Red Eye Recipes

RED EYE BENEDICT

Steps:

• For the pork: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pull the pork loin out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, coffee, salt, paprika and cinnamon. Season the pork well with the mixture, rubbing it in on all sides.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and heat an additional 30 seconds. Add the pork and sear on all sides until deep golden brown, about 6 minutes. Remove the pork to a rimmed baking sheet, transfer to the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 40 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
• For the benedict: Meanwhile, add the bacon to the skillet that the pork was cooked in and cook over medium heat until the bacon is crispy and the fat is rendered, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the flour until smooth and cook for a minute. Slowly add the coffee and chicken broth, whisking constantly so that no lumps form. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk in the salt and 2 tablespoons of the butter to emulsify. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet. Break 2 eggs into the skillet and cook until the whites are just set, about 4 minutes. To assist in setting the whites, spoon some of the melted butter over the whites, avoiding the yolk so it stays runny. Remove to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and continue with the remaining butter and eggs.
• To assemble, place 1/4 cup arugula on each English muffin half. Thinly slice the pork and place 1 to 2 pieces on each muffin half. Spoon some of the gravy over the pork and top each muffin half with a fried egg. Serve warm.

RED EYE CHILI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large Dutch oven or chili pot over medium-high heat, add the coppa and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the coppa with a slotted spoon and reserve for later use. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, a turn of the pot. Pat the ground meat with paper towels to dry. When the oil smokes, add the beef and sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper. Brown to caramelize the sugars in the meat. Then add the coriander, chili powder, cumin, allspice and cinnamon. Stir a minute, then add the garlic and onions, and cook 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir a minute more. Add the beef stock, coffee, wine, ham and beans, if using. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook to thicken and combine flavors, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and store for make-ahead meal.
• While the chili cooks, make the tortilla strips. Cut the tortillas in half and then into thin strips, 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Spray lightly with the nonstick cooking spray, then season with salt, and sprinkle with some coriander and cumin. Arrange on baking sheets in a single layer and bake until crisp. Store wrapped in a foil pouch.
• To serve, reheat over medium heat and top the hot chili with a few tortilla strips, cheese, onions and hot peppers.

RED EYE GRAVY

Steps:

• Dissolve ham stock and coffee granules in water in a large mixing bowl to create a stock.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add flour. Cook butter and flour, stirring constantly, until brown, to create a roux, about 5 minutes. Add gravy stock mixture 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until it resembles the consistency of a gravy, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with black pepper. Remove from heat. Serve warm with meal of choice.

RED EYE (RED BEER)

Steps:

• Pour tomato juice followed by beer in a chilled mug.
• Throw in a pinch of salt and a twist of lime (if using).
• Garnish with olives and serve.

DROP BISCUITS AND VEGETARIAN RED EYE GRAVY

Steps:

• Make the gravy. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium flame. Add diced mushrooms and toss to coat with butter. Add fennel seeds, thyme and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper, being generous with the pepper. Toss to combine and cook mushrooms, stirring frequently, until browned, tender and slightly cooked down in volume, about 5 minutes. Add coffee and cook until almost evaporated, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer mushroom mixture to bowl and set aside. Do NOT wipe skillet. Melt remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter in skillet and sprinkle in flour. Cook, whisking continuously, until flour and butter combine and flour browns slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in milk and bring to a boil. Return mushrooms to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and cook until gravy thickens, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes. A skin will occasionally form on the top of the gravy as it thickens; just stir it back into the gravy. Taste and adjust seasonings. You want the gravy on the salty side and with plenty of pepper, so don't skimp here. When biscuits are ready, split one (or more) open on each plate and spoon gravy over.
• Make the biscuits. Preheat oven to 475ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or else lightly grease a baking sheet). Melt butter in a small saucepan, then transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly. Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Pour chilled buttermilk into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add melted butter and stir until clumps form. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture with a rubber spatula just until the ingredients are incorporated. At first, it may seem as if you need more liquid. You don't. Just keep scraping the bottom of the bowl until you've worked all the flour into the dough.
• Using a greased 1/3-cup measure, scoop mounds of dough and drop them onto baking sheet, spacing about 1-1/2 inches apart. Press on them with your fingers to slightly flatten and form into a biscuit shape. Bake biscuits until the tops are golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes.

RED-EYE GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat grease, add flour and sugar until dissolved and incorporated with ham grease. Add water, coffee and bullion cube, stir until gravy is well blended. Turn down heat and cook for 1 minute, add butter and cook for 1 minute longer. Serve immediately with hot biscuits or grits.