The Galley del Mar in Ridgeland, Mississippi, is an “upscale resort-area restaurant for fine, casual dining,” according to owners Wayne Craft and Larry McCandless. Its specialty is spicy seafood dishes prepared by a collaboration of their cooking staff supervised by Lloyd Kent, but occasionally they drift off into the area of chili con carne. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

• 1 pound black beans, cleaned

• 1 tablespoon red chile powder

• ½ teaspoon cayenne

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1 tablespoon oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

• 2 cups canned chopped Rotel tomatoes with liquid

• 2 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, chopped (or more for heat)

• 1 dried red New Mexican chile pod, stem and seeds removed

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 pound tenderloin tips, cubed

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1½ teaspoons black pepper

• 1 ham hock

• 3 cups canned peeled tomatoes with liquid

• ½ cup Burgundy wine

• Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Instructions

Soak the beans overnight in water. Drain and refill the pot until the water just covers the beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Combine the red chile powder, cayenne, cumin, paprika, oregano, and bay leaf in a heavy skillet and toast until the spices are brittle, but do not burn.

Heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, and bell pepper until soft. Add the spices and tomatoes and saute 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and enough water to make a loose consistency and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Adjust the water if necessary. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove the ham hock and chile pod, add the cooked black beans, and serve in bowls garnished with sprigs of cilantro.

This recipe wreaks havoc on your lawn, but hell, grass grows back!

Ingredients

• 1 40 to 50 pound suckling pig, cleaned and hair removed

For the Rub:

• 3 cups paprika

• 1 cup ground cayenne

• 1 cup dried coconut flakes

• ½ cup garlic powder

• 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup dried thyme

• 1/4 cup dried oregano

• 1/4 cup onion powder

• 1/8 cup salt

• 3 tablespoons ground allspice

For the Sauce:

• 2 15 ½-ounce can sliced pineapple chunks, drained and liquid reserved

• 1 cup catsup

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• ½ cup bourbon (drink the rest of the bottle during the 10 hours of pig roasting)

• 1 teaspoon dried ground habanero chile or 2 fresh, stems and seeds removed, minced

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

For the Pig:

The entire carcass of the pig can be roasted in a closed pit. Dig a hole 3 feet deep, 30 inches wide and of sufficient length to accommodate the pig. Build a wood fire in the pit and allow 12 inches of hot coals to build up. This will require about 3 to 4 hours burning time and wood equal to about 2 times the volume of the pit. Use only dry hardwood.

When sufficient coals have accumulated, level them and remove any unburned chunks. Cover the coals completely with a 2-inch layer of pea gravel. Rub the carcass with the Polynesian Pig Rub. Wrap the carcass in wet burlap bags or old (but clean) t-shirts, cut apart. Place the wrapped carcass on a sheet of 2 by 4 inch welded wire, and lower it into the pit. Cover immediately with galvanized roofing supported on pipe or steel posts. Then put 12 inches of dirt over the entire pit. Allow the pig to cook for about 10 hours (or until the internal temperature of the pig reaches 160° F–but you have to dig it up to find out!). Serve the meat dressed with the South Pacific Barbecue Sauce.

 For the Rub:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

For the Sauce:

Place the pineapple in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Combine the puree and all the remaining ingredients, including the pineapple liquid, in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until it thickens. If prepared ahead of time, refrigerate, and reheat before using.

Remember, says Chef Mark Purdy, ‘One of the secrets to a great BBQ is turning ingredients only when necesary.’

Ingredients

For the Quail:

• 12 semi boneless quail

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 shallot, minced

• 1 bunch parsley, chopped

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup white wine

• Salt

• White Pepper

• Chipotle Powder

For the Tomatoes:

• 4 heirloom tomatoes, mixed variety

• 2 shallots, thinly sliced

• 2 stems basil, chiffonade

• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• Salt

• White Pepper

Instructions

Begin by placing the quail in a shallow dish to marinate. Rub them with the parsley, minced garlic and shallots. Add the white wine and olive oil and allow to marinate for at least four hours.

On a cookie sheet or shallow baking dish, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Distribute ¼ of the garlic, shallots and basil. Slice the tomatoes into discs or wedges according to the shape of the tomato. Lay them over the garlic, shallot and basil. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Repeat the marinating process until all of the tomatoes are marinating. Allow to marinate for at least one hour.

Preheat the grill as high as possible to get the grill grates hot. When you are ready to begin grilling, turn the flame down one quarter. Remove the quail from the marinade. Season generously with salt, freshly ground white pepper, and chipotle powder. Allow the olive oil to run off, as it will flame up on the grill, turning the quail black and bitter. Place the quail on the grill and cook until the desired temperature, about five minutes per side.

While the quail are grilling, distribute the tomatoes evenly among six large plates. Remove the quail from the grill and place two on each plate. Serve immediately