Asian Beef and Noodles

Makes 8 servings

2 pounds Fantasma's Finest Beef Stew Meat

1 packet vegetable soup mix (such as Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix)

2 cups Asian Spice Stock (use beef or chicken broth if desired)

1 pound wide Amish noodles

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Chile crunch, for garnish

In a slow cooker, add stew meat, soup mix and broth. Cook stew mixture on low for 8 to 10 hours. Cook noodles according to package directions until al dente; drain and rinse quickly with cold water to stop the cooking process. Stir noodles into the slow cooker. To serve, garnish with parsley and chile crunch.

Asian Spice Stock

Makes 1 gallon

1 Fantasma's Finest Smoked Turkey Carcass 

6-8 star anise

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon fennel

1 teaspoon tri-color peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1-inch knob ginger, sliced

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2-3 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 handful parsley

Place the carcass in a stockpot and fill with enough water to submerge the carcass. Add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow the broth to simmer for several hours. Allow broth to cool, skim white fat and use broth in a recipe, or portion into freezer containers for later use.

Paradise Bloody Mary with Meat Stick Straw

Makes 1 drink

1 cup spicy vegetable juice, such as V8

1 ounce locally produced Of The Earth Beetroot Spirit, or your favorite vodka

2 teaspoons creamy horseradish

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes Tabasco, or other hot sauce

A dash celery seed

Garnishes:

1 stick celery

1 Fantasma's Finest Jalapeno Snack Stick, flavor of your choice

1 slice Fantasma's Finest Jalapeño or Black Pepper Bacon, cooked to desired preference

1 Fantastma's Finest Bleu Cheese Olives

1-inch square cube Hemme Brothers Apple Smoked Cheddar

Ice

In a blender, combine vegetable juice, beetroot or vodka, horseradish, black pepper, Worcestershire, Tabasco or other hot sauce and celery seed in a blender. Pour tomato mixture over ice in a beer glass.

Garnish cocktail with celery and meat straw*. Thread bacon, olives and cheese on a bamboo toothpick and serve across the mouth of the glass.

*To make a snack stick "straw", use a bamboo skewer and carefully work from both ends to hollow out the middle to create a straw. Make sure to keep the skewer as straight as possible, avoiding poking out on the sides. (Do not allow the meat stick to remain liquid for more than 30 minutes or the hole may close!)

Extra-Cheesy Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

Makes 8 servings

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Sugar Cured Jalapeño Bacon

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Ground Beef

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Ground Pork

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 eggs

3/4-1 cup High-Temperature Cheddar Cheese Bits (available in our retail store; this cheese is the same product we use in our flavored bratwursts)

1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (we used Fiorella's Jack Stack Original Barbecue Sauce), plus more for serving

Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place a rack on a baking pan and set aside.

On a flexible surface such as silicone baking mat or parchment paper, weave a 5-slice by 5-slice square, alternating the strips under and over. You may wish to alternate fat and thin ends of the strips to make a tighter weave. Set the bacon blanket aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add beef and pork. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper with the eggs, mixing with a fork to create a smooth binder. Add the binder to the beef and pork and knead with your hands until thoroughly combined. Add cheese bits and combine until evenly spread through the mixture.

To test the final consistency of the meatloaf, hold your hand upside down; the meat mixture should stick to your hand. Kneading and mixing are important to get enough protein extraction, so the meatloaf stays together and isn't crumbly.

Form the meat into a loaf shape and place on the rack. Carefully slide the bacon weave onto the loaf and tuck the ends under the loaf. If necessary, use a few toothpicks to secure any stray bacon ends.

Baste the bacon with barbecue sauce and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Check the meatloaf with a meat thermometer and continue basting with sauce and cooking up to 20 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160° F.

When fully cooked, remove the meatloaf and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with parsley and serve more barbecue sauce on the side, if desired.