From Show #206N - Flint and Detroit Inspired Coney Dogs 

Ingredients:

1/4 - 1/2 cup rendered beef suet or pork lard
3 pounds ground beef chuck
3 medium yellow onions, chopped fine
4 tablespoons ancho chili powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon aji amarillo chile powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon cumin powder, or to taste
4 teaspoons dried greek oregano, or to taste
3 teaspoons cinnamon, ground, or to taste
1 teaspoon allspice powder, or to taste
4 teaspoons cocoa powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2-4 tablespoons sea salt, or to taste
4 cups beef broth or chicken
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, preferably from michigan
4 teaspoons maple sugar, preferably from michigan
1/2 cup roasted garlic puree, see recipe
4 cups tomato sauce
clancy's fancy hot sauce, or similar, to taste
1/2 -1  cup cracker meal, or to taste, optional

Directions:

In a large heavy bottomed cast iron dutch oven or similar (with a snug fitting lid) over high heat add the suet. When when the fat starts to smoke add the beef.  Using a slotted spoon, brown the meat in the fat stirring occasionally breaking up the meat into individual grains. 

Remove the meat from the pan leaving the fat and add the onions stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and browned around the edges, about 8 minutes. Stir in the ancho and aji chili powders, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, cocoa, black pepper, and the salt. Cook, stirring constantly in the fat with the onions, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds or so.

Stir in the broth, vinegar, maple sugar, roasted garlic puree and tomato sauce, scraping the pan bottom to bring up those luscious browned kulinary kibbles-n-bits.

Add the reserved browned beef (and any accumulated juices) and as soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chili sauce is deep rust and has thickened slightly, about 1 hour. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt and hot pepper sauce to taste.

If after the hour simmering time the meat sauce seems too soupy add a bit of the cracker meal to dry out the sauce a bit.  Keep in mind the detroit style is more of a sauce and should be a bit loose.  this addition is yet another one of the "secret" ingredients that have been attributed to the michigan coney island sauces.

(The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat before serving.)

Ingredients:

for the avocado crema
1/2 ripe avocado, seeded and cut
sea salt, to taste
lime juice, freshly squeezed, to taste
1-2  tablespoons whole milk
2 cilantro springs, stemmed and chopped
for the "mayonesa"
1/2 cup whole egg mayonnaise, see recipe or a prepared mayonnaise
1 teaspoon hickory smoked vinegar, see recipe
1 1/2 tablespoon cultured buttermilk
for the aji amarillo sauce
2 tablespoons roasted garlic puree, see recipe
1 teaspoon hickory smoked soybean oil, see recipe, or comparable
1 cup dried aji amarillo chiles, stemmed and seeded*
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon hickory smoked vinegar, see recipe, or comparable
for the batter …,  (makes 24 servings or enough for 6 to 8 people) …
2 cups all purpose flour, preferably organic from michigan
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried mexican oregano, rubbed or ground to a powder
sea salt, to taste
12 ounces artisan lager, chilled, plus more to thin the batter if necessary, preferably from michigan
1/4 teaspoon clancy's fancy hot sauce, or to taste, or comparable
2 pounds walleye fillets, or other meaty freshwater fish, preferably from michigan
1/4  cup fresh lime juice
sea salt, to taste
4? cups unflavored corn flake cereal, lightly crushed, preferably from michigan
soybean oil, for frying, preferably from michigan
to assemble the tacos …
24 6 inch fresh corn tortillas, warmed (you can substitute flour tortillas, but the corn imparts a more indiginous flavor)
1/2 cup hickory smoked tomato salsa, see recipe, or comparable
24 lime wedges
1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Directions:

for the avocado crema (makes about 1/2 cup) …

Place the avocado, salt and lime juice in the bowl of a small food processor. Add the milk and pulse. Add more liquid as necessary until sauce is the consistency of thick cream. Add the cilantro and pulse until just blended.

for the "mayonesa" (makes about 1/2 cup) …

Place the mayonnaise in a small non reactive bowl and slowly stir in the smoked vinegar. Add water or milk until the sauce is thick and creamy.

for the aji amarillo sauce (makes 1/2 a cup) …

Wearing gloves, seed the chilies (unless you want hotter sauce, in which case, leave the seeds), reserve.

In a small cast iron skillet over medium heat add the soy oil, the reserved chilies and roasted garlic puree and cook 2 to 3 minutes until golden and aromatic. Place in the bowl of a bar blender or small food processor.

Blend or process until ground. Add the water and salt and puree until as smooth as possible. Scrape into a bowl and add the vinegar. Let stand at least 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or vinegar as necessary.

for the batter …

whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic, mustard, mexican oregano and salt in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in the beer and hot sauce until there are no lumps. (The batter can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated.)

for the tacos …

Cut walleye fillets into long strips the width of your index finger then cut them crosswise into 2-3 inch lengths. Toss the fish with the lime juice and salt to taste, reserve.

Pour the soybean oil to a depth of at least 3 inches into a deep-fat fryer with a basket or into a deep, heavy pan. If using a deep fat fryer load the oil per manafacturers directions. Whenever using a pan for deep frying never fill more than half way with oil to prevent boil over. Heat to 350°F, checking the temperature on a built-in thermostat or a deep-fat frying thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer, drop in a piece of potato; the oil should immediately begin to foam along its edges.

Pat the fish dry with paper towel. Check the thickness of the batter by dipping a piece of fish in it; it should be the consistency of medium-thick pancake batter, coating the fish easily with minimal dripping. Add a little beer or water if it seems too thick.

Add a few pieces of fish to the batter. Using tongs, lightly swish each piece until thoroughly coated. Remove fish, letting excess batter drip into the bowl then gently roll about in the crushed cornflakes until completely coated (the fish can be made ahead at this point and refrigerated for a few hours).

Using tongs gently place the fish in the hot oil a few pieces at a time until they float and the coating is set but still light in color, about 2 to 3 minutes. If a piece sticks to the bottom of the pan, just leave it, and it will release itself.

Remove the fish to a rack to drain and place in a low heat oven (200 degrees) to keep warm while you prepare the rest of the fish.

Heat tortillas on a dry griddle for 1 minute per side or, using metal tongs, simply hold over an open flame until warmed and slightly charred.

to assemble …

Hold a warmed tortilla in your hand, and using the back of a spoon spread a thin coating (or to taste) of the aji amarillo puree down the center.  Follow with a bit of shredded cabbage and top with a piece or two of the fried fish sprinkled with a little lime juice. Spoon a bit of the salsa and a spoonful of avocado over the fish, drizzle with some of the mayonesa and finish with a dusting of the fresh cilantro.

Notes:

*Whole Mexican oregano can be found in specialty spice stores, Mexican food section of most major supermarkets or in Latin American markets.

From Show #204N - A Michigan Inspired "Poutine" with Fresh Cheese Curds and Venison "Gravy"
Ingredients:

6 ounces maple cured bacon, see recipe, diced
3? pounds venison leg, trimmed and diced
1/4 cup soy bean oil, preferably from michigan
3/4 cup all purpose flour, preferably from michigan
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 pound portabella mushrooms, stems trimmed and mushrooms finely diced
1 bottle dry red wine, preferably from michigan
6 cups beef broth, or chicken or water
1/2 cup roasted garlic puree, see recipe
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
clancy's fancy hot sauce, or similar, to taste

Directions:

In a large dutch oven (or similar) over medium heat brown the bacon until crisp rendering the fat about 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the browned bacon to a bowl leaving the fat and reserve. In the same pot add the venison and brown on all sides in the bacon fat for another 8-10 minutes or until browned, remove the meat using the slotted spoon and reserve with the bacon.

Mix the soybean oil into the bacon fat and sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes or until the flour is lightly toasted add the tomato paste into the pan and cook stirring constantly in the roux mixture.  Add the diced onions, carrots and mushrooms and saute until coated on all sides in the roux about 10 - 12 minutes.

Add the reserved bacon and vension, red wine, water and roasted garlic puree, bring to a boil over high heat scraping up the browned kulinary kibbles-n-bits and season to taste with the sea salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the gravy is fragrant and the meat is tender and almost falling apart, about 2-3 hours.

Notes:

this fragrant and rich venison gravy should be spooned hot over doubled cooked crispy french fries and crumbled fresh white cheese curds for my version of the classic canadian and northern michigan "poutine."  By all historical accounts the original poutines gravy was a smooth clear reconstituted powdered mix. if your looking for a more accurate culinary experience feel free to strain out the venison and vegetables to more resemble the original - but why would you want to do that?!