recipe

Chorizo Cheese Dip

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Chorizo

1 pound processed cheese food (such as Velveeta TM), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 (8-ounce) can tomatoes and onions (such as Rotel TM), drained

1/2 of a (4-ounce) can Hatch green chiles, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish

1 teaspoon cumin powder

Tortilla chips or items for dipping

Crumble the chorizo into a 12-inch skillet and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, occasionally using a spatula to break up the meat. Drain the fat off the chorizo and place 3/4 quarters of the pound into a 1 1/2-quart slow cooker, reserving the rest for garnish. Add cheese, tomatoes, chiles and cumin to the slow cooker insert and cook covered on high for 1 1/2-2 hours. Garnish cheese dip with remaining chorizo and chiles. Serve with tortilla chips.

Beef Short Rib Tacos

Makes 12 tacos

1 (2.5-pound) package Fantasma's Finest Beef Short Ribs

All-purpose flour

2 teaspoons R Butts R Smokin' Honey Chipotle BBQ Seasoning (available in retail store)

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

5-6 guajillo peppers

1 1/2 to 2 cups water

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

3 large cloves garlic

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

3 whole allspice berries

1 stick cinnamon

1 (12-ounce) can Mexican-style lager beer (we used Boulevard Brewing's Southwest Blvd Lager with Salt & Lime)

2 (10-count) packages Yoli Tortilleria Flour Tortillas (made with pork fat from Paradise Locker Meats!)

Pico de gallo, for garnish

Chopped cilantro and lime wedges, for garnish

Pat short ribs with a paper towel. On a plate, use a fork to combine flour, BBQ seasoning, salt and pepper. In a deep skillet, heat oil and sear ribs on all sides then place in the slow cooker.

Remove the stem and slit the pepper with kitchen scissors to remove seeds and veins. Put the peppers in a small saucepan and add water. Bring the water to a boil and allow the peppers to soften, up to 5 minutes; reserve the cooking water.

In a blender, place the onion, garlic, vinegar, oregano, allspice berries, cinnamon and peppers. Strain the cooking liquid to remove any remaining seeds and add to the blender. Liquefy the peppers to create a wet rub. Pour the rub over the short ribs. Add beer to the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours. Shred the meat with two forks and reserve the meaty cooking liquid for pasta or mashed potatoes. (Thicken with a cornstarch slurry, if desired.)

In a small skillet, warm the tortillas and fill with taco meat, garnish with pico de gallo, crema and chopped cilantro.

Pork Stew with Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Apples and Green Beans

Makes 8-10 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1 (3-pound) Fantasma's Finest Boneless Pork Loin Roast, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup white wine

2 stewing apples, such as McIntosh, Braeburn or Winesap, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes

4 small, sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped into chunks

2 cups beef stock

2 cups spicy vegetable juice

2 teaspoons black cocoa chile powder (or other blend)

1-pound fresh green beans, cut into bite-size pieces, steamed

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

Put the stew meat in a large mixing bowl, add flour and taco seasoning; rub the mixture into the meat. In batches, add seasoned stew meat to a heated pan and using tongs, sauté until brown on all sides. Remove the first batch of stew meat and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Continue to brown stew meat until all meat has been browned.

Add wine and apples to the sauté pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring occasionally until the wine evaporates. Pour the apples over the stew meat.

Add sweet potatoes and squash to the slow cooker. Pour stock and vegetable juice over the stew ingredients. Sprinkle black cocoa chile powder over the top and cook on medium-high for 4-6 hours.

Stir green beans into the stew, garnish with parsley and serve.

Pork Medallions and Egg Noodle Stroganoff

Makes 8 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Hungarian smoked paprika, plus garnish

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Pork Medallions, sliced into 1/2-inch strips (available in retail store)

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus 2 teaspoons

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely diced

16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons Dijon country mustard

About 3 ounces (1/2 package) Boursin cheese with herbs

1/2 cup beef stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt, to taste

1 (16-ounce) package egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Parsley, chopped

On a plate, season flour with paprika and pepper. Pat the pork medallions dry with a paper towel and dredge in seasoned flour.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and add first batch of pork, making sure not to crowd, and sauté over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides; set aside on paper towel. Sauté the second batch and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Sauté onion and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have expressed all their liquid and begin to brown; set aside.

Add broth to the pan to deglaze over low heat. Using a whisk, incorporate mustard, Boursin, and cream, continuing to scrape up the browned bits to create a gravy. Add pork back and allow the liquid to continue to thicken. Fold in mushroom-onion mixture and season with salt. Stir hot noodles into the skillet. Garnish with parsley and a sprinkle of paprika. Stroganoff is best served immediately!

Moroccan-Inspired Harissa Pot Roast with Chickpeas

Makes 8 servings

1 (3-5 pound) Fantasma's Finest Beef Chuck Roast

3 tablespoons ground harissa, plus more

1 tablespoon sea salt

Pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch carrots, peeled and sliced into 2-inch pieces

2 (15-ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes

1 cup beef stock

1 to 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas

Couscous, to serve

Rinse and pat the chuck roast with paper towels. Rub the roast with harissa, salt and pepper. Heat oil and sear the meat on all sides. Place the onion in the bottom of a slow cooker crock. Place meat on top of the onions and nestle carrots on the sides. Pour tomatoes and stock over the top. Add chickpeas to the pot. Sprinkle top with more harissa. Cook the pot roast on High for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve pot roast over couscous and spoon vegetables and sauce over the top.

Phyllo Bites: Pipe the filling from Quark and Bacon Deep-Fried Olives into storebought phyllo bites. Garnish with chives and bits of Fantasma's Finest Shoulder Bacon.

Quark and Bacon Stuffed Deep-Fried Olives

Makes 18 to 24 olives

1 (6-ounce) jar Hemme Brother's Quark

2 slices Fantasma's Finest Shoulder Bacon, cooked to desired doneness

Snipped chives

18-24 jumbo martini olives, dried with paper towel

All-purpose flour

1 egg

Breadcrumbs, panko or Italian

Canola oil

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine quark, bacon and a tablespoon or so of chives. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Fill each hole in the olive with quark mixture.

Set up a trio of ramekins: In the first one, place flour. In the second, whisk and egg and a tablespoon of water. In the third, fill with breadcrumbs. Roll each stuffed olive in the flour, egg and breadcrumbs until well coated. Place olives in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat oil until it registers 350° F. on a deep-fry thermometer. Using a spoon, carefully lower six olives, or fewer (do not crowd), into the oil and allow to fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove the olives from the oil and allow to drain on paper towels.

If you have quark filling leftover, try our Quark and Bacon Phyllo Bites.

Sticky, sweet, fatty and unctuous! These pork belly "lollipops" are a decadent, perfect to ring in the new year, and great chased by a flute of Champagne. Consider serving with Paradise's Quark and Bacon Stuffed Deep-Fried Olives.

Pork Belly Lollipops

Makes 36-40 pieces

1 (3-pound) Fantasma's Finest Pork Belly

1 large yellow onion, cut into big chunks

6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 (2-inch piece of ginger, grated

Apple cider

1/2 jar Fantasma's Finest Apricot Preserves

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Place pork belly fat side up in a 9- by 13-inch oven baking dish. Add onions and garlic. Pour apple cider into dish about halfway to 3/4 of the way up the belly (don't cover completely). Cover dish with foil and bake for 6 hours.

Remove pork belly from the oven and allow to cool. Drain the juice and fat from the pan and return the pork belly to the baking dish. Place a piece of foil over the top and weight with heavy cans of food. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for the night.

Next Day

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a small saucepan, warm the apricot preserves over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

With a sharp knife, cut pork belly into 1- by 1-inch squares. Pour the warm preserves over the pork belly and brush evenly over the top. Place pork belly in the oven and rewarm for 15 minutes, or until the preserves are thick and bubbly.

Spear each pork belly square with a toothpick and keep warm until time to serve.

Meat & Cheese Sampler Gift-Box: (Shown) Summer Sausage, Assorted Cheeses, Jalapeño Summer Sausage

Pork Five-Bone Rib Roast

Makes 5 servings

1 (5-pound) Fantasma's Finest Pork Five-Bone Rib Roast

Rub:

1/2 tablespoon herb-seasoned salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

A sprinkling of rubbed sage

Glaze:

1/2 cup Fantasma's Finest Apple Butter, Pistachio Pumpkin Butter or Bourbon Pecan Butter (retail store only)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 tablespoon pork drippings

Garnish:

Chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the roast on a rack over a sheet pan.

To french the ribs(optional): Place roast on a cutting board fat side up. Use a boning knife, cut across the bones 2 to 3 inches from the end. Pull away the fat slab and continue to expose the bones by cutting a square tab in between each bone. Using the knife, remove any remaining meat scraps and sinew from each rib bone.

Place roast on the rack, fat side down, and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until an internal thermometer inserted in the center reads 135° F. During the last 15 minutes, paint fruit butter glaze across the pork roast. Remove the roast from the oven and allow to rest 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the roast with parsley and slice. Serve roast with additional glaze.

Beef Boneless Prime Rib with Mustard and Herbes de Provence Crust

Makes 6-8 servings

1 (6-pound) Fantasma's Finest Beef Boneless Ribeye Roast

1/2 cup Grey Poupon Country Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon herbes de Provence

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon seasoned kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley

For jus:

1/2 cup meat drippings, reserved

1/2 cup red wine or broth

Preheat the oven to 500° F.

Place roast on a rack set on a sheet pan or a rack in a roasting pan fat side up. Use a paper towel to blot any excess moisture.

In a small mixing bowl, mix mustard, herbes de Provence, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, minced kosher salt, black pepper and parsley. Spread the mustard spice blend over the roast.

Place roasting pan in the oven and turn down to 325° F. Roast meat for 1 3/4-2 hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 135° F. on a meat thermometer inserted into the center for medium-rare. Remove the roast from the oven, tent with foil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing to serve.

Save the pan drippings and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Whisk drippings with wine or broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Leftover Smoked Turkey Salad in Phyllo Shells

Makes 15 shells (recipe can easily be doubled and tripled)

1 cup chopped Fantasma's Finest Sugar-Cured Smoked Turkey

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped finely or snipped with kitchen scissors

1/4 cup cranberries

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup fresh grapes, quartered then halved again into small pieces

1 tablespoon snipped chives, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup mayonnaise

15 fully baked phyllo shells

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Spoon the salad mixture into phyllo shells for a stunning and delicious holiday canape!