Make: Super Bowl Snacks and Spirits from Quality Social

While your favorite San Diego sports bars go all out for Super Bowl every year with drink specials and entertainment perks, many of us prefer to throw our own party on game day. After all, there is no better seat than right at home on your comfy couch next to all your best buds. And yes it is definitely still appropriate to paint your face and dress up with team pride even if you never leave the house.

Comfy and drama-free, absolutely; but oftentimes the downside of Super Bowl house parties is the lame and boring food. News flash: bowls of greasy chips and oily dips stopped being cool when you moved out of the Frat house. Heating up frozen buffalo wings is a step in the right direction, but that just ain’t gonna cut it this year. We are here to help you upgrade your 2011 Super Bowl party game with a few tips and tricks from the award-winning chefs over at Quality Social.

The perfect blend of glamour and grit, Quality Social is an upscale take on a classic dive bar that keeps nightlife chill while shining a chic light on gourmet eats and drinks. Chefs Jared Van Camp and Sam Burman utilize fresh, sustainable ingredients from locally sourced purveyors to make their distinctive fare. They also cure everything in house – yes those hot dogs are homemade, baby! – which accounts for the signature flavor that you can smell all the way down Sixth Avenue. And now, the flavor is comin' straight to your kitchen.

Book mark this page and get the stove going, the Quality Social boys are dishin’ out three recipes from the QS menu that are sure to satisfy even the hungriest of pig skin fans come game day: Short Rib Chili, House Made Pretzels and Bacon Wrapped Dates. Thirsty? Don’t even think about ordering a keg of Natty Ice just yet. The craft cocktail gurus from Snake Oil Cocktail Co., the brains behind the Quality Social cocktail menu, are also sharing a recipe for the AR-11 BBQ Manhattan – the official new spirit for Super Bowl XLV in San Diego. 

Super Bowl Bites

Short Rib Chili: This is a Texas style chili, so there are no beans. After we developed our house made hot dog we want the perfect chili to complete the perfect chili dog. This chili is great on its own, but even better on top of a great hot dog. Also unlike most chilis that are one dimensional this chili has lots of depth from the use of specific chili’s and not just chili powder.  Also, grinding the chili’s yourself makes a huge difference.  

Step 1
Short Rib, medium dice: 6 pounds
Bacon, ground: 1 pound
Ancho chili powder: 4T
Chipotle chili powder: 2T
Corinader, toasted & ground: 4T
Cumin, toasted & ground: 2T
Hungrain paprika: 4T
Dried oregano: 4T
4 Onions, minced
12 garlic cloves, mircoplane
Cloves
Blackpepper, ground fine: 1T
Chicken stock: 1 Gallon
Canned Tomatoes, purred: 2 Cups
Flour: 4 T

Step 2
Canned Tomatoes, pureed: 8 oz
Ancho Chili Powder: 8T
Cumin, toasted & ground: 4T
Tabasco: 2 tsp
Brown Sugar: 1T
Yellow Mustard: 1Cup

 Method:
1. First season all your meat with salt & black pepper. In a large hot pan sear off the short rib meat to brown. Remove meat and drain excess fat.
2. In the same pan render down the ground bacon until slightly crispy, remove bacon and drain excess fat.
3. In the same pan sweat down the onions & garlic for about 5 minutes then add flour, cook for 1 more minute.
4. Add Chicken stock, purred can tomatoes, and all other ingredients in step 1.
5. Simmer this mixture covered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. After 45 minutes remove cover and add all ingredients in step 2, simmer for about 30 minutes or until meat it very tender.
7. Season with salt & black pepper to taste.

Housemade Pretzels

AP Flour: 1.2 pounds
Pastry: 3.3 pounds
Kosher Salt: 12 grams
Sugar: 40 grams
Yeast: 44 grams
Warm Water: 6 cups

Method:
1. Mix together water and yeast allow to stand for 5 minutes.
2. Mix all other ingredients together in a kitchen aid mixer fitted with the dough hook.
3. Add water mixture to bowl a mix on low speed just until dough comes together. Place dough in a bowl sprayed with non stick spray and cover with plastic wrap.
4. Allow dough to rise for 45 minutes (you can also store the dough in the refrigerator overnight).
5. To make pretzels form the dough into bites or whatever sizes you would like. Then fill a pot with 10 cups water and 2/3 cup baking soda and bring to a boil. Place dough in water for 45 seconds, then place on a baking sheet sprinkle with pretzel salt and bake at 450° for 15 minutes.   

Bacon Wrapped Dates

20 dates, with pits removed
1 cup blue cheese
¼ walnuts, toasted and chopped
20 slices of apple wood smoked bacon

 Method:
1. Mix together blue cheese and walnuts.
2. Place a small amount of cheese mixture inside of each date.
3. Wrap bacon around date and secure with a toothpick.
4. Bake dates at 400° for about 7-8 minute.

Pomegranate Molasses TX BBQ Sauce:

1 quart pomegranate juice
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups lemon juice
1 table spoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon mace

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1/4 white onion grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method: Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot bring to boil then reduce to simmer and reduce volume by half. Be sure to cool before use.

Note: An alternative to homemade BBQ sauce: readers should use Stubb's, BBQ sauce.  If they go this route the sauce will need to be thinned with an equal part of lemon juice.

Super Bowl Spirit

AR-11 (BBQ Manhattan)
In a cocktail shaker full of ice, combine
2 1/4 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz BBQ sauce 

Method: Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. 

For more gourmet bar bites sans pretention, go visit the boys at Quality Social in San Diego!

Pictured: Quality Social Duck Wings

Discover more 2011 Super Bowl Parties at San Diego Sports Bars.