A Kansas Dinner, But Missing the Guest of Honor

Last Saturday evening, I prepared a meal which I hoped might be a treat for a friend who will have an operation in a few days. Unfortunately, my friend and his lovely wife had to cancel at the last minute due to a medical problem.

However, we were joined by my sweet sister.

The meal I made had a Kansas focus because the guest of honor is from Kansas. I prepared four dishes:
- Grilled porterhouse steaks with Dad's Steak Rub - a maple syrup rub
- Kansas Baked Beans
- Kansas Spoon Bread
- Plum Pie

The dishes were all very tasty, and I would make them again. The baked beans are so good, I'll never try any other baked-bean recipe. I was surprised at how delicious the steaks were with the maple rub. The plum pie was terrific.

The recipes are:

Kansas Baked Beans

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kansas-baked-beans/detail.aspx

Prep time - 15 Min

Ready In:1 Hr 25 Min

Servings  8

   

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (16 ounce) cans pork and beans

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon, ground beef, and onion in the skillet until the bacon and ground beef are completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat, and transfer to a casserole dish.
3. Stir the white sugar, brown sugar, ketchup, barbeque sauce, mustard, molasses, chili powder, and black pepper together in a bowl; pour over the bacon mixture. Add the kidney beans, butter beans, and pork and beans; mix thoroughly.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the liquid thickens, about 1 hour.

Dad’s Steak Rub

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dads-steak-rub/detail.aspx

Prep time - 15 min, cook time - 15 min, serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 beef steaks
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the grill for high heat.
2. Place the steaks in a bowl, and drizzle on both sides with maple syrup. Rub with garlic, seasoned salt, and pepper.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place steaks on the grill, and cook 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Spoon Bread

http://www.kansasheritage.org/cooking/spoonbread.html

1qt milk

1 cup corn meal

1 1/2 t salt

2 T butter

4 eggs

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Heat milk and gradually stir in corn meal mixed

with salt.  Cook, stiring, until smooth and thick.  Cover, cook until mushy.

Add butter.

Mean while, in another bowl mix the eggs until well

blended. Then stir slowly into the mush. 

Pour into a well greased 1 1/2 qt bowl and bake uncovered at 425 degrees

for 50 to 55 minutes.  Serve immediately, with lots of butter. 

Plum Pie

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/purple-plum-pie/detail.aspx

(I modified the recipe by adding a half pint of blueberries - after reading reviews in which other cooks had done the same thing. The plums I chose were dark, sweet plums, rather than lighter- colored tart plums. It's important to make sure the plums are firm.)

Prep time - 20 min, cook time - 50 min, serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced fresh plums
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pastry shell
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; pour into the pastry shell. For topping, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Cover edges of crust during the last 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Cool on a wire rack.