veggies #potatoes #zucchini

Pasta Zozzona!  This is basically a combination of Carbonara and Amatricina, with some Italian sausage thrown in for good measure.  Let me know what you think! . * 1 lb of Pasta (I used a mezze maniche from Italy) * 8oz of Italian Sausage (I used spicy chicken sausage) * 6oz of Guanciale (or pancetta if you can’t find this) * 3/4 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano * 3/4 cup of grated Pecorino Romano * 4 egg yolks * 1 Tbsp Olive Oil (I used Sicilian from @txhillcountryoliveoil) * 2 shallots, diced * 1 28oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed * Salt & Pepper to taste . Here’s what you do: 1. Cut the guanciale into strips about 1/4” thick, and remove the sausage from its casing. 2. Combine the egg yolks and grated cheeses, add some fresh ground black pepper and mix to create a carbonara base. 3. Add the olive oil to a braising or large frying pan, and saute the guanciale on medium-low heat till it’s cooked through and crispy.  Remove and set aside. 4. Add the sausage to the same pan and cook through, breaking it up into chunks.  Remove and set this aside as well. 5. Next cook the diced shallots in the same pan, and once those are translucent add in the tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper and cook on medium low for about 10 minutes, stir regularly.  If the mixture becomes too thick, add some pasta water to thin it out. 6. Cook the pasta and remove it with a strainer spoon to retain pasta water, then add it to the sauce and toss to combine. 7. Mix about 1/4 cup of pasta water into the egg & cheese mixture to create a creamy sauce, then add it to the pan with everything but the guanciale. 8. Toss the entire mixture to combine everything, remove from heat and stir in the crispy guanciale. . I like to top mine with some extra grated cheese.  Enjoy! . . . . . . . . #italiantexan #theitaliantexan #italian #sauce #allamatriciana #amatriciana #pepper #blackpepper #guanciale #pancetta #bacon #italianfood #pasta #lunch #texaslife #sanmarzanotomatoes #pecorin

Happy Sunday y’all… . . . . . . . #theitaliantexan #italiantexan #texaslife #texas #steak #beef #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #dinner #biggreenegg #bgenation #outdoorcooking #chicken

I don’t know what you guys eat for breakfast, but every once in a while we enjoy a good frittata.  Made this one and wanted to share.  Now you can do this more than one way, so if you don’t have a dedicated frittata pan, there are other ways, like finishing it in the oven! Check it out and let me know what you think. Here’s what you need:                 There aren’t a lot of rules to frittatas, not surprisingly, it’s mostly just about what your personal preferences are, but for the sake of an ingredients list, here’s what I used: * Sliced mushrooms * Cherry tomatoes, cut in half * Chopped baby spinach * Hot Italian sausage, casings removed * 4 large eggs * About 1.5 Tbsp of Milk * Salt & Pepper to taste * 2+ oz Shredded cheese – I used Caldera Espana, a smoked cheese from @riverwheycheese you should check out * 1 Tbsp olive oil Here’s what you do: 1. Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet and set aside. 2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and scramble with the milk plus salt & pepper. 3. Heat up your frittata pan, top AND bottom, as once you flip your frittata you don’t want to be flipping it into a cold pan. 4. Add the olive oil to your larger bottom pan (for this cook I used an 8” frittata pan, so this recipe is based on that) 5. Once the olive oil is heated, add the mushrooms and spinach, then add the cherry tomatoes 6. As the tomatoes and mushrooms soften up, add the cooked sausage and toss the mixture. 7. Pour the scrambled eggs over the meat and vegetables, stir together quickly and then let it sit and cook for about 2-3 minutes until it starts to set. 8. Add the cheese on top, but do not mix it in.  Install the heated top pan over top of the bottom, and once tightly in place, quickly flip the entire frittata so that its now cooking in the top pan. 9. Let it cook for about 3 more minutes, then flip back over and remove the top pan/lid.  Your frittata should be ready! . . . . . . . . #italiantexan #theitaliantexan #italian #bre

When your mom requests lasagna for Mother’s Day… . . . . . . . #italiantexan #theitaliantexan #italian #sauce #meatsauce #lasagna #homecooking #italiancooking #mozzarella #cheese #bechamel #txhillcountryoliveoil #sausage #italianfood #pasta #lunch #texaslife #redsauce #mothersday