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The city of Cleveland lies upon the shores of Lake Erie and is home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Like every other region in the United States, they have their own particular food that rarely exists elsewhere. The area is known for honey, Maple Syrup. Apples, Icewine and Paczki (pronounced POONCH-key), Polish jelly-filled doughnuts, usually served just before Lent. Another favorite is Stadium Mustard, a spicy brown creation intended to keep the icy blast of wind coming off the Lake away.
With that in mind, I intend to introduce a couple of Northeast Ohio recipes and then tie it all together with a third concoction fit for a Cleveland Browns-Denver Broncos game.
This first dish is made with sausage, cheese, and a touch of Worchestershire sauce. They call them Hanky Pankies. I have never heard of them, but it is said that this is popular Cleveland party or tailgating fare.
Hanky Pankies
This will require a 30 minute time investment and makes around six dozen appetizers.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. sausage (spicy, if desired)
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
- Party rye or pumpernickel bread
Preparation:
Brown the meat, breaking up with a fork. Drain the excess fat off. Add the cheese and stir until melted and combined. Add the garlic salt and Worchestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread on bread slices and place on cookie sheets.
Put under the broiler until slightly brown on top and the cheese is bubbly.
Here is another cold weather comestible to cozy up to, using Stadium Mustard.
Bratwurst With Stadium Mustard & Beer
This comes from the Stadium Mustard recipe site, It was created by Michele M. who adds, "Please don't eat and drive with this recipe."
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 yellow onions sliced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 6-pack of 12oz. bottles of good dark beer (I use Newcastle)
- 3 large heaping tablespoons of Stadium Mustard
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 6 bratwurst (I use Johnsonville)
Pop open 1 beer and start drinking it. put onions and garlic into heavy saucepan with butter and cook until onions are soft but not brown.
Pour in 2 bottles of beer, brown sugar and Stadium Mustard. Stir until mustard and sugar dissolve.
Meanwhile pop open beer #4 and start drinking it.
Add brats to sauce and boil gently for 15-20 minutes.
The sauce is thin like a juice, so don't worry. Transfer brats to hot grill and cook until you get those lovely grill marks. By this time pop open beer #5(or 6) and start drinking it.
Once fully browned, transfer brats back to pot with the sauce, or go straight to a bun slathered with more Stadium Mustard and cooked onions from the pot of beer sauce.
Don't forget to wash it down with a delicious dark beer. (I prefer Newcastle)
And here I thought it was the Brats that were getting drunk.
For the Coup de Gras, I’ve taken the Maple Syrup from the Browns and merged it with the Orange of the Broncos. The end result is a dish that will take about an hour and a half to make. It yields 4 servings.
Maple and Orange Chicken With Peppered Pecans
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- The juice from 4 oranges
- 2 teaspoons of English (or Stadium) mustard
- 12 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
For the Peppered Pecans
Directions:
Mix the Orange juice, mustard, garlic, maple syrup, canola oil and vinegar in a bowl.
Marinade the chicken for at least 4 hours. (Overnight is even better)
For the pecans:
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the tabasco, pepper flakes and garlic. Add the pecans and stir to coat. Spread onto a flat baking sheet and bake on a really low temp - (approximately 200 degrees F) for an hour. Be careful that the pecans don't burn though.
After marinating, remove the chicken and pour marinade into a small pan, bring this to a boil, stirring until the marinade reduces to a sticky glaze.
Grill or barbecue the chicken breasts, turning and brushing with the glaze regularly until the chicken is cooked but still juicy.
Serve the chicken with the remaining glaze as a sauce, along with the peppered pecans and whatever else takes your fancy.
I don’t know about you, but this would keep me toasty and warm come Game time.
As always, Good Eats and...
Go Broncos!
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