Burlap & Barrel Makes My Pantry Explode with Brilliant Flavor - AD

This is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. TL:DR Use the code RANDWICHES when you shop on BurlapAndBarrel.com to get a FREE grinder of Robusta Black Peppercorns with any purchase of $15 or more.

Burlap & Barrel is a Queens-based public benefit company that is revolutionizing spices. On paper, they’re ticking all the feel-good-about-the-world boxes like working with small farms to build more equity and sustainability. Their sourcing is an educational touchpoint, too, broadening our knowledge of food systems, and highlighting the importance of traceability with regard to organic products and human rights. On top of all that, the spices are freaking good, strongly flavored, and intoxicatingly fragrant. You won’t find old bottles of Burlap & Barrel in my pantry because I’m reaching for them almost every day in the kitchen.

I’m so proud to partner with a company that holds the same culinary values as me. When you try Burlap & Barrel, use the code RANDWICHES when you shop on BurlapAndBarrel.com to get a FREE grinder of Robusta Black Peppercorns with any purchase of $15 or more.

I was so lucky to meet co-founder Ethan Frisch through my friend Max Falkowitz, who wrote a culinary trivia card game called TASTE TEST. Together, we hosted a panel of professionals for an online game show stream (watch the archive here). Ethan was so knowledgeable and fun to hang out with. Later on, I was happy to celebrate with the Burlap & Barrel team when they appeared on Shark Tank. I’m glad to be part of the community and can’t wait to keep expanding my spice knowledge, one bottle at a time.

Burlap & Barrel has an immense catalog, so please let me introduce you to my stand-bys and some new favorites. Bookmark this page because I’m going to update the guide as I try more spices.

WHAT DO I DO WITH….?

Ground Laurel Bay Leaves

I know this goes against my advice about grinding spices before you use them. This bay leaf powder from Denizli, Turkey is the exception. The leaves are so strong that they retain their volatile oils in this lovely green powder. When cooking, replace a single bay leaf with 1/8th teaspoon of ground laurel bay leaves.

Black Urfa Chili

Urfa biber peppers are grown in Turkey about 4 hours away from Aleppo, Syria. While I love throwing Aleppo pepper on everything, urfa peppers are unique in their umami and light spice. After they’re harvested, they’re sundried to concentrate their flavor. This particular bottle comes with a little sunflower oil to help the flakes bloom, but they’re perfectly safe to keep in the pantry. I like to use it in tandem with black lime on chicken or hummus.

Royal Cinnamon

When I tried ground royal cinnamon for the first time, I coughed. It is much more spicy and potent than any other cinnamon I have tried. Grocery store cinnamon sticks sit for so long on the shelf that my general idea of cinnamon had been pretty weak. My advice: when you use royal cinnamon in recipes, start with half of the suggested amount and add more if needed.

Cinnamon Tree Leaves

I did not know this was a THING. Just like you would use bay leaves for a flavor base, cinnamon tree leaves are a welcome addition to stews, beans, and braises. They’re perfect for a tiny essence of cinnamon versus a shotgun blast of pure ground royal cinnamon. I’ve improved the black bean recipe from my cookbook with them! I also have torched the leaves slightly for infusing bourbon.

Wild Mountain Cumin

While these cumin seeds look tinier than grocery store cumin, they’re a lightning bolt of flavor. These babies are foraged in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan. I love to use cumin in my carne asada marinade and in chili.

Spice Surprise

Don’t know what to get? Add a Spice Surprise to your cart. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know this is very much in the spirit of Random Sandwiches. If you’re easily paralyzed by choice, this is the perfect solution.

FAQ

What is Burlap & Barrel?

Burlap & Barrel is a Public Benefit Corporation building new international spice supply chains that are equitable, transparent, and traceable.

What is your relationship with Burlap & Barrel?

I am an affiliate partner. That means that I get compensated by Burlap & Barrel for every purchase made through my links on this post.

How do I use my discount code?

Head to BurlapandBarrel.com and add $15 USD worth of items to your cart. Then, add the 1.8oz Robustra Black Peppercorn grinder-top jar to your cart. Upon check out, enter the code RANDWICHES on the right side. It should look like this photo on the right, the grinder should be marked as free. The code will not work for any other product or size.

23 Fresh As Hell Recipes I Developed in 2023

What a year. It’s dizzying to think of everything I made in my kitchen (and other’s people’s kitchens) in 2023. I can never describe my cooking in a word or theme, but I can tell you I have cool clients who trust me to create unique menus. There was no shortage of snacky bites, hot dogs, sandwiches, and cheese. Last year, I promised myself to explore more seafood and I plan to keep it in my weekly rotation. I’m also letting go of the “I’m not a baker!!” mantra. It turns out that I can bake. I accomplished a long-term goal of making my own bread for the return of random sandwiches—which I was very nervous to bring back into the world. Through cookbook testing, I learned a lot about plant-based eating and Vietnamese cookery.

To everyone who ate my experiments, thank you. Here’s to more communal eating, cookbooks, and knowledge sharing 🥂

Here are 23 dope recipes I developed over the last 12 months.

1. Cheese Board Smörgåstårta

• Laughing Cow Spread (Patreon)

• Sweet Blue Cheese Filling (Patreon)

• Cider Cheddar Filling (Patreon)

2. Fried Chicken N’ Spam Musubi

3. Ocean Teal Ginger Chicken Bao

4. Asparagus Sea Bean Miso Soup (Patreon)

5. Marinated Tofu Mochi Pocket (Patreon)

6. Lion’s Mane Satay with Peanut Sauce

7. Scallion Pancake Hot Dog

8. Stuffed Bries

9. Sourdough Loaf Pizza

10. Peppers, Please! Ssamjang Mayo with Tortilla Crunchies

11. Furikakemari Damacy: Yuzu Mayo & Crunchy Furikake (Patreon)

12. Eggplant “Parm”: Eggplant Lasagna with Mushroom Bechamel

13. The Boba Shop: Taiwanese Fried Chicken & Champagne Pickles

14. Mortadella Melt with Pickled Pears

15. Tomato Pesto Scramble (Patreon)

16. Ramp Leaf Pasta with Ranch Cream

17. Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Ramp & Chorizo (Patreon)

18. Figure 8 Larb Dumplings

19. Faroe Island Salmon Namerou (Patreon)

20. Banana Leaf Wrapped Salmon

21. Shiitake Cured Salmon

22. Ube Funfetti Cake with Pandan Frosting

23. Aji Verde Tostone

Some of these recipes are on my Patreon for a small monthly fee. Others, I would love to fully write for publication 🤗 If you’re an editor interested in any of these, please get in touch!

Every Single Way You Can Help Support My Creative Journey

When I first started this blog in 2012, I wanted to do it right. That meant not selling out! I tried to navigate the food world without working with brands or using affiliate links. Traditional marketing wasn’t appealing to me in the age of social media. I learned a hard lesson. Social media wasn’t going to pay my bills. I had to find other ways to exist in the culinary world that did not include working a restaurant line or going into retail. There is respect in that work, but I knew it wasn’t for me. After COVID and the tumult of media platform death, I decided to evaluate my presence online. How can people get in touch with me and what is the best way to let you know what I am up to? It’s going to change again and again, I’m sure, but I’ve decided to revive this blog to tell you about the fun catering projects I’ve done in the past and to engage with brands that I care about.

This ongoing list is a collection of things you can do to support my creative journey (and catering business!). These days, it’s not enough to be a chef. You’ve got know how to edit videos, write well, record podcasts, live stream, speak with authority, and take gorgeous photos. Without my partnerships, I would not be able to afford most of the premium ingredients and tools you see in my kitchen. I do not take my partnerships lightly, either. The products and services I recommend are what I use in my real life. As you can see, I’m also not just a chef, but I have lots of fun side projects that help color my unique culinary practice.

Best Ways to Support

• Hire me for catering or craft services. I’m only catering weddings for friends and by client referral only. Otherwise, I’m open to all birthdays, showers, office celebrations, and random sandwich bulk orders of 8 or more in New York State. For craft, I am willing to travel, but also available for NYC area pick-up, drop-off, or attended service.

• Join my Patreon recipe subscription. You’ll get weekly recipes for $2/month or $21.60/year. Get my newsletter of recent thoughts, recipe roundups, entertainment recommendations, and links at $5/month or $54/year.

• Buy my cookbook Showdown directly from me. When you buy from other vendors, the money will go toward my book advance (which will make its way to me eventually).

Higher-Cost Ways to Support (up to $150)

• Try out Butcher Box, a meat subscription service. For every new member that signs up, I get a commission and you get a bonus. For example, you can get free steaks for a year. The offers change often but I believe are worth it.

• If you use Jetblue and have spare points, you can transfer them to me. Flight costs are a huge barrier for doing events out of New York City. So if we can pool enough points together, I can make plans in other states (or countries?!).

Moderate-Cost Ways to Support (up to $50)

Below, I use affiliate links. What does that mean? I’ve partnered with businesses to provide tracking links and I get commission from each sale. On Amazon, click my book link or visit my shop during your session and I will get credit for anything you buy when you navigate to other categories.

• Buy or gift merch from my Fourthwall shop! I worked with pixel artist Dr!p to design stickers, hats, and clothing.

• Purchase books from my library on Bookshop. It’s an alternative to Amazon that supports independent bookstores.

• When you shop at Burlap & Barrel, add a Robusta peppercorn grinder to your cart and use my code RANDWICHES to get it for free if you spend more than $15.

• If you like my podcast Fun City, join our Patreon for $5/month or up to $15/month.

• Represent Fun City on the streets! Buy our shirt of sweatshirt on Cotton Bureau.

Low-Cost Ways to Support ($5 or less)

• Rent and watch my episode of Guy’s Grocery Games (or send it to a friend or family member for funsies). Use my link so I’ll get credit! It’s season 10, episode 5, “The Cheesy Special.”

• Rent my live shows at Caveat with Fun City for $5! In Escape to Little Island, we are tasked with ruining a hoity toity party. In Upstate Getwaway, we need to break into a high-security facility to steal art.

At No Cost To You

Look, I’ve been there. Money is tight and your subscriptions are limited (if any!). There are still lots of things you can do to help me. If you have a friend who is also in a creative field, these tips will definitely help them as well.

• Share my articles online or with someone who might need it.

• Recommend my catering or craft services to a friend who might need them.

• Listen to my podcasts Fun City, Culinary Word of the Day, and REPLAY. It also helps to rate and review on whatever platform you use.

• Follow @Randwiches on Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr.

• Interact with my posts on social media. A comment, like and re-share help boost the posts to other people who don’t know me yet.

• Review my cookbook Showdown on Amazon or Goodreads.

• Make a social media post about my cookbook Showdown (especially if you made a dish from it!) and tag @Randwiches to let me know. I’ll happily share it.

• Ask your local library to carry my cookbook Showdown.

It really takes a village, so I thank you in advance! I hope to keep making cookbooks, developing recipes, and catering cool events around the world. If you’ve got an idea for collaboration, I’d love to talk.

ButcherBox Makes My Biggest Cooking Dreams Complete - AD

This is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. TL:DR When you use my link to try ButcherBox, I receive a commission.

After a long hiatus away from making random sandwiches (for which this website is named!), I walked every aisle of the grocery store and local farmer’s market for inspiration. Coming up with ideas is so fun for me, but even I hit a wall sometimes. I’ve always been an advocate for meal kits and grocery delivery services for folks who are new to the kitchen. I like to try out new services around the holidays or surrounding my birthday because I need a break from coming up with meals, too.

ButcherBox has been the exception. I look forward to my big box of high-quality meats every month! Each package is a welcome cooking challenge. When you sign up, there is almost always a generous bonus. I lucked out and got 3 months of free salmon! Around Thanksgiving, you can get a free turkey (if you order fast). And before that, new subscribers got free ground beef for life.

SO, WHAT IS BUTCHERBOX?

ButcherBox is a meat and seafood delivery service where you can adjust the timing, size, and make-up of the contents. It’s all been hits, from filet mignon to pork loin, chops, chicken, ground beef, and even lobster. I haven’t been disappointed! It’s great for households that have ample freezer space and mouths to feed. I have a friend who tried it and said it was too much meat for her, but, thankfully, you can delay or pause shipments if that is the case for you. Everything arrives frozen in a nicely insulated box. Per food safety guidelines, it’s best to get the products right into the freezer or in the fridge on a lipped sheet pan if you’re going to defrost them for that day.

WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL OF THIS MEAT?

If you want to try it out and get free stuff when you sign up, use my affiliate link. Not sure what you’re going to do with all of that meat? Don’t worry, I made this post to round up what I’ve made so far (and will keep adding as I make more dishes).

Sansho pepper pork chops with shiso leaves

Replace your ground black pepper with Japanese sansho pepper, which in small amounts, provides a buzzy, citrusy flavor with every bite. I also marinated it overnight with crushed yellow plums. Prepare your pork chops as you normally do on the grill, in the oven, or on the stove. Then slice it all up and serve it with shiso leaves, a habit I picked up from Korean BBQ restaurants.

Beef chuck roast with capers and mustard

I tied up this beef chuck roast so it would cook evenly. Then I marinated it with lots of coriander, pepper, salt, and fennel seeds. It went into a sous vide bath for 6 hours (I wish I had longer!). Then I sliced it really thinly, resting the pieces in their juices, whisked with mustard and chopped capers.

Filet mignon with Christmas beans and mustard greens

I simply seasoned the filet mignon with salt and pepper before pan-frying it to medium doneness. I really don’t like to overwhelm such high quality meat! It’s so good that you don’t need to add much to it. When I was growing up I typically ate steak with rice and boiled veggies. These days I’ll throw on some warm beans tossed with salsa and fresh farmer’s market produce like mustard greens pictured here.

Click here to take advantage of ButcherBox and sign up knowing I’m part of the community of folks who will help you figure out your next meal. If you ever have a cooking question, comment on my Instagram account or sign up for my Patreon for personal cooking advice.

FAQ

What is ButcherBox? ButcherBox is a delivery subscription service for grass-fed & grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage-breed pork.

What is a #ButcherboxPartner? I am disclosing my business relationship with ButcherBox. I am an affiliate partner who provides links and deals to my audience and ButcherBox compensates me for every person who participates.

How to Live a BRANDLESS Life

NOTE: Brandless has since folded but the videos are still online!

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I got to help out BRANDLESS with a few short tutorial videos. These four videos showcase products that you can get on their website for just $3.

Did you know you can use a cheese grater for more things than just cheese? Grate lime zest, carrots and chocolate (maybe not at the same time).

Roasted chick peas are not only good for you, but a great side dish, add-on to salad or a snack.

Vegan whipped cream? You read that correctly. Use the leftover can liquid from garbanzo beans (look at us being sustainable!), which is called aquafaba. It acts just like egg whites. You whip it up and plop it on whatever your want.

Care packages aren’t just from moms to college students. Packed everything up nicely and don’t forget to decorate.

A Competitor's Guide to The Takedowns

Saying that I'm competitive is an understatement. I friggin' thrive on eating people alive in culinary combat. There's something so alluring and addicting about the potential of winning a contest. Trust me, I've had my share of losses. I have much to celebrate in the recipes that I created and the friends that I've made. What happens after winning?

The Takedowns are a Brooklyn-based cooking competition series that celebrates home cooks and amateur chefs.  Each edition focuses on a specific ingredient like bacon, lobster and lamb or format like chili, fondue, meatball, ice cream, cookies and, even homebrew beer. Alumni have had different paths after graduating from this circuit. Theo Peck opened a restaurant, Linda Sarris travels the world as a private chef, Nicole Taylor wrote The Up South Cookbook, Cathy Erway has a James Beard-nominated podcast, and I wrote Showdown—a book about my experiences in these contests. Many people who participate have other jobs and enter for the hell of it!

Lucky for me, I have the opportunity to judge The Takedowns sometimes. It's so wonderful to see brand new cooks jump in, head-first, into battle. Here are a few things that I've learned over the past ten years of competing and judging.

The Rules

• Matt Timms insists that there are no rules. That means you can make anything as long as it uses the featured ingredient or format.
• You do not need experience to enter. In fact, we highly encourage home cooks and amateur chefs to join. There is no fee to participate.
• You can spend as much or as little money as you want on your entry. It just hurts when you spend money on porcinis, only to lose in the end. Sometimes an ingredient may be provided for you.
• Make enough food. For chili, the recommended amount is 2 gallons. Other categories recommend 200 to 250 bites. Remember, they're bites, not full portions. Attendees and judges are eating up to 30 entries.
• There are two types of prizes: people's choice and judge's. Ticket holders for the event will vote on their favorites and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place are awarded. 3 to 4 judges will also be tasting and will award 1st, 2nd, 3rd and honorable mentions.
• You can invite your friends, but it's not cool to tell them to vote for you. Give everyone a fair shot and encourage your friends to try everything.

Serving

• Matt asks everyone to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before the doors open. 1 hour doesn't hurt either!
• Ensure that you can travel with your dish. You don't want to be like me, lugging a vat of chili without a lid into a NYC cab. Try using a cooler and always double wrap anything liquidy.
• For hot dishes, you will get a large sterno foil tray with water in it. You nest the second provided tray in it to create a steam bath. Bring foil if you need your dish to be covered throughout the afternoon.
• You will be provided with enough sample cups to serve your dish. Bring any ladles, spoons or tools you need to get the food into the cups.
• Sharpie! Always have a sharpie. You will need to label your plastic cups when you arrive so that guests will know to vote for you.
• Hundreds of people will be walking by to taste your food, prepare a quick sentence that describes your dish. Signage is not required but helps people with allergies identify if they can eat your food or not.

Afterward

• You will be asked to get up on the stage and announce which dish and number entry you had.
• When the winners are announced, don't be nervous. You are great for making it this far!
• Showboating and heckling are a pet peeves of mine, it's unsportsmanlike. Be a team player and celebrate other people's dishes. You're allowed to enjoy your win but don't jump on any tables like Bobby Flay did against Iron Chef Morimoto.
• Reduce food waste by bringing plasticware or zipper bags to keep any leftovers.
• Write your recipe! Scale it down to dinner-time size and save it. You can share it on a blog or social media, too. Whether you won or not, you made something that was yours! Who knows? You might write a book about it.

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Head to TheTakedowns.com to find out when you can compete!

Did this guide help you? Let me know!

Get Jiggy for St. Patrick's Day Brunch

Stay in and cook up a storm today or prep a hangover brunch for your post-St. Patrick's Day binge. This menu I put together is all comfort to warm your heart and leave fat glistening on your lips. Pick and choose a few items to make for yourself or have a potluck and assign dishes to your friends.

• Kale salad with lomo chips
• Beet relish
• Duck fat colcannon
• Tomato confit
• Shortcut corned beef
• DIY Shamrock Shakes
• Green gradient cookies

#MadeWithLocalRoots: Eggs Will Roll! How to Make Tamagoyaki

As part of my Local Roots CSA, I'll be sharing easy ways to use up your produce. From prep to leftover hacks, I hope you learn to love cooking at home as much as I do!

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Gorgeous Styker Farms eggs with big orange yolks are part of my CSA share every other week. As much as I love a porn-y egg yolk pop, I've always wanted to make tamagoyaki . It is a rolled Japanese omelette that is served at the end of an omakase meal. It is sweet and custardy in the middle as a result of the meditative and methodical way of rolling it in a pan. I've researched a bunch of recipes and mine contains less sugar than most.

The first couple of rolls will look ugly, but have faith and keep going. It's worth the effort!

Things you'll need:
3 tablespoon dashi stock 2 tablespoons mirin 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon soy sauce	1 teaspoon salt 6 large (US extra large) eggs, beaten 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon black radish, grated 1 tablespoon beet grated

Mix the cold dashi stock with mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a bowl. Crack in the three eggs and beat until uniformly yellow. Check that the sugar has dissolved into the mix thoroughly.

Heat a square pan over medium heat. Soak a paper towel in the vegetable oil and use tongs to wipe the pan with it. You can use any shape pan, just note that the omelette will have irregular edges that you can cut off.

Pour in enough egg mixture to coat the pan and tilt it to spread it around. When the omelet starts to set, roll it up away from you using a spatula. It’s ok if it’s isn’t perfect or breaks. Re-oil the exposed part of the pan with your paper towel.

Pour in more egg mixture into the empty part of the pan, lift up the first roll and let the egg mixture runs underneath. When it looks set but still a little wet, roll the omelet around the first roll to make a single roll with many layers. Repeat the process until you use all of the egg mixture.

Let the egg cool for 5 minutes. Move the roll gently onto a sushi rolling mat covered with a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll the omelet firmly into the mat and leave to stand rolled for 10 minutes in the fridge so it sets.

Cut the omelette into 1.5” pieces and serve with the grated black radish and beet.

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Are you a member of Local Roots? Tag both @Randwiches and @LocalRootsNYC with the hashtag #MadewithLocalRoots when you use your produce. We want to see what you're making!

If you have cooking questions about anything you receive from your farm share, please ask me! I might have a few suggestions. 

#MadeWithLocalRoots: Soup’s on with Winter Cabbage and Root Vegetables

As part of my Local Roots CSA, I'll be sharing easy ways to use up your produce. From prep to leftover hacks, I hope you learn to love cooking at home as much as I do!

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Get cozy with an easy winter root vegetable soup inspired by my former roommate Grace. Whenever she was coming down with a cold or maybe, a little hungover, she’d make this very simple soup with bok choy. Instead, I've subbed in crisp strings of cabbage and added garlic chips to bump up the texture.

Things you'll need:
2 cloves of garlic 1/2 cup of vegetable oil 1 large carrot 3 cups of broth or water 1 medium turnip or 2 small	1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce 1 star anise 1/2 cup shredded cabbage Optional: Pepper and sesame seeds

Slice the garlic as thin as you can into chips. Fry them in the oil on high for 2-3 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown. Turn off the heat and move the pan away to another burner. Let it steep and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes until the garlic is golden brown. Drain from the oil and place on paper towels. The oil is now garlicky! You can use it to fry eggs or whatever you want.

Chop your carrots and turnip into chunks and cover with the broth. Add enough water to submerge all the vegetables. Bring it to a rolling boil on high heat.

Add a cinnamon, soy sauce, a thin slice of ginger, and star anise. Lower to a simmer until the vegetables are fork tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Fish out the star anise, top the soup with a tuft of shredded cabbage and sprinkle of garlic chips. Freshly ground pepper is optional.

Easy, warm, yay!

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Here are more ways to prep the carrot and cabbage from this week’s share.

Sweet, sweet carrot.

When you cook these carrots, they get sweeter! Like I mentioned above, boiling one-inch chunks until they are just fork tender is very enjoyable. If you let them go longer, they get mushy, but not mash-y like a potato.

Of course, you can eat our dear carrots raw with hummus or yogurt. To roast, split them lengthwise, toss in a little olive oil and cook at 450 degrees until the edges brown and its body wrinkles.

Do the cabbage patch.

I always enjoyed my fried Japanese tonkatsu with a side of plain shredded cabbage. Fried fatty foods and bbq go really well with slaws. All you really need per cup of shredded cabbage is a teaspoon of your favorite vinegar. Toss to coat and wait a few minutes for it to wilt.

Thick slices of whole cabbage roast up in the oven nicely, too. Their edges get crispy and brown while the inside is tender and juicy. You can boil cabbage but I find that boiling for too long releases those mustardy fumes, so beware!

Finally, you can kraut it! The best part is punching it regularly.

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Are you a member of Local Roots? Tag both @Randwiches and @LocalRootsNYC with the hashtag #MadewithLocalRoots when you use your produce. We want to see what you're making!

If you have cooking questions about anything you receive from your farm share, please ask me! I might have a few suggestions. 

How to Host a Crunchwrap Party

“I could work at Taco Bell, you guys!” I exclaimed as I presented the first completed Crunchwrap at a party I hosted. As of this writing, I still have not had a Crunchwrap at Taco Bell (despite the many times I frequent the place). However, I’ve been obsessed with the format. If you are unfamiliar, a Crunchwrap Supreme™ is a flat burrito, seared closed. Even though I come from the burrito wonderland that is California, I almost never order them. They are so large. They’re a commitment. With a crunchwrap, most of the tortilla’s surface area is used to enhance the crunch texture with seared folds.

Why do I love it so? It feels good in your hands, it’s compact and doesn’t leak. It reheats really well and damn, don’t you just love a satisfying crunch?

You, too, can host a crunchwrap extravaganza for one or as many people can fit into your kitchen. I present to you tenets of a good pocket of audibly crunchy goodness, listed in order of how you should pile them.

The wrap: Chipotle-sized burrito wraps are quite the meal and can host up to a quarter cup of protein. Smaller tortillas are great for a snack size.

Filling: Your protein mustn’t be too goopy or saucy. Its viscosity should be thick enough that it doesn’t drip from a slotted spoon. So far I’ve experimented with ground beef, turkey, grilled tuna and all manner of egg.

Vegetables: Completely optional but I find that lettuces and tomatoes do balance out the super-umami taste of taco seasoning. Plus, iceberg lettuce does crunch if you eat it fast enough.

Sauces: A little hot sauce is great and thicker lubricants like sour cream or Mexican crema will help you chew and save the roof of your mouth. But don’t overdo it! Wet = NO CRUNCH.

Crunch: The utmost important part. Depending on what protein and flavor profiles you’ve chosen, the sky’s the limit. I’ve used Cheetos, tortilla chips, seaweed crackers, Funyuns— any dregs at the bottom of a snack bag work, too.

Set it all up on a big table or long counter as an assembly line of ingredients with a clean cutting board at the end for folding. I’ve found that a pentagon works well. Fold the bottom flap up, make two creases upward and complete it by folding down two more flaps from the top. Press it, seam-side down in a dry pan on medium heat. If you’ve got a cast iron press, even better! If you don’t, it’ll still close, the press just helps with a uniform sear. Flip it and cook the balance to your liking. You can also do this in a panini press or George Foreman grill.

Here are a few recipes inspired by my friends:

• Beefy Nacho Crunchwrap, make it extra crunchy with the addition of chicharron
• Swap out the beef for fresh chorizo sausage
• Bacon, lettuce, tomato with an extra crunch of chicharron is awesome!
• Crunchwrap Benedict
• Lamb Pastrami and Mustard Hash Pocket
• Seared Tuna Crunchwrap
• Thanksgiving Crunchwrap

When the party is over, pre-make a bunch and wrap them in foil for later. As I said before, they reheat really well. Still in the foil, heat it up in a pan. After 5 minutes, take the foil off and sear on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes. It’s really creepy but we discovered that Cheetos remained crunchy.

In this house, we wear green flannel.

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Love this? Let me know if you decide to host a crunchwrap party of your own. Tag @Randwiches on Twitter or Instagram to show me.