The Bloody Vampire Slayer

  • 1.5oz Vodka
  • 1.5oz Light/White Rum
  • .5 oz Garlic-Pickle Juice
  • 3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Bar-spoon of Minced Garlic
  • 2 dashes Franks Red-Hot or other “medium” hot sauce*
  • 3 dashes Vampfire Hot Sauce or other “HOT” hot sauce*
  • Pinch of Celery Salt
  • Splash of Tomato Juice
  • Ground Black Pepper
  • Smoked Salt
  • Bacon Dust (crisp bacon + blender = bacon dust!)
  • Blue-Cheese- Stuffed Olives
  • Gherkins
  • Celery Spear
  1. Rim your glass with smoked salt and bacon dust
  2. Mix all other ingredients in a tall-bar or tiki glass filled with cubed or crushed ice.
  3. Stir well. Garnish with gherkins and Blue-Cheese- Stuffed Olive on a Tiki Umbrella and a celery spear (Optional: crisp-bacon slice)

Beef Heart Tartare

Forks on the Left - Beef Heart Tartare
Serves 4 as appetizer, 1-2 as main

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz fresh Beef Heart (trimmed of sinew, fat at gristle)
  • 4 oz fresh Hanger Steak
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoon Capers drained and coarsely minced
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped Chives
  • 1 medium minced Shallot (about 2 Tablespoons)
  • 1 Tablespoon finely-minced tender Parsley Stems (from the section close to the leaves)
  • 2 Tablespoon minced, pitted Green Castelvetrano or pitted Green Nicoise Olives
  • 1 Tablespoon Grainy Dijon Mustard
  • Smoked Maldon Salt
  • Fresh ground Black Pepper
  • 1 "slow poached" or raw or soft-boiled Egg Yolk (slow-poached egg, cooked in the shell at 142F for 20 minutes in a stable water bath "sous-vide" style)
  • Optional 1 teaspoon Chive Oil
  • 1 fresh baguette sliced and lightly toasted

Preparation:

  1. Chill the beef-heart and hanger steak for 20 minutes in the freezer, this makes it easier to chop finely -- don't overdo this!
  2. Using a sharp knife, finely chop/dice the beef-heart and hanger steak and place into a chilled, medium-sized mixing bowl
  3. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grounds of black-pepper
  4. Add shallot, capers, parsley stems, chives, olives, 1 tablespoon grainy mustard, 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil
  5. Plate or place in a small, chilled bowl, season with optional Chive Oil a touch of additional Smoked Maldon Salt and fresh ground black pepper, garnish with thinly sliced radish
  6. Serve with sliced, toasted baguette, accompanied, if you like, with dijon mustard or even hot sauce

NOTE: A perfect accompaniment for tartare (as they are the perfect food) are crisp, hot fried potatoes -- I prefer a thick-cut or "steak-fry" style, twice-fried, if possible.