Cheer on the Chiefs with a Pomegranate Negroni

Tomorrow is the big day when the Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Bucs to see if they can #RunItBack.  We told you last week that we are bringing red cocktails and treats to you for the month of February to celebrate the month of love.  It just so happens that the team we LOVE has red jerseys! (Hey! Love doesn’t always have to be romantic love.)

Our last post was about the delicious Pomegranate Martini, and this week Craig wanted us to post a more manly drink, so we bring you the Pomegranate Negroni.  Negroni’s are a famously Italian cocktail that is one of Craig’s most favorite.

Typically a Negroni is made with gin, a bitter and vermouth.  This recipe replaces the vermouth for the fruity flavor of pomegranate juice.  We tried the recipe with vermouth and Craig felt like the pomegranate juice and vermouth were not compatible.

If you are reading this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for the Pomegranate Negroni.

If you are looking for some other super bowl snacks, check out our list of past posts that scored big in our house.

Corralejo Lime Guac

Cola and Whiskey Brisket

Octoberfest Chili

Boozy Peanut Butter Blossoms

Borghetti Brownie Caramel Bites

Golden Mint Crinkles

Love You More Cookies

Menty Brownies

Twisted Mississippi Mud Brownies

The Blind Pig Family tailgating at a Chiefs game in 2019.

We are getting our snacks ready for the big game.  Rhonda will have a Pomegranate Martini in her hand and Craig will be sipping the red Pomegranate Negroni as we cheer on Patrick Mahomes and the boys.  What are your plans for watching the big game?

 

Disclaimer: Beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking.  Drink responsibly.

Seeing Red

You may have noticed that our fav NFL team, the red-wearing Kansas City Chiefs are in the Super Bowl again this year? Since our beloved Chiefs are in the super bowl, and February is the month of love. We decided to celebrate with posts that are all about seeing RED!

To start you off on a red streak we are sharing a magnificent red cocktail today.  The pomegranate martini.  Do you remember when we mentioned a couple of weeks ago that we realized that there were some favorite recipes of ours that we had not shared with you in the past?  This pomegranate martini is one of those recipes. This yummy, citrusy cocktail is the basic pomegranate cocktail recipe with a few slight Blind Pig adjustments.

Unlike most martinis, we made ours with gin instead of vodka.  To make it taste even better, we used the Malfy Con Arancia Gin, which is blood orange flavored.  This gives the martini an extra citrusy pop!  If you want your martini to bubble a bit, you can also add a splash of sparkling water to the glass.

To make our version of the Pomegranate Martini you will need Malfy Con Arancia Gin. You also need cointreau, pomegranate juice, fresh lemon, fresh orange and pomegranate seeds.

Fill a shaker of ice and add the gin, cointreau, juice and squeeze lemon.  Shake for 20 seconds.  Pour into a martini or coup glass.  Garnish with a slice of orange and some pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog to view a printable version of the full recipe for the Pomegranate Martini.

This red cocktail is the perfect sipper for cheering on the Chiefs or mixing for your love on Valentine’s…or both!  We would love to hear if you try it out.

Look for our post next week.  We will be sharing another red cocktail with you while we are watching our CHIEFS!!!!!

 

Disclaimer: The beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking.  Drink responsibly.

No Fuss Treats for a Super Super Bowl Party

Have you heard that we are kind of excited about the super bowl at The Blind Pig house?  Believe it or not, we are not going to have a huge party, because we want to be able to focus on the game (and commercials). We are only having a few peeps over.  Whether you are having a huge party or watching the game with just a small group, we thought we would highlight a few of our recipes that can be game day ready in a flash!

We are breaking this post into three categories: beverages, sweet stuff, and munchies.  To find what you are looking for you can scroll to the category you want or take your time and explore all of it.

Large Batch Drinks: For the big game you may not want to spend your whole time in the kitchen mixing drinks.  We get it!  That is when it is convenient to have a large batch ready to go.  A sangria is always a winning large batch recipe.  You can fix a day or hours ahead of your party. Our favorites are  Bianco Sangria and Carpano Antica Sangria.  If you have a punch bowl, you cannot go wrong with a delicious punch. Although Jingle Gin Punch was intended for the Christmas season, it is a winning cocktail year round.  You can always re-name it Victory Punch for the party.  Seagram’s Peach Punch is also easy and a crowd pleaser at the same time.  All you need is some Seagram’s vodka, sliced peaches, and lemonade.  Can’t find peaches in the grocery store this time of year?  Add any fresh fruit to give your punch a winning appearance.

Mix it Up:  If mixed cocktails are what your crowd is into and you don’t mind spending some time away from the game, here are some cocktails that will help you score points with your friends.

We introduced you to Arrowhead Punch in last week’s post.  This red beverage is what our friends are going to be served during the game.  Another great red beverage is The Love Triangle.  We originally created the Love Triangle for our first Valentine’s Day, but it is a winner anytime of year.

A good play that always works is a great Skinny Margarita!  Other margs that can be sipped on at kickoff are: Merry Margarita and Strawberry Basil Margarita.

Fernet and Coke is the drink of choice for Argentinians when they watch a big football (soccer) game.  Maybe it’s time that Americans are introduced to this great beverage while watching their favorite sport?

Sweet Stuff:  This is Rhonda’s favorite category.  Not only are these treats easy to make, but they are sooo delicious.  If you walk in to a Super Bowl party with one of these in your hand, you will gain a lot of fans.  The first one that moves our chains is Borghetti Brownie Caramel Delights, all you need is a brownie mix, some Rolos and some Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur.  Dip these in chocolate and you are good to go!

Rhonda took our Easy Espresso Cake to work this week for a super bowl pig out.  Rename it Chiefs Kingdom Cake.  Decorate with some Chiefs flags and your crowd will be dancing like Travis Kelce. Two other easy treats are Salted Whiskey Caramel Corn and Twisted Missouri Mud Brownies.    You can not go wrong with some fondue at your party.  Make Caramel or Chocolate fondue with some sliced fresh fruit and cubes of sponge cake.  Field Goal!!

Munchies: If you want to serve some substantial munchies at your party, Cola and Whiskey Brisket is a good place to start. Serve with some Corralejo Lime Guac and Tequila Ceviche.  Yummo!

We hope you have a wonderful Super Bowl party.  May the Chiefs win and the commercials be entertaining. Let us know if you served one of our recipes at your party.  We would love to hear about it.

 

 

Disclaimer: Beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older.  We do not condone underage drinking.  Please drink responsibly.

 

 

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Hello friends! You may start to notice that a few things look a little different around The Blind Pig Blog.  We are trying out some new plug-ins for our site.  We are also attempting to improve our social media presence on Pinterest.  We added an Instagram, so you can follow us at theblindpig.  If you do, you will see what celebrity Craig hung out with this week on the Queen Mary.

beer brisket sandwiches

Next weekend is the Superbowl.  Our favorite team, the Chiefs, did not make it, so we are a little meh about the whole thing.  Thank goodness for the commercials, right? Many of you will probably be hosting or going to a gathering to watch all of those great commercials, so Rhonda we decided to share with you an easy, tasty and fresh recipe to serve at your Superbowl gathering:  Beer Brisket Sandwiches.

We found the recipe in Better Homes and Gardens, January 2017 issue.  You will be shocked to find out that this recipe does not contain any liquor. Say what??? Nope.  No liquor.  However, the recipe does include wheat beer which gives this brisket a wonderful flavor and aroma.  Aside from the wheat beer, there is another surprising little ingredient that will give this brisket an added flavor to wake up your taste buds — cloves.  We have never added cloves to a brisket recipe before, but we can tell you it is was an unexpected delight.

First you will season the brisket with salt and pepper and brown it in a large skillet on both sides at medium to high heat.

beer brisket sandwiches 1

While the meat is browning add sliced onions, crushed garlic, and the wheat beer to the crock pot.  We used Blue Moon Belgian White for our wheat beer.

Next whisk together dijon mustard, hoisin sauce, and ground cloves.

beer brisket sandwiches 2

After the meat is browned place in the crock pot on top of the beer and onions.  Then spread the dijon mixture over the top of the brisket.  Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 5-6.  Next sit back and enjoy the wonderful aroma of wheat beer and cloves waft through the house.  We can always tell when we are going to have a winning recipe, because our teenage-boys perk up and ask what smells so good.

After the meat is finished cooking.  Remove from the crock pot and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.

beer brisket sandwiches 3

The recipe calls for ciabatta bread and we recommend it. Other buns would probably get too soggy from the brisket. We purchased the Le Brea Take and Bake Ciabatta bread from the Kroger bakery section.  Our loaf only made 4 sandwiches.  If you anticipate a larger crowd, purchase more.

_beer brisket sandwiches 4

Place pieces of brisket on sliced ciabatta bread with cabbage and carrots.  We used a package of slaw mix for our garnish.  Then you are ready to serve!  This recipe also lends itself to making smaller slider sandwiches, as well.  Just slice your ciabatta loaf into eight small sandwiches instead of four larger ones.

One of our new features is the print recipe option below.  Try it out and let us know if you have any feedback!  Have a great week!

Print Recipe

Beer Brisket Sandwiches

Hands-On Time 20 minutes

Slow  Cook 10-12 hours (low) or 5-6 hours (high)

Makes ten servings.

  • 3 1/2 – 4 pounds beef brisket (flat half); fat-trimmed
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 12 ounce bottle of wheat beer
  • medium onion, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 1-pound loaf rectangular ciabatta bread, split, toasted and cut into 3 inch pieces
  • 1 package cabbage and carrot slaw mix

Season brisket with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.  In a large skillet brown meat in hot oil over medium high heat.

Place beer, onion and garlic in slow cooker; top with brisket.  In a bowl whisk mustard, hoisin, and cloves.  Spread over top of brisket. Cover; cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6 hours.

Remove meat to a platter or tray. Cover to keep warm.  Skim fat from cooking liquid.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.  Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper. To serve sliced beef across the grain.  Top bread with beef, carrots, and cabbage.   Serve with cooking liquid.