The Oklahoman’s Food Editor Dave Cathey

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Flatire, Flatdelicious

My name is Dave Cathey, and I’m a Flatire Burgers addict. There, I got that out of the way: total transparency, full disclosure.
I will try to keep the platitudes to a minimum, my enthusiasm at bay. But the truth is two great things happened the first time I ever ate at Flatire: I found one of the top 5 burger joints in Oklahoma City, and I had a great lunch with a pretty girl. The burger was juicy, flavorful and landed Flatire on my monthly rotation. The girl was blonde with blue eyes, and she was gracious enough to agree to marry me.
But Flatire Burgers, 318 E Ayers St., is much more than just a sentimental landmark. This is a 2.0 burger joint. It starts with thick, juicy burgers. Or does it? You may also choose a chicken breast, tilapia or what my wife calls the best house-made veggie patty in the city.
Variety isn’t limited to the protein source. They offer three bun choices: white, wheat or jalapeno. Cheese comes in American, Swiss, pepper jack, blue and cheddar. Then there are 15 specialty burgers, ranging from spicy to tropical. The burly red-necked chili burger master can sit in harmony next to the white T-shirted, green-scheming waif recently detached from a warm embrace with a Weeping Willow. This is equal opportunity engorging.

Great burgers aside, it took me a good five trips to realize just what a good restaurant Flatire Burgers is. That was on the fateful day when, I’m embarrassed to report, I chose a side that was neither French fries or onion rings. That’s right, I had black beans with my burger one day. I know, I know, but every now and then I try to avoid shaving time off my life by ordering something not deep fried. It so happens I love black beans. What surprised me was how good the black beans tasted. I’ve since tried the slaw, which was also better than average. And Lori and I rarely go without ordering fried pickles.

Flatire also offers an array of coneys and entree baskets, but I have yet to have the strength to resist the goodness that is their burgers.
Comparing Flatire Burgers to a place like Nic’s Grill is like comparing a perfect heirloom tomato to Cathy Cummings’s tomato sauce. Nic’s has perfected the burger joint experience, Flatire has successfully elevated it.

It’s no surprise considering the place was conceived by Michael and Lory Jones, who also own Lottinvilles and came up working for and with Pete Holloway, of 501 Cafe and Boulevard Steakhouse fame.

Now the bad news: The parking is terrible. Really terrible. The lot is difficult to enter and pocked with potholes, the spaces are narrow and always seem to be angled the opposite direction of my car no matter how I approach. It’s a little X-files. Once you do find a place to park, and you will, you won’t be sorry. Oh, and it’s a Pepsi place — the bane of all Diet Coke drinkers. They do, however, make up for it by offering Diet Dr Pepper. The other issue is its proximity to the University of Central Oklahoma and the residual popularity with students. Yes, it can be crowded. But this time of year, the outdoor dining option is optimal. There’s a covered patio and an elevated deck that nearly doubles capacity.
If you haven’t been to Flatire Burgers, which is a few blocks west of the UCO library, I recommend a trip this summer before the fall semester. If you have been to Flatire Burgers, let me know what you think of it and where it ranks among your favorite burger joints.

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Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler: Benchmark in Burgerdom

 

When I moved to Oklahoma City in the summer of 1988, the first burger joint I was directed to was Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler. Rick Bayless told me when he comes home every year for Thanksgiving, he is driven directly to Johnnie’s from the airport.
The place is an institution. Period.

In the last two decades, the Johnnie’s brand has expanded. Drive-ins have popped up around the metro and across the state. They’ve expanded the menu to include salads, deli sandwiches and entree platters. But there’s no expansion of the brand or broadening of the menu without great burgers.

Ever since Johnnie Haynes left the Split-T in 1971 to make a go of it alone, that’s just what’s the restaurant that bears his name has done.
Whether Johnnie’s is your favorite burger in town or not, it’s a quality product. Somewhere between the thin burgers of a Whataburger and the thick burgers of Red Robin is where Johnnie’s patty lies. Cooked over real charcoal, the result is consistently juicy and flavorful. The signature burger is the No. 1, which comes slathered in Johnnie’s Sauce — a smoky hickory sauce. A fine burger, but I’ve got to go with the Theta burger, which is essentially the same with the addition of mayonnaise. Each comes with grated cheese, which is another plus. There’s something about that grated cheese that I love — kinda like the broader straw McDonald’s uses. Because they don’t use cheese slices, the grated American cheese is added after the cooking and the residual heat from the burger leaves it stuck between melted and solid. It’s unique and it works.

My favorite Johnnie’s burger is the Caesar. It was the first burger I got at Johnnie’s that hooked me. The mayo-based Caesar dressing is rich and garlicky. The recipe is such a closely guarded secret that co-owner David Haynes personally prepares each batch. Lettuce is mixed in with the dressing, and result is a sort of Caesar slaw that’s piled on high and falls freely about the burger as you eat it. This, too, is a positive. It’s hard for me to discern whether I like the dressing best on French fries, onion rings or the burger. The fresh cut french fries are exemplary, but the onion rings are the jewel of the sides.

As much as I respect Johnnie’s burgers and rings, the best thing they make is pecan pie. The pecan pie is so ridiculously delicious that I have to give myself a yearly quota. Thankfully, my mother’s Web surfing skills haven’t brought her to this remote outpost so I can safely divulge that Johnnie’s makes better pecan pie than mom. I’m sure Johnnie’s other homemade cream pies are fine desserts, but I can tell you in all honesty that my love for the pecan pie is so strong that I’ve never been able to bring myself to order any other slices. I don’t need the crew from “Cheaters” ambushing me over a dalliance with coconut cream pie.

Johnnie’s recently joined the trend toward sliders. For $6.95, you can get three mini burgers with any of Johnnie’s signature toppings. This solves a dilemma I faced over the years, choosing between the Theta and the Caesar. I also like the Caesar as one my sliders because it’s a tad rich, making a whole one hard to finish sometimes.

The only knock against Johnnie’s is its prices. But I compared it’s prices to other burger joints and found  Johnnie’s prices are indeed high compared to Sonic or Whataburger. But Johnnie’s is a hybrid restaurant.  I like to think of it as a diner that happens to excel at to-go orders. The burgers range from $4.19 to $6.95 for the sliders, which is in between what you’ll pay at say Irma’s or Flatire on the high end and Big Ed’s on the low end. Fries are $1.99 for small order, which is certainly more than you’re going to pay for frozen french fries trucked in weekly. Onion rings are $2.59 and $3.99, which is as much or more than a Six-dollar burger at Carl’s Jr. But I’ll take an order of Johnnie’s rings over anthing Carl, Creepy Plastic Burger Monarch, Mayor McCheese or any of the other corporate mascots have to offer.

The truth is, we’ve been conditioned to believe a burger, fries and a soda should be ordered by number and paid for in a single, tiny sum. Don’t be a victim of corporate marketing. If you’re paying under six bucks for burger, fries and drink, processed foods are given and you’re not going to find a single fresh ingredient in the logo-laden bag they hand you through the window. But, hey, the sack is recyclable!

Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler is the benchmark for local burger joints, plain and simple. There are a few burgers I prefer to those at Johnnie’s, but few are the places I’d rather go than Johnnie’s. There’s are certainly among the best burgers you’ll find in the state.

Now it’s your turn. If you’ve lived in Oklahoma any amount of time, you’ve eaten at Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler. Where does it rank among your favorite burger stops? Let me know.

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S & B Burger Joint: Where the Cool Kids Eat

S&B Burger Joint, 5929 N May Ave., Suite 106, is adjacent to The Electro Lounge in the building across the parking lot from a Best Buy – a highly unlikely spot to find a top tier burger. But that’s what you’ll find at this neophyte burger dispensary. S is for Shannon and B is for Brian, the two gents who’ve been slugging it out in the same space for a decade, offering indie rockers and philosophers respite from the Affliction-afflicted, metrosexual and Classen Circle rowdy crowds. The Electro Lounge has long been where the cool kids beer up and listen to the city’s finest jukebox, thanks to the Spy’s Ferris O’Brien, and proselytize against Nickelback and for The Mekons, The Smiths, The Replacements, Sufjan Stevens or anything produced by Dangermouse. Now the proselytizing can expand into burgerdom: Say no to Chili’s or Red Robin, say yes to a nice Fatty. Thanks to S & B Burger Joint, some of those waif-life shoegazers we’ve come to know and yearn to be might put on a little weight.

In an attempt to become more kid-friendly for their maturing customers, Shannon and Brian remodeled the area where the pool table used to be into a small diner.

“It’s probably the best thing we’ve ever done in here,” Shannon said said. “Everybody that comes in here for drinks ends up eating. Everyone.”

That’s because S & B’s is serving up honest, authentic burgers on the griddle. The meat is never frozen. The patties come out with a nice crust and a lush, pink center — even the sliders. Speaking of sliders, while the Fatty is the signature burger, the sliders are what attract me. When I talked to Shannon, I found that we’re kindred spirits about burger consumption.

“I was tired of going to Red Robin and paying a bunch of money for a burger I couldn’t finish and not getting to try out the different toppings.”

So, S&B offers an extensive selection of sliders. They are not your $1 sliders from White Castle, which is a good thing. No, a great thing. Aside from giving us the genius that is Harold and Kumar, I’ve always likened White Castle burgers to Steakumm on a school cafeteria roll. No, the S&B slider is muscular. Cost is $4, but two will get you where you want to be. Three is merely prelude to a nap. The record, according to the scoreboard over the counter, is 10 consumed in an hour. While I’m sure there was plenty of motivation and adulation expended upon the champion in his hour of triumph, my guess is the following 18 to 24 hours were marked by self-loathing and promises and proclamations on bended knee to eat nowhere but Coolgreens and/or 105degrees Cafe until the Winter Solstice.

Right now, a new menu is under construction. On my latest visit, I tried two sliders from the upcoming menu: The French Onion slider and the Elvis. The French Onion included mushrooms, swiss and the meat was clearly infused by some amount of French onion dip flavoring. The Elvis as it was envisioned isn’t how it’s currently being executed. I was promised peanut butter and banana on a bacon-cheeseburger. If either Harold or Kumar had bumped into this concoction, cinema history would’ve been changed forever. Because they haven’t been able to keep bananas fresh enough, the Elvis slider has no banana today. As a card-carrying peanut butter freak, this burger really worked for me. I must say that I would really love to try it with the banana, though.

The new menu is due any day and will include these choices, the old faithfuls and a few surprises. Shannon is an adventurous dude, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t stop experimenting. Right now, you can dress your burger or slider with numerous mayos and dressings, bacon, hot peppers, assorted cheeses, Cincinnati-style chili, fried eggs and more. Meanwhile, you can get any burger on the menu with a vegetarian or ground turkey patty. On the side, you’ll want to start with the fried pepper-jack cheese cubes. The fries are solid, but it’s the sweet potato fries that I can’t get enough of — ever.

S & B is closed Sundays, and shuts down at 6 on Mondays. Otherwise, they’re serving burgers till 2 a.m., giving north-side Nighthawks an option beyond The Drunken Fry, Big Truck Tacos and Beverly’s.

Who would’ve thought at the dawn of the 21st Century that by the next decade, some of the city’s best burgers would be in The Electro Lounge and the neighboring Best Buy would still be in business despite selling virtually no CDs? Life, she’s a funny one.

Have you been to S & B Burger Joint? Let me know what you thought. Be sure to take a look at what Greg Elwell had to say from The Corner Booth.

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You’ll Find Dharmajito Life of ‘Lost’ Party

If you’re going to have a watch party, you’ll need cocktails. Mojitos rose to popularity in the U.S. about the time “Lost” began its run on ABC. They also are a creation of the island of Cuba.
Also, the mint in our garden has begun its attempt to dominate the herb garden, so there’s no better time to pick it.

Oh, yeah, mojitos also happen to be delicious.

The Dharmajito

Ingredients

• 5 fresh mint sprigs
• 1 tablespoon *simple syrup
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 oz Dharma Initiative light rum
• Dharma Initiative club soda

Directions

Fill a Collins or Pilsner glass with ice. Muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of a shaker. Add ice, simple syrup, rum,  and lime juice. Shake vigorously. Strain into glass and top off with club soda and extra mint leaves.

*To make simple syrup, add 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water and bring to boil. Once syrup forms, it’s done.

Source: Dave Cathey

You can also make a pitcher of Dharmajitos with a cup of rum, 1/3 cup simple syrup and the juice of 5 to 6 limes.

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“Lost” Finale Worthy of Watch Party

The Super Bowl has nothing on Sunday’s sayonara to “Lost.” Football is every year. Show’s like “Lost” are once in a lifetime. Keep an eye on the blog this week for Dharma-approved “Lost” watch party recipes and party ideas. I’ll also share my favorite moments in this landmark serialized theater of the absurd that came to us from, of all places, broadcast television.

First things first, if you want to print off some Dharma Initiative labels, you can find them a number of places, including here.

For something a little less literal and a little more delicious, start with a simple bean dip inspired by Jacob and brother Smokey. The tussle between Jacob, who always wears white, and Smokey, who is a black smoke serpent able to take human form, is the foundation for “Lost.” They are Yin and Yang personified. And what better way to interpret that in party food than a Taijitu-shaped dip made of black beans and sour cream. But half beans to half cream would be far too much cream. So, in keeping with the propensity for things not always being what they seem on “Lost,” the Yang side is only a topping.

Another common element is things not being all that they seem. This dip is mostly black beans, a coating of sour crema Mexicana to give the appearance of equality. But let’s face it, that would be way too much sour cream. To break down the beans, I like to put the cans in a mixing bowl then put an immersion blender directly into the cans to blend them before pouring them into the bowl and mashing them further with a potato masher.

Yin and Yang Dip

Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat, fresh lard or shortening
• ½ white onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 fresh serrano or jalapeno chiles
• ¼ cup chicken broth or water
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup sour cream, preferably Mexican style.

Directions

1. Using a blender or immersion blender, blend the beans and juice until smooth. When beans are at desired consistency, heat a large skillet to medium high and melt fat.
2. Saute onions a minute or two, then add garlic and chiles.
3. Once onions are golden brown, add beans and broth. Mix rapidly until all moisture is absorbed. Add salt, mix and remove and let stand about 15 minutes.
4. Transfer to a round serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. Once beans are chilled, use a toothpick to draw an “S” shape from top to bottom of the circle, making sure each side is equal.
6. Scrape a quarter inch off the top of one side of the “S” shape, transferring the excavated dip onto the “dark” side.
7. Fill in the excavated area with sour cream, preferably Mexican style as it’s a touch thinner. Smooth the top of each side with a spatula butter knife.
8. Use a straw to create holes for the contrasting dots. Put a dot of black beans in the fat part of the cream side and a dot of sour cream on the fat part of the bean side.

Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

Source: Dave Cathey

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Irma’s Burger Shack Among the City’s Best

As part of National Burger Month, I’ll be blogging about Oklahoma Burger Joints. By the end of the month, perhaps we can build a Top 10 Places to Get a Burger List together. For my first stop, I chose Irma’s Burger Shack, which has locations at 1035 NW 63 St. and 1120 Classen Dr.

Irma’s is the last vestige of the powerhouse partnership between Chris Lower and The Big Kahuna, Kurt Fleischfresser. Though they are only two in a group of partners, their names exact a certain expectation as they are the men behind two of Oklahoma City’s finest restaurants both current and past: The Metro Wine Bar and Bistro, and The Coach House.

Irma’s began on NW 63rd St. in 2003, replacing a Rib Crib location, which had replaced Paul Seikel’s Doc’s Burgers in the mid-1990s. The building has a long and infamous past, including a domestic dispute that ended in murder. Irma’s has succeeded where others couldn’t. So successful has it been, a second location opened in 2007 in Midtown’s Plaza Court. Call it Irma La Deuce.

 The first thing you need to know about Irma’s Burger Shack is that it opened out of necessity for the Kahuna to get No-Name beef from Bruce Buechner’s No-Name Ranch in Wynnewood. Buechner told me last year that he and Kahuna negotiated No-Name’s current status as chief beef supplier for The Coach House for some time.

“But he kept telling me he didn’t have any use for ground beef,” Buechner said. “So, I told him he needed to open a burger joint.”

Whether the rancher was the impetus behind it or not, Irma’s opened shortly thereafter. The menu is simple: a handful of appetizers, salads and sandwiches with the emphasis on burgers. Irma’s offers the obligatory Theta (hickory sauce and mayo), fried-onion burger and Mushroom Swiss. As is customary, they also offer an incindiery burger, there’s called the Fire Starter, combining peppper Jack and green chiles.

What they offer that few do offer is fresh, local beef. And, yes, there is a difference. Just try it. The No-Name burger does cost $7 compared to $4.95 for the Irma burger, but it’s well-worth it. And No-Name can be substituted on any of the signature burgers or it can be the foundation for one you build yourself: bacon, avocado and green chiles anyone? That said, the No-Name Burger is one of those very rare birds that can fly light. I haven’t recommended a burger featuring nothing more than meat and bread since I was four-years-old and am not about to start now. But a smear of mustard, and some red onion is plenty to prop up this local favorite. Cheese it if you must, preferably blue — but then switch the mustard to Chipotle Ranch.

The only beef I have with Irma’s are the fries. One of the many advantages to Food Dudedom is learning a few nuggets of trivia about some of the city’s best restaurants. I know for a fact, with apologies to The Drunken Fry, the best french fries in this city reside at The Metro Wine Bar and Bistro — a restaurant Lower still owns and that Kahuna helped open. These roasted garlic fries were inspired by a trip to Napa Valley that these two venerable restarauteurs took together. So my question is, much as I love The Metro, why on Earth are these same fries not available at either Irma’s Burger Shack location?

That’s not so much a knock on the fries Irma’s makes, but a yearning to have these delectable fries available for a wider audience. These fries shouldn’t be tucked away in a lovely bistro alone. No, these fries should be the signature of Irma’s Burger Shack. There, I got that off my chest. I’m sure that there’s probably some proprietary issue that blocks this simple dream of mine, but I felt like it had to be said. Every time I put an Irma’s French fry in my mouth, I can only wonder what could’ve (or should’ve) been.
You may also order No-Name beef in chopped steak form. Irma’s also features chicken-fried steak, chicken sandwiches and a smothered chicken entree. And, yes, there is a veggie burger on the menu.

The north location, just off the Western Corridor, is a little cozier locale — though it does have a large deck area. The Midtown space is more open, has plenty of patio seating and is a major bidder for both the urban sophisticate crowd and their perceived opposite the indie-philosophers. (Truth is, those crowds sprang from the same litter but chased different gravy trains as pups.)

Where does Irma’s stack up against other burger purveyors? In the upper echelon for sure. Whether it’s top 5 or 10 is a matter of scorekeeping, and that’s a task for another day. For that we need more data from more sources. You’re one of those sources. Have you been to Irma’s Burger Shack? Where does it stack up in your Top 10 Burger Joints?

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Coolgreens In for the Long Haul to Good Health

The way to healthy eating in the modern world is a feat no less harrowing than a boat trip home after a long war in the ancient world. 

Fueled by freewill, we travel waters where the deadly sirens don’t sing so much as they deep-fry. Scylla pushes doughnuts, Charybdis runs a taco truck. The modern-day Odysseus is a raunchy, paunchy guy with a burned out minivan full of buddies from the plant turned into pigs not by a witch but by a 9-headed monster called hydrogenated fat. When he finally makes it home to find his beloved wife pursued by sycophants, he doesn’t have the strength to draw his bow thanks to drive-throughs, Pall Malls, Little Kings and losing touch with the gym shortly after high school.

Progress has its pitfalls. Choices are only as good as we make them. Coolgreens seems to recognize this better than any other restaurant committed to good health, extending a lifeline to those of us on a collision course with diabetes, heart disease or just an inflated waist band. Eateries that focus on good health too often take a militant approach, choosing fervor over flavor.

Take 105degrees Cafe. By all means an excellent restaurant. The preparations are artful, elegant and typically successful. But my problem with 105degrees is that too few people will ever get to know it. Why? First off, it ain’t cheap. By its menu prices, a good portion of the general public will never experience the good 105degrees has to offer. Secondly, it caters to those with adventurous palates. Fear will keep large portion of the dining public away. This isn’t to say that the food is anything less than excellent. I’ve loved everything I’ve ever eaten at 105degrees, especially the desserts. But the concept plays very hard to its base, lessening its impact on the general public. It’s like using fish bait that striped bass should love but shun.

That gets us back to Coolgreens. Wraps, salads, soups, pizza and yogurt. That pretty much covers the bases that would lure the general eating public. But at Coolgreens there is no bait-and-switch. Absent are the healthless caveats present at most delis: potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, or soda pop to name a few. One is actually forced to try foods chocked full  of fresh, organic and usually local ingredients with house-made dressings and sauces that are absent processed ingredients. And to no surprise at all, the result is phenomenal. This is the kind of approachable, healthful food that has a chance to a major impact for three reasons: 1. Flavor is given as much import as nutritional value; 2. The menu is approachable and 3. prices are affordable.

Awhile ago I had lunch with Chris Lower at the most upscale of his many restaurant concepts, The Metro Wine Bar and Bistro. I asked him if he was surprised at the success of his two latest concepts: Big Truck Tacos and Coolgreens. The veteran restarauteur, who responsible in some part for many of the city’s most important restaurants, has been humbled and blown away by the success. It’s also changed his view a little of the model for restaurant success.

“I’ll tell you, with the success and popularity these counter-service concepts have gained, I’m not sure I could ever open another full-service restaurant.”

Coolgreens certainly celebrates the possibilities of the simple. With his culinary palette ridded of unnatural ingredients, executive chef Trey Ferguson is able to introduce the palate to nature’s preternatural ability to exude flavor with strict attention to detail. Put simply: there is no Frankenstein in this food. Coolgreens celebrates good flavor, good health and responsible stewardship in every bite. The partnership is committed to that concept.

And they’ve put their money where your mouth is. When Lower and managing partner Allan McMurrain bypassed the opportunity to sell diet soda and potato chips in their soup, salad, wrap and yogurt joint, they left money on the table.

“No doubt we would’ve profited more if we offered those things,” Lower said. “But if we did offer them, it would affect the credibility of our commitment to the concept.”

That’s why the wraps, salads, soups and yogurts I’ve sampled at Coolgreens create more hope for the city’s ongoing assault on the standards of fast-casual dining. And the newest Coolgreens location near Quail Springs Mall joins Saturn Grill, Thai Stop, Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe Yakimono Japanese Grill Express, and Cafe 7 in creating a foundation of locally owned, quality-first restaurants on the city’s northwest side. Coolgreens is expected to expand into downtown sometime this fall, and has been approached by entities beyond the boundaries of Oklahoma City.

In the end, Coolgreens could be the portal that we use to a greater appreciation for foods that satisfy our basic nutritional needs as well as our tastebuds. Perhaps this is the first brick in a long overdue widening project for the path to healthy eating. Who knows, maybe the path ends at 105degrees Cafe. If so, we’re on our way.

Have you eaten at Coolgreens or 105degrees Cafe? Let me know what you thought.

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‘Man v. Food’ on the Prairie

Production crews for the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food” were in the Oklahoma City area last week to visit three local restaurants for an upcoming episode.
The show, hosted by Adam Richman, highlights an eating challenge in a given city or area while featuring two other eateries in the same locale.
The challenge segment was shot Thursday at the Steak and Catfish Barn, 5175 E Waterloo Rd. in Edmond. Dino Smalley, who owns the place with his wife Maria Vitale, said Richman was going for the title of Top Cat, which is a yearly challenge to customers. The record for most catfish eaten in a single sitting is 28.

The Steak and Catfish Barn opened in 2004, it was previously Vitale’s Italian Kitchen. Smalley and Vitale also own second Steak and Catfish location at N Walker Ave. where they still offer Italian food. Smalley said Richman was genuinely nice guy who didn’t shoot and run.
“After the shoot was over, Adam spent at least an hour in the restaurant with Maria and I just — just talking about food.”

The crew also spent time shooting at Adam at Sid’s Diner in El Reno for an onion burger and steaks and lamb fries at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse on Mother’s Day.
Owner Dick Stubbs said he was surprised when producers for the show called, because Cattlemen’s doesn’t offer any eating challenges.
Richman and film crew spent all day Sunday filming in the kitchen and throughout the restaurant. Stubbs said he tried to change the shooting schedule, since Mother’s Day is the restaurant’s busiest day of the year, but the show’s production schedule wasn’t flexible.
Cattlemen’s, which has been in operation since 1910, also has been featured on the Food Network program “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” with Guy Fieri.

Richman also dined at The Drunken Fry and Big Truck Tacos for eats and drinks during his visit, but no filming was done at either place. Big Truck Tacos partner Chris Lower said Richman visited Big Truck Tacos based on a recommendation from chef Rick Bayless, an Oklahoma City native, at the James Beard Foundation Awards dinner.
Smalley was told by producers that the episode of “Man V. Food” will air some time in August.

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Pride of The Cinco

Then one year, I got overly ambitious with both the food and the invites and dinner ran way late. That was a pivotal year as it was also the one and only time I ever rented a frozen margarita machine. While folks were forced to wait to eat, they were not forced to wait on those margaritas and the ice-bathing cervezas. The party was such a success, the format changed the following year: enchiladas, mole, beans and chorizo rice were out; tacos were in.

Last year, I had to cancel the party because my mother fell ill a week before the big day. As rough as that was, this year’s has been even more trying.

For the second time in the last 18 months, The Oklahoman announced a reduction in workforce. Fifty-seven good folks are now out of work. More than a few I consider friends. One in particular I consider among my closest friends.

Just so happens the announcement was made on May 5, and my good friend Jesse Olivarez was among those left with no job.
Jesse might just be the Sultan of Cinco. No, not because he’s Hispanic. Because there’s no one that loves my annual Cinco de Mayo party, which rarely ever falls on the 5th, like Jesse.

Whether putting the “water” in firewater, “helping” wrap tamales, or gently reminding we foolish gringos that Cinco de Mayo is a made-for-Budweiser holiday celebrated more north of the border than south, he’s the first to arrive and up first for migas the next morning.
This year’s fiesta is dedicated to him and the decade of hard work he gave The Oklahoman and in turn the community, including grunt work, holidays, nights and weekends for half the pay he was worth.

If there’s one stereotype of Hispanic folks born from overwhelming anecdotal evidence, it’s a propensity for loving spicy food. Jesse is the reason I know it’s a stereotype, it’s because Jesse would choose sugar over chile any and every time.
This recipe, derived from Rick Bayless’ first book, “Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico” (William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1987) for Manchamanteles, which means tablecloth-stainer, is perfect for my very good friend Jesse as it combines spicy and sweet beautifully. And I love it because I can now acquire all the ingredients needed right here in Oklahoma City.

Mole Manchamanteles

Ingredients

• 6 medium dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded,
  deveined, and halved
• 3 cascabel chiles, stemmed, seeded and deveined
• 5 tablespoons lard
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2″ cubes and patted dry
• 1 pound chicken tenders, diced
• 3 black peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 1⁄2″-long piece canela (Mexican cinnamon) or cinnamon stick
• 8 pieces dried crostini pieces
• 2 tablespoon cider vinegar
• Salt
• 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks
• 1 ripe medium plantain, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons Agave nectar

Directions

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle medium heat. Working in batches, toast chiles on both sides, pressing them down with a metal spatula, until aromatic, about 1 1⁄2 minutes.
2. Transfer chiles to a large bowl, cover with boiling water, weight down with a plate, and let soak, 30 minutes. Drain.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the lard in the skillet over medium-low. Add onions and fry until softened, 5–6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onions are golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. Remove onions and garlic from skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to a blender, leaving lard in the skillet.
4. Increase heat to medium, add pork, and cook, turning often, until golden brown on all sides, 12–14 minutes. Drain pork on paper towels and set aside.
5. Add chicken to the skillet and cook, turning often, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to plate with pork and set aside. Reserve skillet with any remaining lard.
6. Put peppercorns, cloves, and canela into a mortar and crush with a pestle to a powder. Transfer spices to a blender.
7. Add 1 cup water, drained chiles, and bread and blend until smooth, 2–3 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing on solids with the back of a spoon. Discard solids.
8. Heat reserved skillet over medium heat, carefully add chile mixture, and fry, stirring constantly, until thickened, 4–5 minutes.
9. Transfer chile mixture to a large heavy pot. Add pork, 2 cups water, vinegar, and salt to taste and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 to 2 1⁄2 hours.
10. Add chicken and pineapple and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, melt remaining lard in a medium skillet over medium heat. Fry plantains, turning often, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
12. Transfer plantains to the mole and stir to combine.
13. Add agave nectar and salt to taste and continue to cook for 10 minutes more.

Serve over rice or potatoes with plenty of warm tortillas.

SERVES 4

Source: Adapted from Rick Bayless recipe

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