Volcano Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• For the volcano: Use a round plastic crudite platter for the base of your volcano and cut a small hole in it large enough for the hose of a fluid transfer pump to go through. Snake the depositing end of the pump hose through the hole in the platter. Invert a bundt pan over the platter, snaking the hose up through the hole in the bundt. Cut a hole in the center of the tomato half, then insert the tomato cut-side up in the top of the hole in the bundt pan, pulling the hose up through the hole in the tomato and pushing down a bit on the tomato to snugly plug up the hole in the bundt pan with the tube inside.
• "Paint" or "spackle" the sides of the bundt pan with the cheese, using an offset spatula or rubber gloves. Then layer the chips on top of each other around the bundt, starting flat but angling as you go up, sticking them to the cheese. This creates a volcano look.
• For the decorations: Arrange your accoutrements however you like. I put a lot of diced tomatoes and beans around the top to make it look like a caldera. I also liked incorporating cilantro stems and broccoli florets at the base of the volcano, as they look like trees.
• For the cheese sauce: Turn a large slow cooker to low while you prepare the sauce on the stove.
• In a pot, combine the sodium citrate and 3 1/2 cups water over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the cheese in handfuls, whisking until incorporated before adding the next handful. Once all the cheese is incorporated and melty, add the sriracha and use an immersion blender to blend to a uniform consistency.
• Transfer the mixture to the preheated slow cooker. Place the receiving tube of the pump into the cheese sauce and slowly and carefully pump to create "lava." Note: The cheese sauce might splash, so use with caution and put in a safe location.

Steps:

• Place pork shoulder on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze, uncovered, until almost completely frozen, about 2 hours. Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice pork (shoot for about ⅛" thick). Transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, bring guajillo and morita chiles and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit 30 minutes to allow chiles to soften.
• Transfer chiles and soaking liquid to a blender. Add garlic, orange juice, lime juice, achiote paste, and salt; purée until smooth. Pour over pork and toss to coat. Cover and let sit at room temperature 2 hours, or chill up to 6 hours.
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Evenly space out tortillas on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and very crisp (edges will curl and pucker), 35-45 minutes.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over high until smoking. Spread about one-fourth of pork across skillet in a single layer; cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and wipe out skillet. Working in 3 batches, repeat process with remaining pork and 3 Tbsp. oil.
• Increase oven temperature to 500°F. Divide pork among tostadas and top with quesillo; bake until cheese is melted, 8-10 minutes. Top with onion and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Steps:

• For the tuna: Mix the paprika, granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, granulated onion, parsley flakes, black pepper and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle and cover both sides of the tuna steaks with the blackened spice mix. (You will have leftover spice mix that you can store for future use. The blackened spice is great on any meat.)
• Coat a large skillet with olive oil and put over high heat. Sear the tuna on both sides, about 15 seconds. Remove, slice and set aside.
• For the Cajun shrimp: Fill a saucepan over half full with water and put over high heat. Add the Cajun seasoning and shrimp to the water. Once you start seeing the water come to a boil, the shrimp are done. They only need a few minutes. Drain the shrimp in a strainer and put to the side.
• For the crab salad: Add the crab, mayo and sriracha to a bowl and mix. Set aside.
• For the spicy mayo: Add the mayo and sriracha to a bowl and mix. Set aside.
• For the taco salad bowl: Fill a deep pot with 5 to 6 inches of oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Place a tortilla in the middle of the pot and push down with a ladle to create a bowl shape. Keep the tortilla emerged in the oil until the tortilla turns a golden brown color, 1 to 2 minutes. Once done, flip the tortilla over and fry the other side for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. (Alternatively, premade taco bowls can be purchased in any Latin markets.)
• Arrange the shredded lettuce in the center of a plate. Alternate the avocado and tuna slices around the rim of the plate. Put the shrimp in the center of the bed of lettuce. Drizzle with some of the spicy mayo, eel sauce and sriracha around the rim of plate over the avocado and tuna slices. Place the taco salad shell upside down on top of the lettuce and shrimp. Top the taco salad bowl with a large round scoop of the crab salad and drizzle the remaining spicy mayo, eel sauce, and sriracha over the top of the crab salad and on the sides of the taco salad shell, giving the appearance of an erupted volcano.

Steps:

• 1. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Place sauce in an airtight container refrigerate until ready for use.

Steps:

• Combine and mix well.
• Taste.
• Add more Syrup if too hot, add more Sriracha if not hot enough.
• Serve as a dipping sauce or add a meat to marinade.

Steps:

• Slice the pork loin across into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Place into a large plastic zip-top bag.
• Add lemongrass, ginger, Fresno chiles, serrano chile, shallot, garlic, turmeric, pepper, cumin, cayenne, brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oil to a blender or food processor, and blend on high until smooth.
• Pour marinade into the bag of pork and massage thoroughly and toss until it's evenly coated. Seal the bag, squeezing out excess air as you do.
• Transfer to the refrigerate and marinate overnight, or up to 24 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to high heat. Remove pork from bag, wiping off most of the excess marinade.
• Cook on the preheated grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375°F.
• Punch down and flatten the dough on a smooth, dry countertop. Use a dough cutter to divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Use your fingers to gently stretch each piece of dough out into a mini pizza about 6 inches wide.
• Divide the onions equally among the rounds, plopping them in the center. Grab the scalloped potatoes from the fridge and cut into four 3-inch squares. Use an offset spatula to wrestle each square of potato gratin out of the baking pan and onto a dough round, directly on top of the onions.
• Take the edges of each dough round and pinch together to seal so that there is no speck of onion or potato in sight, then gently roll the ball between the palms of your hands to ensure the volcano has a nice, round, dinner roll-y shape. Arrange the volcanoes, seam side down, 5 inches apart on a parchment-or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
• Whisk the egg and water together and brush a generous coat of egg wash on the buns. Use a paring knife to cut a 1-inch-long X in the top of each volcano. Divide the Gruyère evenly among the volcanoes, stuffing it into the X in each one.
• Bake the volcanoes for 25 minutes, or until the dough is a deep, golden brown and the Gruyère cheese on top is caramelized. They are best served warm; allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before digging in. If you're saving a couple of volcanoes for later, let them cool, wrap them well in plastic, and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days; warm them in the oven before eating.