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Community Corner

4 Great Recipes for Memorial Day

Patch Picks is here with some great local recipes for Memorial Day Weekend barbecues and the first of your summer weekend get-togethers.

Patch Picks is here with some great recipes from local food pros, perfect for Memorial Day Weekend barbecues and the first of your summer weekend get-togethers.

Sambal Shrimp Skewers

Recipe courtesy of Vincent Olivieri, Café Manager and the one who creates dishes for Fairway cafés in both Stamford and Pelham Manor.

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Ingredients

  • 5 lb 16/20 peeled and deveined shrimp
  • Thai Kitchen Roasted Red Chili Paste (4oz) - 8
  • Juice of Limes- 12
  • Mirin (Honter Mizkan 12oz) - 1 cup
  • E.V.O.O.- 2 cup
  • Chopped garlic- .80 lb
  • Chopped ginger- .80
  • Roland fish sauce- 8 TBS
  • Sesame Oil- 8 TBS
  • Granulated sugar- 2 cups
  • Fresh mint leaves- .01

Directions: Defrost shrimp and set aside. Mix all other ingredients to form marinade. Reserve ½ cup of marinade for glazing. Pour marinade over shrimp and let sit for at least 1 hour. Remove shrimp from marinade and place on skewer. Six shrimp per skewer. Grill on both sides until done. Pour remaining glaze on top. Garnish with fresh mint and limes.

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Vinny’s Pulled Pork Sandwich

Recipe courtsey of Vinny’s — the chef at in Stamford is Salvatore Cantalupo and the chef at Vinny’s Ale House in Fairfield is Roberto Carillo.

“This makes a great summer BBQ dinner for a crowd,” the Vinny’s staff says. “Best prepared if you either have a lot of time before your party, or this dish may also be prepared a day ahead. If prepared ahead of time, be sure to refrigerate the pork after it has been cooked and shredded.”

Ingredients:

  • Boneless pork shoulder 5-6 lb
  • 2 Spanish Onions
  • 5 stalks celery
  • 2 large carrots
  • Salt and pepper
  • Oil
  • 2 qts by volume, Mesquite wood chips, moistened overnight
  • 2 cups Beef Broth

Salt and pepper meat, heat oil in large skillet (the skillet should be able to go in an oven). Brown meat on all sides; half way through the browning add the onions, celery and carrots (roughly chop veggies before adding). When browning is complete, add beef broth and bring to a boil. Finish the cooking process in a smoker if you have one or create a smoker on your grill by wrapping the moistened wood chips in foil, poke small holes in the top of the foil and rest the packet above the heat. Place your browned pork shoulder (still in your skillet on the cooler part of the grill for indirect cooking). Close the grill lid and cook for 3-3 ½ hours at 275 to 300 degrees. You will want to turn the meat at least once. When the pork is still hot, shred it using a fork. Toss the pork with enough of you favorite BBQ sauce to moisten.

Vinny’s Pulled Pork Sandwich is served on toasted garlic bread with melted pepper jack cheese and our own cole slaw.

Barbecue Sauce and Ribs / Pork Shoulder

Recipe courtsey of Darry Bova. Bova teaches cooking classes at the . “This is the best barbecue sauce you will ever have,” Bova told Patch.

Mix Together

  • 1/2 Cup Vinegar
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 4 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Prepared Mustard
  • 1 Teaspoon Pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne
  • 1 Large Onion, sliced
  • 1/2 Cup Butter
  • 2 Teaspoons Salt
  • 2  thick slices of Lemon

ADD

  • 1 Cup Ketchup
  • 4 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Directions: Mix first 10 ingredients in saucepan, bring to boil.  Simmer 20 minutes uncovered. Add next 2 ingredients. This sauce may be used with either or both of the following recipes.

Pulled Pork
1- 7 to 9 lb pork shoulder
Score fat layer on pork shoulder and put in roasting pan with some white wine and bake for 30 minutes at 450 until it begins to sizzle. Turn oven down to 250 and bake for another 12 hours. After about 10 hours you can baste with some barbecue sauce. When roast is done, take off fat back (eat it, it’s delicious). Roast will pull apart very easily using two forks.  Put in serving dish with some barbecue sauce. Serve with additional sauce on the side. (you may want to double the sauce recipe above to provide additional sauce)

Barbecued Ribs
1 pack, 3 racks of pork baby back ribs
Wrap ribs in aluminum foil and place in a roasting pan in a 250 oven
for 2 1/2 hours. Turn on gas barbecue to high and sear ribs well on both sides, then turn center burner off and turn outside burners to low.  Stack ribs in center over off burner. Cook for an additional 45 minutes rotating ribs (move bottom rack to the top) every 15 minutes.  The third time that you rotate, brush both sides with barbecue sauce (Concave side of rack should be facing up to hold the sauce.)

Grilled Hanger Steak over Garlic Toast and Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

Recipe courtesy of Tom Dando of . “It's perfect for this time of year and of course who doesn't like to grill outdoors,” Dando said. (Recipe Serves 4-5 People.)

Marinade

  • 3 # Hanger Steak
  • 2 12 oz Bottles of Beer (Preferably an IPA)
  • ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 T. Grain Mustard
  • 2 Shallots, Chopped
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
  • 1 T Dried Oregano
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste

Method: Trim any excess fat or sinew off hanger steak. Combine all ingredients to the marinade in the order listed above and mix together. Allow steak to rest in marinade for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 12. The longer the marinade time the more flavor will be imparted to the meat, and the more connective tissue will be broken down, thus making the meat more tender.

Crostini

  • 1 Loaf Italian or other crusty white bread
  • ¼ Melted butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled
  • 1 Cup Gorgonzola or other crumbled bleu cheese

Method: Slice bread on the bias to make long 2 inch thick slices. Brush with either melted butter or extra virgin olive oil on both sides. Toast on grill or under broiler until lightly golden brown on both sides. Remove and allow to cool. Using the whole peeled garlic scrape the bread slices evenly until the garlic is transferred to the bread. Place crostini on sheet pan and sprinkle bleu cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted.

Broccoli Rabe

  • 3 Bunches Broccoli Rabe, excess leaves removed
  • 3 T. Butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Method: Trim bottom stem off of broccoli rabe about an inch from the bottom. Blanch in boiling water until almost tender (Approximately 5-6 minutes). Remove and shock under cold water. In a sauté pan melt butter or extra virgin olive oil and sauté until tender yet still firm. Season to taste.

Plating

Method: Grill or sautee hanger steak to desired temperature. Let rest a minimum of 10 minutes to allow meat to settle. Slice in thin strips against the grain to ensure maximum tenderness. Place 2 crostini diagonally across each other to give plate presentation height. Top with sliced hanger steak. Place a generous portion of the sautéed broccoli rabe next to the crostini. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley if desired.

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