Pizza Soup

You've heard of Taco Soup, that deconstructed hot mess of salsaliciousness where no spoon is needed as long as you have plenty of tortilla chips.  Meet Taco Soup's Italian cousin - Pizza Soup.  It is molto bene.

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely diced, divided
1 quart of canned Roma tomatoes, including canning liquid
1 can diced tomatoes, including liquid
4 cups tomato juice or V8 juice
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
7 oz. sliced pepperoni
10 oz. finely grated Parmesan, Parmagiono-Regiano or Asiago cheese
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. fennel seed
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
8-10 leaves of fresh basil, chopped (chiffonade)

1 loaf of good Italian bread or French bread

The Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a medium to large stock pot over medium heat and add onions and peppers.  Saute for 3-4 minutes and add 3 cloves of garlic.  Saute for 1 more minute, then add tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken stock and lemon juice.

Add pepperoni to a frying pan and fry over medium heat until pepperoni gets crispy and much of the fat is rendered off then remove pepperoni from pan and set aside.

Add Italian seasoning and about half of the grated cheese to the soup, along with about 1/3 of the pepperoni.  Stir to combine and let soup simmer over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes.

While the soup simmers, slice bread (bias cut) in 3/4 inch slices and brush 1 side with olive oil and place oiled side down on a large jelly roll pan.  Combine remaining clove of finely diced garlic with 1 tsp. sea salt, 3 Tbsp. of olive oil spread on top of each slice of bread.  Sprinkle a small amount of grated cheese on each piece.  Place bread in the oven to toast for 8-10 minutes, them remove from oven.  Chop or crumble remaining pepperoni and set aside for garnish.  Salt and pepper soup to taste, remove from heat and serve.  Top each bowl with some of the remaining pepperoni, cheese and basil.  Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.  Serve with bread.

Food for Thought.
Instead of fresh basil, you could whip up a nice pesto and just drizzle it over the soup.  If you don't know how to make a simple traditional pesto, it is easy enough to find out how online.  For acceptable results without the bit of extra work, a good store bought pesto can be a good alternative (I like the Classico Fresh Basil Pesto).

Of course, this recipe is just for the pepperoni version of Pizza Soup and as we all know, pizzas can include whatever we want so if you want a meat lovers, something more exotic like Feta with sundried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts or anything else that sounds good to you, go for it.  Just throw it in.  If you like taco pizza, you could even do a taco pizza soup.  Well - maybe not.  As always, ingredients are only part of the equation.  Technique is needed to for proper execution.  Having lived in the East for several years, I know how difficult it can be to make a truly killer New York style pizza crust here in the West where the water and the altitude can make ideal results elusive at best.  Fortunately, soup can be more forgiving.  Buon  Appetito!

Chessy Onion Quiche

This recipe was a game changer.  I first had this when a great neighbor and fellow foodie brought some over.  The next week, I went out and bought the book he got the recipe from; Weber's Big Book of Grilling by Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae.  Not only could I make my own quiche now (it is the kind of recipe you get very specific and urgent cravings for), but many of the other recipes in it lead to a great kitchen evolution, especially as far as my spice cupboard was concerned.  A game changer!

Ingredients
For the Sauce
1 large red bell pepper
1/4 c. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. crushed walnuts
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

For the Filling
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into four pieces
1 c. finely chopped red onion
3 large eggs
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. grated Jarlsberg, Swiss or Gruyere cheese
3 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 uncooked piecrust (9 inches)

The Method
Grill the bell pepper over direct medium heat until the skin is evenly charred on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove the pepper from the grill and place in a paper bag; close tightly.  Let stand 10 to 15 minutes to steam off the skin.  Cut off the top and remove the seeds.  Coarsely chop the pepper and put in a food processor.  Add the remaining sauce ingredients and process until smooth.  Pour into a small serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a medium saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.  Transfer to a medium bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.  In a small bowl whisk the eggs and cream together and add to the butter-onion mixture.  Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

Line a 9-inch metal pie tin with crust.  Pour the filling into the curst.  Grill over Direct Medium heat until the edges of the curst and the filling begin to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes, then continue cooking over Direct Low heat until the filling is no longer wet in the center, about 15 minutes more.  Remove from the grill and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.  Serve with the sauce.

Food for Thought
As expected, a grilling cook book actually directs you to prepare this on the grill.  Once you shut the lid, isn't a grill basically an oven.  Ideally, you have a built-in thermostat on your grill, then you can really do anything on it you could do in your oven.  I won't discuss direct and indirect heat here but give me a call or post an inquiry if you must know more.  I often do this just in the oven.  350 for 35 minutes +/- 5 does the trick, although I will usually jump start my piecrusts baking for 7-8 minutes sans filling first so that I don't end up with an undercooked pie crust, which can sometimes happen when dealing with a lot of wet ingredients in the filling, as in this recipe, or with other fillings like custards, fruit mixtures, etc.  Unless I'm doing a homemade apple pie, store bought piecrust works great for me (we like Marie Callendar's and Pilsbury).  This sauce if ridiculously good and could actually be eaten on a wide variety of savory concoctions.  Have fun with the leftovers (if you have any). 

Super Bowl of Chili

We made this for Super Bowl Sunday last year. It was awesome. I didn’t have a dog in that fight, so we didn’t miss not tuning in and the game turned out to be just an excuse to fix some great game-day food. Though we still will be spending our day doing other things to the neglect of SB XLV, this year is a different story. I’ll simply suggest that you should go with some good Wisconsin Cheddar when making your ingredient selection for this Lombardelicious game-day dish. Don’t call me to tell me how much you enjoyed the dish or the game until Monday morning!


Ingredients
½ lb. dry pinto beans
½ lb. dry small red beans
3-4 dried California chiles
8-10 dried small red peppers such as Chile Japones or Chile de Arbol peppers
2 Tbsp. beef base
8 c. water

¾ lb. ground beef or turkey
1 tsp. canola oil (if using turkey)
1 medium yellow onion – finely diced
¼ c. masa de harina (corn flour)
½ c. water

1 8 oz. jar of medium salsa
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
¼ c. barbecue sauce
3 Tbsp. prepared chili powder
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
½ Tbsp. smoked paprika
½ Tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
8 oz. cheddar or pepper-jack cheese
Sour cream

The Method
Place water, beef base, dried beans and chilies in pressure cooker and cook according to your devices instructions for dry beans.

Add onions and ground beef or turkey to frying pan over medium heat and cook until meat is lightly browned. If using ground beef, remove excess fat. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix masa powder with ½ c. water prior to adding to cooker.

After beans and chiles have finished cooking, add in meat, onions, masa mixture, salsa, tomato paste, barbecue sauce, chili powder, garlic, salt, paprika pepper and cinnamon to cooker. Allow all ingredients to simmer together for an additional ½ hour, stirring occasionally. Serve and top with cheese and sour cream. Try not to eat too much.

Food for Thought
While this chili would not likely win any awards at the state fair or any chili cook-offs in the South due to the presence of the beans, which some chili purists feel don't belong in a serious chili, I was raised in a home where good beans were appreciated as a unique ingredient and not simply looked upon as a filler. And while it took me a while to acquire the taste for them, I definitely appreciate them now. As for the cinnamon, this is one ingredient you must not mistreat, either by omission or by using too liberally. But in the right amount, it adds something truly special to the gustatory landscape.

Recommended Sides: Cornbread or Tortilla Chips.

Pork Loin Chops with Pan Sauce

Pork makes a great blank canvas.  This recipe is a great way to color it tasty.


Ingredients
For the chops
8-10 boneless thin cut top pork loin chops
2-4 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce 

For the rub
3 Tbsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried rosemary or (2 tsp. fresh rosemary finely chopped)
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. fresh ground mixed peppercorns
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

For the pan sauce
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. milk
Juice of 1 large orange
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. coarse ground mustard
1 tsp. chicken base
Additional black pepper to taste


The Method
Mix salt, pepper, rosemary, granulated garlic, mixed peppercorns, lemon pepper, cayenne and paprika in a small bowl.  Apply mixture liberally to top of each chop.  In a large stainless steel frying pan, heat 2 Tbsp. canola oil over medium heat.  Place up to 4 chops at a time into pan with rub side down and season other side of each chop.  Add Worcestershire and soy sauce to pan.  Fry for 3 minutes or until nicely browned then flip each chop and fry additional 3 minutes or until browned.  Remove chops from pan and place each chop in a small pan lined with foil.  Add additional canola oil if needed and repeat until remainder of chops are finished.  Close foil over chops and place into 350-degree oven for 5-6 minutes. 


While pan is still hot, remove from heat and add water to deglaze the pan.  After allowing pan to cool briefly, add milk, orange juice, lemon juice, minced garlic, mustard and chicken base.  Whisk over medium heat.  then reduce to low heat.    


After 5-6 minutes, remove chops from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Remove chops from foil and plate.  Add additional juices from foil to pan sauce and stir briefly.  Additional black pepper may be added if desired.    


Serve chops with your choice of rice and drizzle pan sauce over chops and rice.  


Recommended sides:
Sauteed asparagus or steamed broccoli 


Food For Thought
A pan sauce like this is less viscous, less opaque and more concentrated than your garden variety gravy, which you could make from here by combining your sauce elements with additonal fats and starches.  Gravy certainly has a place on the table but sometimes you just want something that feels like it's not so bad for you.  This type of pan sauce may not pair as well with potatoes but is excellent over any type of rice or vegetable.


When frying or grilling meat, the real magic occurs when the meat begins to brown.  When amino acids undergo certain reactions, in the presence of reducing sugars, we get a range of golden brown chemical products which give cooked meats their delicious flavor.  These non-enzymatic reactions are called the Maillard reactions for the early 20th century French scientist Louis Camille Maillard, who first described these reactions while studying protein synthesis.  After your meat is finished, all of the bits of this and bits of that, along with the residual fat you started with, as well as those generated by the cooking process, and anything else you've added, are culinary magic waiting to happen.  Add some liquid to deglaze the pan, whisk it to loosen everything on the bottom of your pan, season to taste and you've got your self a very savory, sophisticated and delicious pan sauce.     


   

Fiesta Soup

Need a reason to celebrate or do something special?  Make this soup - it is worth celebrating.  We call it something different at our house and you'll just have to trust me when I say that you just wouldn't get it.  To call it taco soup gives you some idea of what it is but is altogether too pedestrian and just doesn't do it justice.  If, however, I said the best +*^&^%$#@!."/_=@#$%^?!! taco soup you've every had, then you'd start to get it. 


The list of ingredients looks long (like an Emeril recipe) but wait!  Before you switch off, look at the method; super easy! And besides, it is so delicious.  You really won't believe that something so easy could be so good.   


Ingredients
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 15 oz. can chili con carne
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 16 oz. jar salsa (your preference but we like La Victoria)
1 10 oz. can tomato juice
1 c. water
1 Tbsp. minced garlic2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika


For Garnish
6 oz. cheddar or pepperjack cheese, shredded
1-2 small-medium limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 small container sour cream
1 bag yellow corn tortilla chips


The Method
Add oil to large stock pot over medium heat and add onion, corn and a pinch of salt.  Saute for 4-6 minutes.  Add ground beef or turkey, scramble and cook until evenly browned.  Add chili, black beans, salsa, soup, water, garlic, lemon juice, lime juice and seasonings and stir to combine.  Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and dish into bowls. 


Garnish with cheese, sour cream, cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  You may also want to break up a few chips as an additonal garnish but we recommend using the chips as an edible utensil for scooping up the stuff.   

 Food for Thought
If you want to jazz up your chips a bit, don't forget this easy idea.  Also, you may have noticed that in this and in other recipes, I recommend ground beef or ground turkey.  Ground turkey may sound weird to some and that's OK.  Ground beef is still our friend and, in many cases, cannot be substituted.  However, in dishes like this, I find that the ground turkey works great.  The texture is usually better than ground beef, which can sometimes be a bit rubbery.  I will be the first to admit that, on it's own, it is not the most delicious product around.  In fact, it is a bit flat and boring.  The great thing though is, because it doesn't have a great deal of inherent flavor, it responds well to whatever you season it with.  It tastes like you want it to taste based on how you treat it, thus it is a great culinary canvas on which you can create something wonderful - like the best taco - I mean fiesta soup you've ever had.  Serves 8-10.   

Y'all Come Back Now! Ya Hea?

Sometimes it seems that we don't get out  much (hello - blogging about food here - that fact should be self -evident).  Sometimes, however, we have more on our plate, socially speaking, than we feel like we can handle.  Yet if the company is good, it is permissible to have a little extra at times.  It has been observed that you can get too much of a good thing.  As far as good food and good friends go, it may, in fact, take us a while because we love both. 

H and I have, after leaving our last neighborhood filled with some very interesting and talented foodies whom we still miss, found kindred spirits in our present location and have had the pleasure of a couple of great dinner parties within the past few weeks.  Each one was excellent in it's own way owing to variations in the company and the menus.  One was couples only while the other included our children.  One was more formal while the other was a bit more casual.  One took place on a night when there was really nothing going on and one was, by way of either coincidence or by good planning, part of a Fourth of July celebration.  One was a combination of unplanned but surprisingly harmonious dishes and the other was totally planned out with a regional theme and menu.  As I said, each one was excellent.  Even so, slight edge, based solely on my love for food of the American South, to tonight's July 4 menu.

- Buttermilk fried chicken
- Baked beans
- Collard greens
- Fried zucchini
- Watermelon
- Biscuits with berries and cream 
- Peach pie
- Mint and lime slushees

So )(*&*&^*^%*(&)(*&++%$#@!!#&*( good!  See links below for the best fried zucchini you've ever had and an excellent fried chicken recipe:

Neely's Fried Zucchini

Buttermilk Fried Chicken


Food for Thought
I haven't made the spicy dipping sauce included with the fried zucchini recipe but I'm sure it's great.  I have tried just good old Ranch dressing - super good.

My variation on the fried chicken was to use Panko breadcrumbs for the final coat on the double-dipped chicken.  I also recommend just an extra pinch of salt.  Also, because this chicken had to travel, I used Crisco.  I usually choose a healthier option such as canola oil - but one must ask - "If I am eating fried chicken, how health conscious am I?"  But seriously, if you know how to fry food at the right temperature and for the right amount of time, the amount of residual fat you consume is sometimes worth the difference in taste.  Anyway, back to the Crisco - if you are making picnic fried chicken, if it has to travel or be made ahead of time, or if you just like leftovers and like it cold, I definitely recommend Crisco.  Otherwise, from fryer to table - canola oil is fine.

Rotini with Red Pepper Ragu

No this is not something that you can pick up at the store next to the Prego.  Ragu, more than just a brand name, actually refers to an hearty Italian meat sauce that comes from northern Italy's Bologna region. 

My first memorable exprerience with roasted red peppers came when a friend and fellow foody brought me a wedge of great quiche with the most awesome romesco ever.  I have been a fool for red peppers ever since and they were my muse for this creation.  The roasted red peppers make the sauce earthy and delicious.  This is high-octane Italian flavor.  A Maserati for your mouth.  A Ferrari for your fork.  A Fiat for . . . just kidding. No Fiat comparison here.  This is good stuff.    

Ingredients
2 medium-large red bell peppers
1 quart canned tomatoes
1 lb. turkey burger, ground beef or Italian sausage (your preference).
5 cloves garlic, divided
¼ tsp. cayenne
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
4 oz. Parmesan cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil
5-6 leaves of fresh sweet basil


The Method
Roast peppers over direct high heat on a grill or over a gas burner until skin is charred. Remove from heat and place in paper bag for 10 minutes. Remove from bag and scrape off skin. Cut each pepper into halves and remove the pith and seeds. After draining the tomatoes, add to food processor with peppers, 3 cloves of garlic, and lemon juice and process for 30 seconds.


Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to large saucepan over medium heat. Add meat and cook until lightly browned. Finely mince two remaining cloves of garlic and add to pan and continue to cook for one additional minute. If using ground beef or sausage, drain excess fat from pan prior to adding vegetable mixture. Add sauce and reduce heat to low. While sauce simmers, add cayenne, 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. of black pepper.


In a medium sized stockpot, bring water to boil over high heat and add 1 tsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. salt. Add rotini noodles and reduce to medium-high heat, maintaining boil for 3-5 minutes.


When noodles are done (but not mushy), remove from heat and drain into colander. Rinse briefly with cold water.

Grate Parmesan.  Tightly roll basil leaves together and chop into ribbons.    Plate noodles and top with a healthy dose of sauce. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan and basil. Salt and pepper to taste and try not to be too sad that you didn’t make more. Serves 4-6.


Food for Thought
You could finish an old boot or a can of Spaghetti-Os (please wait until the present food-safety issues and recall hoopla have been settled – if you buy them again at all!) with olive oil, fresh Parmesan and fresh basil and it would taste great. So put it on good food and Wowza!


A brief cold-water rinse in a colander helps to arrest the cooking process in your noodles without chilling them out too much. There are few things less appetizing than overcooked pasta – oil, cheese and herb garnish notwithstanding.

Can't Believe it's Not Kabobs

Love kabobs but hate the assembly?  This is the dish for you.  So good and perfect for Summertime. 

Ingredients
1 lb. package of your favorite polish sausage or poslka kilbasa
1 lb. fresh or fully thawed chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breast
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large yellow onion
1 can large whole pitted black olives
1 can pineapple chunks
3/4 c. of your favorite barbecue sauce
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

The Method
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. 

Slice sausage into 3/4-inch medallions and chicken into 2-3 inch pieces.  Chop peppers and onion into 2 inch pieces.  Drain pineapple and olives completely.  Add barbecue sauce, lemon juice and canola oil in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.  Add peppers, onion, pineapple and olives to sauce mixture and toss until all produce is covered.  Remove produce from mixing bowl and add to perforated grill pan and grill over direct medium-high heat until lightly carmelized.  Add chicken and sausage to mixing bowl and toss to coat in remaining sauce mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Grill sausage and chicken over direct medium heat for 5-6 minutes.  Add meat and produce to large serving bowl and dig in.

Food for Thought
All grills have hot spots and cooler areas.  Move meat around and remove from grill piece by piece when done.  If you like mushrooms, they would be great to add to your batch of veggies about halfway through grilling.

Caesar Salad

H said this was the best Caesar Salad she'd ever had.

Ingredients:

6 chicken tenders, fresh or thawed

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 head Romaine lettuce

1/4 c. good quality store-bought Caesar-salad dressing

1/4 c. good quality store-bought mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/4 c. croutons, coarsely crushed

2 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated or chopped

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

The Method

Place chicken tenders in a medium sized mixing bowl and add lemon juice, olive oil, Kosher salt and black pepper and toss until evenly coated. Grill over medium direct heat for 3-4 minutes per side, remove from heat and set aside.

Mix salad-dressing, mayo, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire, garlic along with half of Parmesan cheese and whisk together. 


Cut lettuce in half along the center rib.  Top each half with three 3 pieces of chicken, remaining Parmesan, croutons and drizzle with dressing.  Salt and pepper to taste. 


Food for Thought
There are many great recipes you can find online or in print if you want to make your own Caesar's dressing.  I find that this yields excellent results with less labor.  When choosing Romaine (as with practically all other produce) avoid produce that appears discolored or wilted.  One additional consideration with Romaine is that the presence of strong, milky ribs should be avoided also, since this feature which commonly occurs in older produce will give the lettuce an unpleasant bitterness that exceeds the pleasantly herbacious bitterness of good Romaine, a quality which, in small doses as found in fresh heads, makes Romaine go so well with funky cheeses and other strong flavors. 

Pasta con Sugo Rosa

I'm not sure where this recipe originated.  I do know that our introduction to the dish came by way of a great friend and epicure of ours over a decade ago.  It has, with a minor tweak or two, been a family favorite ever since.  Once you get a taste for the zippy savory sauciness and see how easy it is to make, it will be one of your favorites too. 

Ingredients
1/2 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 qt. home-canned tomatoes canned with lemon juice
10-12 white button mushrooms, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pint. heavy cream
16 oz. rotini noodles
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
The Method
In a deep 10-12 inch skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and ground beef or turkey burger and cook until lightly browned.  Add garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes along with canning liquid and reduce heat to medium-low.  If using store bought tomatoes, add 1/4 c. lemon juice.  Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes.  In separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook rotini noodles to desired texture, remove from heat and drain.  Remove sauce mixture from heat, add cream and stir to combine.  Dish noodles into bowls and top with sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.         


Food for Thought 
Adding the cream should only be done at the end as adding dairy to an acidic compound over high heat could cause the cream to become granular or curdle.  

When buying mushrooms, avoid pre-sliced.  Pre-packaged whole mushrooms are permissible but can be a bit of a gamble.  I prefer to purchase the desired amount of loose bulk mushrooms taking care to select produce with closed gills and which are free of discoloration. Prior to slicing, a quick rinse or even a short soak in cold water is permissible - just don't allow them to soak for too long. Dry mushrooms with paper towel, brushing off any debris or unsavory residue. 

And, by the way, sugo is Italian for sauce and rosa for pink, hence the name - pasta with pink sauce, due to the unique color of the sauce after the cream is added. 

Porky Legs

Also known as Bacon-Wrapped Drumsticks. 

Ingredients:
10-12 chicken legs, thawed
1 lb. bacon
Salt and Flattery Spicey Chicken Rub


For the Rub:
1 tsp. granulated onion
1 tsp. granulated or minced onion
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper


Method:
Apply rub to thawed chicken legs. Be sure to apply rub under the skin as well as on the surface.


Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each leg.


Grill the chicken legs over direct medium heat (350 degrees) until internal temperature in thickest part of the leg reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit or until juices run clear and bacon is brown and crispy (about 25-35 minutes) making sure to turn legs occasionally to ensure even cooking.


Food For Thought:
1. If you don't have a meat thermometer, get one. Why a meat thermometer? Because they:
- are inexpensive to purchase
- are easy to use and maintain
- decrease your risk of food borne illness from eating undercooked meat
- decrease your risk of ending up with tough, dry, overcooked meat
- take away the guesswork that can occur with large cuts of meat or on grills where cook temperatures and times can vary considerably depending on type of fuel, grill design and construction or environmental conditions such as wind, sun and outside temperature


2. Applying a rub under the skin as well as on the surface makes bone-in/skin-on chicken super succulent.


3. Enjoy! Just don't eat too many. Remember, Porky Legs are great to eat but not great to have on your bod.