Sunny's Kitchen (4 page)

1
Mix the sausage seasonings.
In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, paprika, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.

2
Add the seasonings to the beef.
Break the beef into chunks and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the top, then with your hands, gently mix the beef until the seasoning is evenly distributed.

3
Prepare the patties.
Portion the beef into 8 servings and roll gently into balls. Place each ball between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, flatten the balls into ⅛-inch patties. Refrigerate between the sheets of parchment for at least 2 hours.

4
Cook the patties.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Peel the parchment away from the sausage (you may need to use a dull knife) and cook the patties in batches. Sear on one side until caramelized and golden on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then flip to cook just 1 minute more.

 

tip!
Like with a good meatloaf, you can use a blend of ground meat for these patties; just make sure the total weight is still a pound.

i
t’s neat to hear food pop up in the lyrics from some of my favorite recording artists. The pairing here is based on a line by the rapper Notorious B.I.G. After a night of partying he craved to fill his belly with “a T-bone steak, cheese eggs, and Welch’s grape.” I can’t tell you how many times I played that song as a hip-hop radio DJ in Montgomery, Detroit, and New York City. Instead of just throwing the steak in a pan with salt and pepper, in my kitchen I baste it in a garlic-scented rosemary butter and serve it alongside perfect, fluffy scrambled eggs with cheese whisked in and sprinkled on top. Ask anyone in the South how they like their cheese eggs, and you’ll start a huge debate—is the cheese in or on the eggs? I solve all debates by doing both.
SERVES 4

1
Season the steaks.
Arrange the steaks in a dish, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper on each side, sprinkle evenly with liquid smoke, and drizzle with the oil. Nestle the rosemary beneath the steaks and let them rest on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours, turning them halfway through to infuse both sides with the rosemary.

2
Make the rosemary butter.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter and salt. Stir to dissolve the salt, then add the garlic and rosemary. Continue cooking over low heat until the butter is fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the garlic and rosemary.

3
Grill the steaks.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Remove the steaks from the dish, discard the rosemary, and place the steaks on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes on both sides for medium rare. Remove from the grill, and allow to rest under loosely fitted aluminum foil for 10 minutes before serving.

4
Make the eggs.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs and add a splash of water, nothing more than a tablespoon. Melt the butter in a large nonstick pan over low heat but do not let it brown. Add the eggs, cook, using a whisk the entire time to release cooked egg from the bottom and sides of the pan while incorporating the uncooked egg. When the eggs are still wet but almost done, 5 to 6 minutes, remove from the heat. Add half the cheese, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper and continue to whisk until done. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

m
igas are scrambled eggs with personality and texture. I also think they’re what a good Tex-Mex breakfast taco encompasses: eggs, chiles, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes all jammed into a golden fried tortilla and topped with cheese. Imagine eating that with a fork and no juices running down your wrist, and you have migas. Sure, some like a soft taco, and I occasionally do, but the crunch of freshly fried corn tortillas scrambled with eggs and vegetables does the trick for me.
SERVES 4

1
Whisk the eggs.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 tablespoons water vigorously. Set aside.

2
Cook the tortilla strips.
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts and the oil begins to swirl, add the tortilla strips and cook, stirring and tossing, until they are all golden and crispy.

3
Add the vegetables.
When the tortillas are crisp, add the bell pepper, chiles, and onion. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook until the peppers and onion are tender, about 5 minutes.

4
Add the eggs and serve.
Add the eggs to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring to scramble and combine, until most of the moisture is cooked out, then remove from the heat and add the tomatoes for a final stir. Serve topped with cheese.

 

tips!
Add a cup of shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked sausage right after the tortilla strips crisp to give the migas another hit of protein.
•
Turn these into “egg rolls” by piling the migas into double-ply Bibb lettuce leaves and rolling like a burrito, tucking in the ends.

w
hen I was in grade school we lived in Columbus, Georgia, while my dad worked at Fort Benning. My parents would often buy a bushel of raw oysters. They’d roll the big bin out to the back porch and, along with my older brother, they’d shuck and eat them on the porch in the hot sun. I didn’t like fish or any other seafood, but I loved oysters with a squeeze of lemon, a bit of horseradish, some hot sauce, and a cracker. I pretended I didn’t know how to shuck, so I ate while they did the hard work. I finally admitted I faked stupidity back then to my parents, just before I revealed it on an episode of
Cooking for Real
. They told me they knew all along! Oysters are still my favorite shellfish—whether they’re raw, baked, or fried. They’re even better with creamy grits alongside what I call “the Official Fish of the South,” catfish.
SERVES 4 TO 6