email this pageManaging the Gage Hotel kitchen proved to be a lesson in ingenuity. "The supply truck only came once a week," says Spears, "so I had to become really resourceful, using as many local ingredients as possible." Today, he operates Grady's, his namesake restaurant in Fort Worth. There he serves T-bone steak smothered in red-chile enchiladas and braised short ribs with green-chile cheese grits, as well as Texas specialties such as smoked cabrito (goat) and quail. To keep in touch with his roots, he often sources ingredients from local ranchers.
"My cuisine is very Texas-driven," he says. "It's got big, bold flavors, yet it's very simple food."
Spears has written several cookbooks, his latest called Cooking the Cowboy Way, to be released this fall. Rather than a chef's toque, he sports a cowboy hat in the kitchen and considers himself a cook, not chef. "I guess I'm still just a cowboy at heart."
Pan del Campo with Cheese and Greens
Mark Boughton Photography; styling by Teresa Blackburn
Printer Friendly Version
Do you like to print recipes and add them to your collection? You're in luck. Use our printer friendly version of this recipe.
“Pan del Campo, the original cowboy or camp flatbread, was cooked during the trail era in a skillet over an open fire.” Spears uses packaged biscuits and tops them with a pesto-like “mash,” cheese and greens for a rich, salad-like appetizer.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Cilantro Nut Mash:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon smooth goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pan del Campo:
1 (16-ounce) can refrigerated biscuits (8-count), “Grand” size
8 bacon slices, cooked until
very crisp, drained and crumbled
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup goat cheese crumbles
2 cups field greens, washed and patted dry
Instructions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon smooth goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pan del Campo:
1 (16-ounce) can refrigerated biscuits (8-count), “Grand” size
8 bacon slices, cooked until
very crisp, drained and crumbled
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup goat cheese crumbles
2 cups field greens, washed and patted dry
1. To prepare Cilantro-Nut Mash, combine cilantro, cheese, pecans and garlic in a food processor. Pulse while gradually adding oil. Add goat cheese and season with salt, processing just until slightly smooth.
2. To prepare Pan Del Campo, preheat oven to 375F.
3. Remove biscuits from can. Cut or pull apart into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 8-inch round on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. (The thinner the rounds, the crisper, lighter and better they’ll be.) Transfer to baking sheets and bake 10 minutes, or until browned. Remove from oven.
4. Increase oven temperature to 400F. Spread each crust with 1 tablespoon Cilantro Nut Mash. Cover evenly with crumbled bacon, tomatoes and cheese. Return to oven 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove and garnish with field greens. Serves 8.
Recipe adapted with permission from Grady Spears and June Naylor's, The Texas Cowboy Kitchen (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2007).
"Home at the Range," July 2009.
Nutritional Information
2. To prepare Pan Del Campo, preheat oven to 375F.
3. Remove biscuits from can. Cut or pull apart into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 8-inch round on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. (The thinner the rounds, the crisper, lighter and better they’ll be.) Transfer to baking sheets and bake 10 minutes, or until browned. Remove from oven.
4. Increase oven temperature to 400F. Spread each crust with 1 tablespoon Cilantro Nut Mash. Cover evenly with crumbled bacon, tomatoes and cheese. Return to oven 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove and garnish with field greens. Serves 8.
Recipe adapted with permission from Grady Spears and June Naylor's, The Texas Cowboy Kitchen (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2007).
"Home at the Range," July 2009.
Per serving: 430 calories, 29g fat, 50mg chol., 18g prot., 24g carbs., 1g fiber, 870mg sodium.
Dr. Pepper-Marinated Steak Tostadas
Mark Boughton Photography; styling by Teresa Blackburn
Printer Friendly Version
Do you like to print recipes and add them to your collection? You're in luck. Use our printer friendly version of this recipe.
"Dr. Pepper—the soft drink originally made in Waco, Texas—is the perfect marinade for steak.”
Ingredients
Ingredients
Meat and marinade:
1 pound skirt or flank steak
1 (16-ounce) bottle Dr. Pepper
Slaw:
1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1/4 cup thinly shredded
green cabbage
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into
thin strips
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 teaspoons malt vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Tostadas:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
11/2 cups shredded caciotta or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
Instructions
1 pound skirt or flank steak
1 (16-ounce) bottle Dr. Pepper
Slaw:
1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1/4 cup thinly shredded
green cabbage
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into
thin strips
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 teaspoons malt vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Tostadas:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
11/2 cups shredded caciotta or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
1. Pour Dr. Pepper over steak. Refrigerate 4 to 12 hours.
2. To prepare slaw, toss cabbage, bell pepper and cilantro together. Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and granulated sugar. Pour over cabbage mixture; toss. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas 8 to 10 seconds on each side. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt; drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Prepare grill. Remove steak from marinade. Combine 1 teaspoon salt, brown sugar and pepper; rub on meat. Grill meat 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
5. To assemble tostadas, preheat oven to 350F. Place tortillas on baking sheets. Sprinkle with cheeses. Slice steak into thin strips. Distribute among tortillas. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove from oven and top each tostada with 2 tablespoons slaw. Serves 4.
Recipe adapted with permission from Grady Spears and June Naylor's, The Texas Cowboy Kitchen (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2007).
"Home at the Range," July 2009.
Nutritional Information
2. To prepare slaw, toss cabbage, bell pepper and cilantro together. Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and granulated sugar. Pour over cabbage mixture; toss. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas 8 to 10 seconds on each side. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt; drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Prepare grill. Remove steak from marinade. Combine 1 teaspoon salt, brown sugar and pepper; rub on meat. Grill meat 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
5. To assemble tostadas, preheat oven to 350F. Place tortillas on baking sheets. Sprinkle with cheeses. Slice steak into thin strips. Distribute among tortillas. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove from oven and top each tostada with 2 tablespoons slaw. Serves 4.
Recipe adapted with permission from Grady Spears and June Naylor's, The Texas Cowboy Kitchen (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2007).
"Home at the Range," July 2009.
Per serving: 610 calories, 33g fat, 90mg chol., 39g prot., 38g carbs., 3g fiber, 1190mg sodium.
Related Stories
If you enjoyed reading this story, Home at the Range, then you might enjoy these other stories.Share This Story With Others:
Discuss this Article
There are no current discussions for this article. Why not be the first?
