Barbecue fanatics — you know who you are — have been known to travel long distances for that smoke, salt, fat, spice and fire. While passing through Golden recently, I made a U-turn to find Roaming Buffalo Bar B-Que, a joint I’d enjoyed at its original Denver location. The smell of smoking meats offers a mouth-watering welcome.
I ordered a menu rarity: tender, fall-off-the-bone bison back ribs, plus juicy pulled pork, bison green chile and cheddar sausage. It came with a cornbread mini-muffin and well-made barbecue sauces, plus my choice of creamy mac and cheese and coffee-spiked beans on the side.
The menu also features pecan- and oak-smoked chopped brisket, pork ribs, pulled lamb and turkey breast. Like all good ’cue destinations, Roaming Buffalo closes early when they run out of meat.
It’s well worth the side trip.
Boulder Recipe Flashback: Horsea’s Rellenos
This has been a great season for various fresh green chile varieties. One of the best ways to enjoy the roasted peppers is in chile rellenos. Here is a recipe Santo’s owner/chef Hosea Rosenberg shared with the Boulder Farmers Market. (More recipes at bcfm.org.)
Hosea’s Green
Chile Rellenos
8 fresh Hatch green chile peppers
12 ounces medium cheddar cheese, cut into eight logs
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 cups canola oil (for frying)
Preheat grill, or if using a gas range, turn one burner on to full heat. Place peppers over the hottest spot and allow skins to char or blacken. Turn the peppers often to blacken all sides. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl, and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 15 minutes.
Carefully peel off the blackened skins, but leave the stem intact (gloves are highly recommended). Cut a one-inch slit along the long side of each pepper. Remove as much of the membrane and as many of the seeds as possible without tearing the sides open. Carefully slide one log of cheese into each pepper and close the slit as best you can.
Dredge the entire pepper into flour, then coat in the beaten egg. Lastly, dredge in cornmeal. Set peppers on a plate until ready to fry.
Heat the canola oil in a high-sided skillet over medium heat until about 350 degrees. Gently dip each pepper into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy on each side, turning once. Remove from heat and place on a cooling rack or paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Sprinkle peppers with salt and eat immediately.
Culinary Calendar: Dining with Barbarians
Longmont Restaurant Week, Oct. 7-16, features menus for $25, $35, or $45 at 30 Longmont eateries. Details: longmontrestaurantweek.com … Mexican Hot Chocolate and Pecan Balls (Chocolate Caliente Mexicano y Bolitas de Nuez) are on the menu for a cooking class at the Table Mesa Boulder Public Library. The hands-on experience includes the science, art and mystery behind the cocoa bean.
This workshop will be conducted in English and Spanish for ages 6 and up. Register: boulderlibrary.org … The Grain Revival Celebration Oct. 9 at Boulder’s MASA Seed Foundation farm features bread, pasta and cocktails made from locally-grown grains. Reservations can be found at Eventbrite … The Barbarian Fest, Oct. 15 at Loveland’s Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, features ax-throwing, German beers, crusty bread and fire-roasted meats and vegetables. No plates are provided and you need to bring your own knife. Reservations:
thebarbarianfeast.com
Send information about food events and classes to:
[email protected].
