Natchitoches Meat Pies with Black Pepper Buttermilk Dipping Sauce

Meat Pies

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons diced onion
  • 2 tablespoons diced celery
  • 2 tablespoons diced bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 8 ounces ground beef
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 16 each empanada wrappers
  • peanut oil, for frying
Procedure

In a large sauté pan over low heat, sweat the vegetables together in olive oil and, when translucent, add garlic. Cook another 3 minutes and add the meat. Add the meat and continue to cook until the meat is browned. Drain the excess fat and cool on a sheet tray.

Lay out the wrappers and cut each into a square. Fill each wrapper with about 1 ounce of filling. Fold the wrapper over the filling into a triangle, sealing the edges with a little water. Fork the edges to finish the seal and provide decoration.

Heat oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit in your fryer. Deep fry the empanadas for about 4 minutes until golden brown and serve.

Carefully remove from oil and drain on paper-towel lined plate. Serve hot with black pepper buttermilk dipping sauce (below).

Black Pepper Buttermilk Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • .5 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (garlic powder)
  • 1 teaspoon crackled black pepper
  • salt, to taste
Procedure

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until smooth and season to taste.

Deep Fried Pickles with Creole Mustard Rémoulade

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon chopped celery
  • 1 teaspoon chopped green onions
  • 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Spanish onion
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons tomato purée
  • 3 tablespoons creole mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 cup corn flour
  • 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
  • 4 each whole dill pickles
  • 1 cup Egg Beaters
  • 2 quarts peanut oil, for frying
Procedure

In a food processor, pulse the celery, green onions, parsley, and onions. Add ketchup, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, horseradish, oil, tomato puree, creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika to the food processor and mix until combined. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use (sauce can be made 1 day in advance and tastes better when made in advance).

In a small bowl, combine corn flour and creole seasoning. Set aside. Slice the pickles very thin, one-sixteenth inch chips. Dredge the pickle chips in Egg Beaters and then coat with corn flour-creole seasoning mixture. Deep fry at 375 degrees Fahrenheit in 2 quarts of peanut oil or other frying oil. Fry the pickles until crisp, about 3-6 minutes. Remove from oil, drain on paper-towel lined plate, and serve.

Pecan Tart with Bourbon Chocolate Ice Cream and Salted Caramel

yields 15 4-inch tarts

Tart Dough

Ingredients
  • 11 ounces butter, softened
  • 7.5 ounces powdered sugar, sifted
  • .25 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 each large eggs
  • 3 ounces almond flour
  • .25 tablespoon salt
  • 1 pound 3 ounces all-purpose flour, sifted
Procedure

Using a paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and extract together in mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Add remaining dry ingredients all at once and mix until dough forms, being careful not to overmix. Wrap dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

Roll out chilled dough to .25-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cutter, cut out all dough that is needed. Roll out each individual circle a little bit thinner and mold into the tart shells. Chill prepared tart shells for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator to prevent shrinking.

Par-bake shells in a 325-degree oven for approximately 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Tart Filling

Ingredients
  • 7.25 ounces butter
  • 12 ounces light corn syrup
  • 10.75 ounces light brown sugar
  • 8.5 ounces heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • .5 tablespoon salt
  • 15 each egg yolks
Procedure

Combine butter, syrup, sugar, and cream in medium saucepot and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and temper into yolks. Add salt and extract and combine. Strain through fine chinois and chill.

Salted Caramel

Ingredients
  • 36 ounces sugar
  • 2.25 cups heavy cream
  • 3 ounces butter
  • .5 tablespoon salt
Procedure

Caramelize sugar in a saucepan. Remove from heat and slowly add the cream; be careful of potential steam. Stir until the sugar dissolves. It may be necessary to return the mixture to the heat to get all sugar to dissolve. Whisk in butter then add salt. Reserve.

Assembly

Ingredients
  • prepared tart shells (above)
  • 1 recipe prepared filling (above)
  • 3.75 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 recipe salted caramel (above caramel)
Procedure

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Portion 3 tablespoons of pecan pieces in each tart shell and fill with tart filling. Bake tarts in preheated oven until set, approximately 15-20 minutes. Drizzle salted caramel on top of tart or around plate and serve with bourbon chocolate ice cream.