One of the great things about the new wave of barbecue restaurants in Dallas is their innovative approach to side dishes. Here are a few standouts for you to try, along with that brisket and sausage you’re smoking in the backyard. Our thanks to the restaurants for sharing their recipes, and to Dallas writer John Lumpkin—who wrote the Dallas barbecue feature for the April 2015 issue of Texas Highways—for compiling them.
Lockhart Smokehouse Deviled Eggs
- 12 large eggs (hard boiled and shells removed)
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 3 teaspoons house-made mustard or Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sriracha or hot sauce of your choice
- 1/4 cup finely chopped brisket or jalapeño sausage
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- Salt to taste
- Paprika or Cayenne pepper to taste
Remove yolks from whites after boiling for exactly the right amount of time (or just cheat and buy them from the dairy case at the market) and cream all ingredients together into a smooth
consistency. Then pipe a generous portion into the whites. And because we have a monster smoker just sitting around waiting for someone to stuff edible things into it, we smoke the eggs for 3-4 minutes. A quick dusting of smoked paprika (and occasionally cayenne) on top and they are done.
Pecan Lodge Collard Greens
- 8 ounces bacon, diced
- ¾ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
- 2 bunches collard greens, rinsed, deveined and cut into 1/8-inch wide strips
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2½ cups heavy cream
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ to 3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
- ½ cup canned french-fried onions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large pan set over medium heat, fry the bacon until half-cooked. Add the red onions and mushrooms and sauté until the bacon is fully cooked and onions have softened. Increase the heat to high; add the collard greens and cook until the greens are wilted. Turn off the heat and set mixture aside.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and then add the flour. Cook, whisking frequently, to create a smooth, blonde roux (this will take 3 to 4 minutes; do not brown, as the goal is just to remove the raw taste from the flour). Slowly add the cream while whisking and adjust the heat to keep the sauce at a simmer. Add the salt and pepper to taste (it should taste like a moderately salty cream gravy). Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and easily coats the back of a spoon.
Butter an 8×12-inch casserole dish (or 8- to 10-cup capacity casserole). Combine the collard greens with cream sauce and transfer to casserole. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
If prepared in advance, remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before baking. Top with cheese and fried onions. Bake, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes or until heated through.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Slow Bone Horseradish Cream Potato Salad
- 2 lbs. red potatoes, washed, fully cooked and chilled
- 1 cup Duke’s Mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup prepared horse radish (more or less depending on individual taste)
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- Juice of one lemon
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour half over the potatoes. Toss to mix. Add more dressing to make it creamier if desired.
Ten 50 Jalapeño Torpedoes
- 12 large jalapeño peppers
- 12 strips uncooked bacon
- 8 oz. package cream cheese
- ½ cup roasted red and/or green bell pepper, finely chopped
- ½ cup chopped onion
- Left-over smoked brisket or smoked chicken, finely chopped
Thoroughly mix cream cheese, roasted bell peppers, onion and left-over brisket or chicken for stuffing. This may make slightly more than the allotted amount per jalapeño.
Slice open jalapeños long-ways and deseed. Carefully insert cheese stuffing mixture and close jalapeño—about 1 tablespoon per jalapeño. Wrap each jalapeño in a strip of bacon and secure with toothpick.
Smoke jalapeños until bacon is brown, but not crisp. Transfer to open flame and grill until bacon is crisp.
