HUDSON SAUCE: STEAK WITH SMOKY PEPPER SAUCE

My friend makes a fabulous steak sauce/marinade called Hudson Sauce.  It is flavorful, thick and perfectly balanced.  It has just the right amount of sweet barbeque flavor with a hint of tartness and smoke.  It can be used to marinate or baste grilled meats, and even as a dipping sauce.  I used it to both marinate and create a savory sauce to complement the steak.  I marinated the meat overnight, which made it super tender.  You can find Hudson's Sauce here #hudsonsauce

I found this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens and used it as a guide. Now, this was an amazing meal the night it was cooked.  But let me tell you, the leftovers we had for lunch the next day were INCREDIBLE.  It sounds crazy, but it's so true.  Next time I make it I might just put it directly in the fridge and wait until the next day! 

The flavors of fresh and jarred peppers meld perfectly together.

The smoky flavor comes from paprika, but if you want it to truly shine, you must use smoked paprika.  I love this stuff.

Simmer the peppers, seasonings and sauce together long enough for the flavors to become best friends.

Let the steak join the party.

We served it over white rice.  You could also serve it over pasta, or forgo the carbs and just dive in.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs angus beef sirloin tip steak
1 bottle Hudson Sauce (you'll use about 12 ounces)
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium green bell pepper
1 jar roasted red peppers, 15 oz
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil
salt, to taste
4 cups cooked rice or pasta

Trim meat and cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch strips.  Place in large ziploc bag with enough sauce to marinate.  Refrigerate and marinate at least 25 minutes, or overnight.  Remove meat from bag and discard marinade.
Cut bell peppers into strips.  Drain the roasted red peppers, reserving liquid.  Slice into strips. 
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon paprika over meat, then add to skillet.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until cooked to medium rare/medium.  Remove meat to plate, cover with foil to keep warm.  In same skillet, add red and green bell peppers.  Cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes, then add roasted red peppers with their liquid.  Add about 1/2 to 1 cup Hudson Sauce.  Add remaining paprika, about half a teaspoon.  Simmer uncovered 5-10 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.  Taste and add needed salt or additional paprika.  Return meat to skillet and heat through.  Serve over rice or pasta.  Makes 4 servings.

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD

Are you trying to eat healthier for the new year?  Are you choking down lots of boring, low calorie canned soups?  Frozen diet meals?  Munching on celery?!  Stop it.  Stop it now.  Eat this salad instead!

It is so simple.  Throw some fresh, boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts in your slow cooker.  Pour on a combination of BBQ sauce, Italian salad dressing, and Worcestershire on top.  Cook.  Shred right there in the crockpot, then stir so it soaks up that delicious sauce.  EAT.  See?  Told you it was easy.  Important note: USE GOOD BBQ SAUCE!  Use your favorite, if you have one.  If you use bargain sauce, you will be able to taste the difference.

For the chicken

When you take the lid off your crockpot, it may look super liquidy!  Have no fear.  Just grab a wooden spoon, tongs or two forks and break that chicken apart.  It'll soak up the sauce in no time.

For the salad

Ingredients

For the chicken:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders/breasts
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

For the salad:
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
BBQ sauce
Ranch
Tomatoes (my tomatoes were past their prime, had to omit)
Corn chips

Place chicken in crockpot.  In small bowl, mix together BBQ sauce, Italian dressing and Worcestershire.  Pour over chicken.  Set crockpot to low for 4 hours.  If chicken is frozen, increase time to at least 6 hours.  Shred chicken in crockpot and mix into sauce.  Serve immediately, or cook on low for another 30 minutes.  Place romaine in giant bowl.  After draining and rinsing corn and beans, toss with romaine.  Top with chicken, ranch and BBQ sauce then mix again.  Add chips last so they don't get soggy.

29 of these yummies only have 150 calories!

PULLED PORK

My other half informed me there was going to be a potluck at his work, and people were being encouraged to bring their meals in crockpots.  Recently at lunch, my coworker brought in leftover pulled pork that looked and smelled AMAZING, so I asked her to email me the recipe.  She insisted it didn't need to be written down because it was so simple.  Put pork in crockpot, pour in root beer, cook forever, shred, add sauce.  Seriously, it's that easy.  I know what you're thinking: root beer?  I'm not a sweets fan and never drink soda, but I promise you won't know there's root beer in this.  You drain it all off at the end.  It's not sweet!

I enjoyed the leftovers on a potato roll with some delicious, creamy coleslaw from the deli at Harris Teeter.  I also added a dash of my latest obsession:

I doubled this recipe and ended up using about 5 lbs of pork tenderloin.  It was on sale at the grocery store, but if it hadn't been, I may have purchased a cheaper cut.  The tenderloin has the least amount of fat, so the time spent searching for fat to be discarded is minimal.  My coworker used the rump roast (and couldn't say the cut of meat without giggling, I might add) and spent a little more time ridding it of the fat, but it was still equally delicious.  Thanks for the recipe, Blair!

Ingredients

2 lb pork tenderloin/roast
12 ounces root beer
1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is so perfect)

Place pork in crockpot and pour on root beer.  Cook on low about 7-8 hours.  Carefully remove pork from crockpot and pour out all the root beer liquid.  Shred pork and discard any fat.  Return shredded meat to crockpot, add desired amount of sauce and cook on low for 1 more hour.  Serve with additional sauce, hot sauce, coleslaw, or whatever your little heart desires.