Barbecue Chicken Stew with Puffy Tortillas

After a lengthy tussle with Verizon, I am finally hooked up with the power of the internets and ready to start blogging again (hold for applause).

In the last meal Thursday Club meal that I cooked, my barbecue chicken tacos were met to rave reviews. Recipe Time!

(4-5 servings)

You will need:

6 Large Chicken Drum Sticks (skin on, bone in)

1 Green Pepper - halved and rough chopped

1 Large Onion - halved and sliced thin

4 Cloves of Garlic - minced

2 Tsp. Tomato Paste

Barbecue Seasoning (mix of paprika, cumin, ground coriander, allspice, pepper flakes, etc.)

1/4 Cup Whisky (nothing too good, Johnny Red will do)

1/4 Apple Cider Vinegar

2/3 Cup Ketchup

1/3 Cup Dijon Mustard

Chicken Stock

Hot Sauce

Brown Sugar

Salt and Pepper

-Preheat large pot with light flavored oil (Veg or Canola)

-Season chicken with S & P and brown until skin is crisp on all sides. Remove and set aside.

-Drain most of the excess oil and fat leaving all the brown bits behind.

- Sweat onion, pepper, garlic until soft on low heat. About 10 minutes.

-Add tomato paste, barbecue seasoning. Coat veg and brown a few more minutes.

-Remove the pot from burner and deglaze pot with whisky-cider mixture. Make sure not to singe your kitchen/self in the process. Back to medium heat for a few minutes.

- Add ketchup, mustard, stock. Simmer and taste. Add hot sauce, brown sugar, S & P to your taste.

- Place chicken back in. Make sure the liquid almost covers the drumsticks.

- Cover allowing a little steam to escape and simmer for an hour, periodically moving the chicken around to make sure all of the little guys get attention from the sauce.

- After an hour, remove chicken again, shred meat off of the bone (it should be falling off).

- Place the bones back into the sauce, turn up the heat and reduce the sauce until thickened to your liking.

- Heat off, bones out (make sure they're devoid of all meat), and shredded chicken back in. Stir it up and taste again. Season accordingly.

Serve with toasted flour tortillas (puffed up in the over/toaster to create a nice crunchy shell), smoked cheddar, avocado slices, and sour cream......or whatever else you like.