Nevada’s Date of Statehood – October 31st, 1864
When I think if Nevada, I think of Las Vegas. When I think of Las Vegas, I think of casinos, show girls, and buffets. And that is not very helpful when you are trying to nail down a state’s culinary signature. Sure, Las Vegas is famous for their long and varied buffets, but what does that say about the RECIPES of Nevada? Well, it took as little more digging, but eventually the internet tells you all about the Basque people, immigrants that came to the United States from Basque Country, a region straddling the border between France and Spain. The first group arrived in the 1600s as explorers. There was a second wave of immigrants in the 1850s, pushed out of Basque Country during war and compelled to take part in the California Gold Rush. There is a concentration of them in and around the Northern part of Nevada, and their cuisine is delicious! Therefore, most of our Nevada meal comes from them. But I could not, in good conscience, leave out Las Vegas! Las Vegas goes through 60,000 lbs. of shrimp A DAY, most of which is featured in that casino signature; Shrimp Cocktail. So, let’s dive in and enjoy a trip to the Nevada, the Silver State!
Tips and Tricks
- This recipe calls for Ham Hocks, but smoked pork neck bones work just as well. The flavor is the same and you can still shred lots of meat from the bones after the long cook time.
- I used shell-on (Easy Peel) shrimp in my shrimp cocktail. You can use peeled shrimp just as easily, but they sometimes don’t have the tail attached, which is so convenient for dipping.
- You can grate fresh horseradish root is you’d like, or you can use prepared horseradish from the store. I like extra hot prepared horseradish.
- If you want to use fresh Horseradish, here are some additional tips:
- Generally speaking, smaller roots will be more pungent and larger roots will be milder.
- Choose firm roots with cut ends that look fresh. The large, white, tapered root of horseradish is covered with a somewhat hairy brown peel. Avoid any wilted, desiccated, or soft specimens.
- Store horseradish loosely wrapped in plastic in the crisper of the fridge. Fresh horseradish will keep several weeks. Cut pieces, however, should be used immediately, as horseradish turns bitter once cut or grated (the larger piece can be re-wrapped and stored, just cut off and discard the previously cut end before using).
- For longer-term storage, cut horseradish into one-inch pieces and store it sealed in plastic in the freezer. Whenever you want a hit of this pungent root, grab a chunk and grate it.
Basque Garbanzo and Sausage Soup
Serves 8
- 6 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
- 12 Cups of Beef Broth
- 2 Large Smoked Ham Hocks
- 1 Large White Onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 lb. Chorizo Sausage, removed from the casing and chopped
- 2 Cans of Garbanzo Beans, undrained
- 1/2 Small Green Cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 Stalks of Celery, root and leaves removed and chopped
- 3 Carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Step 1: In a large pot, combine the beef broth, ham hocks, chopped onion and bay leaf. Place the pot on high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Step 2: Once the broth has simmer for 1 1/2 hours, remove the ham hocks and set aside to cool.
Step 3: Place a large skillet on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chopped chorizo sausage and cook until the fat has rendered and the meat is browned, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the skillet, leaving as much of the rendered fat behind as possible and add the meat to the broth.
Step 5: Reduce the heat on the skillet to low as drain off all but 1Tbs of the chorizo fat. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic becomes golden brown and fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn.
Step 6: Once the garlic is cooked, add the contents of the skillet to the broth, along with the garbanzo beans and liquid, cabbage, celery, and carrots. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.
Step 7: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 8: Shred the meat from the cooled ham hocks. Once the broth has cooked for 20 minutes and the vegetables are tender, stir in the shredded meat and black pepper. Skim off as much fat as possible.
Step 9: Allow the soup to simmer for 5 more minutes.
Step 10: Serve hot.
Basque Tomato Salad
Serves 6-8
Salad
- 4 Roma Tomatoes, cut into small wedges
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, stem and seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 1 Sweet Onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
Dressing
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- A Handful of Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
Step 1: In a large, sealable jar or contained, combine all of the dressing ingredients (olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, black pepper, parsley, and minced garlic.) Shake or stir the dressings until it is well combined.
Step 2: In a large shallow dish, arrange the tomato wedges in a single layer. Then, place the sliced onion evenly over the tomatoes. Finally, arrange the sliced green pepper over the onion.
Step 3: Pour the well-combined dressing over the vegetables, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Step 4: Serve cold.
Las Vegas Shrimp Cocktail
Serves 4
- 1 lb. Medium Shrimp, deveined
- 6 Tbs Chili Sauce
- 4 Tbs Ketchup
- Juice of Half a Lemon
- 1 1/2 Tbs Prepared Horseradish
- 1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
- Dash of Salt
- Lemon Wedges, for garnish
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the shrimp and cook until they just turn pink, about 30 seconds.
Step 2: Remove the shrimp from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge them into a bowl of ice water.
Step 3: Once the cooked shrimp are cooled off, remove them from the water, place them in a zip top bag, and set them aside in the refrigerator to chill.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, combine the chili sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and salt until fully combined. Cover and sent this aside in the refrigerator to chill.
Step 5: Once the shrimp and cocktail sauce are thoroughly chilled, serve the shrimp around the rim of a cocktail glass with a large dollop of cocktail sauce in the middle and a lemon wedge on the side.
Fun Facts about Nevada: 1. Nevada was the first state to ratify the Fifteenth Amendment prohibiting the federal and state government to limit voting based on race. 2. California’s known as the Golden State, but most U.S. gold comes from Nevada. 3. With fewer than 10 inches of rain per year, Nevada’s the driest state in the U.S. 4. Reno is farther west than Los Angeles. 5. In Death Valley, the Kangaroo Rat can live its entire life without drinking a drop of liquid. 6. Hoover Dam, the largest single public works project in the history of the United States, contains 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete, which is enough to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York. 7. Construction worker Hard Hats were first invented specifically for workers on the Hoover Dam in 1933. 8. Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on earth.
Edible U.S. 