Tex-Mex Chops

4 boneless loin chops (1 pound)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups bottled chunky salsa
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Brown chops on
one side, about 2 minutes.
Turn chops.
Add salsa, chiles and cumin
to skillet.
Lower heat.
Cover and barely simmer for 8 minutes.
Uncover.

Top each chop with 1 tablespoon cheese.
Cover and simmer an
additional minute, until cheese melts.
Serve immediately.

Grilled Texas 1011 Meat Kabobs

Marinade
1/4 cup diced Texas 1011 onions
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Kabobs
1 pound beef, chicken or shrimp
3 medium Texas 1011 onions, quartered
1 zucchini squash, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 medium green or red bell peppers, cut into pieces
6 cherry tomatoes

Make marinade: Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl, reserve
some for basting in a smaller bowl.

Prepare kabobs: Slice beef or chicken into bite-size pieces.
If
using shrimp, peel, leaving tails intact.
Place beef, chicken or
shrimp in large bowl of marinade and refrigerate for 2 to 4
hours.

Remove beef, chicken or shrimp from marinade.
Place all
vegetables and meat on skewers, alternating colors.
Grill beef for
12 to 15 minutes, chicken for 15 to 20 minutes and shrimp for 6 to
8 minutes.
Turn and baste kabobs frequently with reserve
marinade.

Serve on a bed of rice.

Hot Dr.
PepperÂ

The Dr.
Pepper Museum is located in Waco, Texas.

12 ounces Dr.
PepperÂ
2 lemon slices

Pour the Dr.
Pepper into a saucepan.
Heat until it
is hot and bubbly, at exactly 170 degrees F.

Place a lemon slice in the bottom of each of two mugs.
Pour the
Dr.
Pepper into the mugs, then serve immediately.

Lone Star Rice

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup tomatoes with green chiles
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups water
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In a skillet saute onion and green pepper in oil for about 2
minutes.
Add rice and stir until coated with oil.
Add tomatoes,
turmeric, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and water; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer covered about 20 minutes or until liquid is
absorbed.
Add cilantro if desired.

Yield: 6 servings.

Tex-Mex Chunky Rice

1 (6 ounce) package Spanish rice mix
2 3/4 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can dark kidney beans
1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes, undrained
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Shredded Cheddar cheese, for topping
Sour cream, for topping

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine rice mix, water, beans, tomatoes,
bell pepper, onion and seasonings.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or
until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring
occasionally.

Top each serving with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Serves 4.

Tex-Mex Fajitas

Fajitas are pure Tex-Mex food.
They originated along the Rio
Grande River on the Texas-Mexico border and were eaten by cattle
wranglers.
The skirt steak is the traditional cut used and was
reserved primarily for the chief cowboy.
Other cuts of beef can be
substituted, such as flank steak or sirloin, but the skirt is by
far the most tender, flavorful and authentic.

You’ll find no cast iron griddle with the sizzling bell peppers
and onions in this recipe.
This was developed mainly by chain
restaurants and is in no way a part of true Tex-Mex fajitas.
You
can add them if you wish.
This recipe is authentic.

2 pounds beef skirt steak
1/2 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons powdered red chiles
3 pickled jalapenos, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons jalapeno pickling liquid *
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional - if grilling on cast iron or under
the broiler)
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (optional - if grilling on cast iron or
under the broiler)

* This is the liquid used to pickle and flavor the jalapenos.
It
is basically white vinegar with added spices, and there is always
ample liquid in the jar or can to use in this recipe, without
leaving the remaining jalapenos dry.

Place half of the onions in the bottom of a nonreactive
dish.

Mix the cumin, powdered red chiles, chopped jalapenos and garlic
together in a small bowl, then rub on all sides of the meat.
Put
the skirt steak into the dish on top of the onions.
Pour the lime
juice and the jalapeno liquid over all areas to coat.
Sprinkle the
remaining onions on top of the meat.
Cover and refrigerate at least
1 hour, but preferably overnight, turning once.

Preheat the grill or broiler until hot.
Fajitas need to cook
close to a very high heat source, in order to sear the outside but
still leave the interior medium rare.

Mix together the oil and, if you are using them, the soy sauce
and Liquid Smoke.
Brush or spoon the oil mixture onto the meat
surfaces.
Grill or broil about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or
until the outside is brown and slightly charred, and the inside is
still slightly pink. Remove the meat to a cutting board.
Let
sit 5 minutes before slicing to rest.

Cut the meat into thin strips that can be easily rolled into
tortillas.

Serve with warm, soft flour tortillas and fresh pico de gallo or
salsa fresca.

NOTES: Only use the soy sauce and Liquid Smoke if you are
cooking on the stovetop with cast iron or under the broiler.
The
soy sauce helps brown the steak, and the Liquid Smoke gives the
fajitas that grilled flavor.

Be sure to use chile powder, not chili powder.
Chili powder is a
mixture of spices, and chile powder is pure ground chile.