July dining hotter than a firecracker

Barbecue, burgers and pizza can't touch grits determination

Time for the July dining report and a fiercely contested top 10 list. You’ll find items from the smoker, sushi bar and produce department on the roster, but it all began with an invite to a potluck.

When chef Kurt Fleischfresser of Western Concepts invites you to said potluck, it doesn’t even matter that its on the Fifth of July.

I was tasked with potato salad for the Big Kahuna’s famous Wednesday lunch group. I was among the guests he invited, and the result was probably as good a meal as I will eat this year. Scroll to the bottom for the recipe for Potato Salad Huancainas I brought.

Oklahoma chefs convened in Tulsa and Oklahoma City for the 20th anniversary of Odyssey de Culinaire. The two-night, two-menu event provided the second and third best things I ate last month. Grits played a role in each.

Sushi, burgers, pizza and pork belly are also among the Top 10 things I ate in July:

1. Wednesday lunch, The Tasting Room

   The Hasty Bake spat out racks of prime rib, lamb, chicken and a whole salmon seasoned with Chili Crisp, but the smoked sweet potatoes might’ve won the day.

   

2. Shrimp and Grits, Odyssey de Culinaire (Oklahoma City)

In a sea of classic, expertly executed dishes, no chef shined brighter than Mark Vannasdall of Traditions Spirits with Shrimp and Grits. The gob-smacking was palpable.

3. Cheese Grits with Beef Cheeks, Tulsa’s Odyssey de Culinaire

Grits emerged the hero of this culinary journey. Chef Ben Alexander, a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist, seeded his with luscious beef cheek.

4. Eggplant Miso, JK by Chef King

JK by Chef King opens next week, but I was able sneak a July tasting. Bone Marrow and Oxtail Fried Rice brought the wow, Hamachi Crudo drew sighs, but the Eggplant Miso made sweet melody on my palate.

5. Oklahoma BBQ, Phat Tabb’s BBQ

Chef and pitmaster Tabb Singleton is among those who will participate in Chefs Fest 2023. He was in town in July helping the Curbside Chronicle celebrate 100 issues with pulled pork and sliced brisket the good Lord himself would wait in line for.

6. Izakaya, Ma Der Lao Kitchen

Chef Jeff Chanchaleune’s Monday pop-ups once again provided oohs, ahhs thanks to Hokkaido Scallops in Coconut Milk. This month Shrimp Shumai with XO sauce stood out, but pork belly dancing off skewers and down the hatch topped the heap.

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7.       New York Strip, chef Gabriel Lewis

Chef Gabriel Lewis celebrated the arrival of his first cookbook with a five-course dinner at the Francis Tuttle School of Culinary Arts restaurant District 21. Stories were the highlight, but the New York Strip rubbed with Elemental Coffee was a showstopper.

8.       Double Cheeseburger, Bar Arbolada

When downtown jonesing for a gourmet gut-bomb, the double-cheeseburger that triggered Alton Brown is a great place to start.

9.       Sand Mango, Super Cao Nguyen Market

For the first time, Super Cao Nguyen procured Sand Mango last month. They’re a dessert that grows from trees, and they’re still in stock.

10.   Tavern pies, 74

Met chef Kurt Fleischfresser for lunch late last month and we ended up dining at chef Beau Stephenson’s 74 in the Wilshire Point development. We sat at the bar for Beau’s Bar Pies – one with blue cheese and mushrooms, the other an anchovy dappled custom job the Big Kahuna conjured. Beau doesn’t call it pizza, but these flatbreads certainly fit the tavern pie trend currently underway nationwide.

Huancayo Potato Salad

Papas a la Huancaina inspired my Huancayo Potato Salad.

Inspired by the classic Peruvian appetizer Papas a la Huancaina, I made this for the Big Kahuna’s post-Independence Day potluck. It wasn’t the best thing anyone ate, but it held its own. There isn’t any mustard or mayo, the Huancayo-inspired dressing gives it the yellow color we crave. Note: the batch I made last month used caper because I was fresh out of olives of any kind.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds medium russet potatoes (about 6), peeled and sliced thick

• Aji Amarillo dressing (see below)

• 2 medium stalks celery, sliced thin

• 4 stalks green onion, sliced thin

• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

• Half cup pitted kalamata olives

• Half bunch chopped cilantro

Huancayo Dressing

• 1 cup Oaxacan crema*

• 6 ounces queso fresco

• 1/4 cup aji amarillo paste*

• 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil

• Juice of one lime

• 1 fresh clove garlic, peeled

• 2 teaspoons sea salt

• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

  *available at Feria Latina locations and most Hispanic markets

Instructions

1.   Place potatoes in 3-quart saucepan; add enough water to cover potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cook covered 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain. Let stand until cool enough to handle.

2.   While the potatoes are cooking, place the crema, queso fresco, garlic, lime juice, oil and aji amarillo, in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

3.   In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled potatoes. Smash in celery, onion, and cilantro to desired consistency, then stir olives and dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Top with egg slices, cover and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

SOURCE: Dave Cathey