The Country's Best Southern Food From Road Trip with G. Garvin
Savor the varied and delicious tastes of the South.
Photo By: Peter Wynn Thompson / Getty Images ©2014, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Sarah Wilson / Getty Images ©2011, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Brining chicken before frying ensures that the meat will remain tender and juicy as the skin crisps to perfection. Chicago's Honey Butter restaurant serves its namesake condiment alongside the bird. The results are delightfully addictive.
Get the Recipe: Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Cuppy's Peach Cobbler
Nothing says summer like peach cobbler, but August humidity can make rolling out a pie crust nearly impossible. Make sure your dough is thoroughly chilled before testing out this otherwise fuss-free dessert.
Get the Recipe: Cuppy's Peach Cobbler
Kale and Macadamia Nut Salad
Bitter kale is no match for the burst of umami flavor that helms this salad's outstanding dressing from the Monkey Pod Kitchen in Oahu. Macadamia nuts, which are grown locally in Hawaii, add a buttery taste and lovely crunch to this healthy bowl.
Get the Recipe: Kale and Macadamia Nut Salad
Ron's Roadside BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
What's missing from Chef Ron Philipp's irresistible Cajun-spiced, slow-cooked fall-off-the-bone pulled pork sandwich? Absolutely nothing.
Get the Recipe: Ron's Roadside BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Pan-Roasted Chicken and Smoked Chicken Sausage with Kale Puree and Root Vegetables
At first glance, Grange Kitchen and Bar's dish seems reminiscent of classic roast chicken and vegetable recipes, but it's actually quite complex thanks to the use of breast meat and smoked chicken sausages. The result is a dish that's both cozy and modern –– and an all-around stunner.
Get the Recipe: Pan Roasted Chicken and Smoked Chicken Sausage with Kale Puree and Root Vegetables
Maple-Glazed Pork Chops, Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Mash
Pork chops have global appeal at Crackers restaurant –– the chef marinates them in Italian dressing and soy sauce before throwing them on the grill. Served with All-American sides –– green bean casserole and sweet potato mash –– this worldly meal will be right at home in your kitchen.
Get the Recipe: Maple Glazed Pork Chops, Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Mash
Batch Pork Belly
Kevin Danilo rubs his pork belly with coffee and sugar before cooking it confit style in duck fat. Served with a miso-Sriracha sauce, this rich meal is worth every minute of preparation.
Get the Recipe: Batch Pork Belly
Big Joe's Jambalaya
While jambalaya shows influences of classic Spanish and French dishes, this spicy, smoky jumble of a recipe is an American original hailing from Louisiana. Chef Aaron Monis gives this dish his own spin by using a combination of andouille sausage, pork, crawfish tails, shrimp and chicken in his recipe.
Get the Recipe: Big Joe's Jambalaya
Brownstone Punch
In New York City, hanging out on brownstone stoops is the best place to catch up with friends and neighbors (not to mention, kick back with a cocktail or two). The hit of coconut rum in this boozy punch makes it the perfect drink to enjoy on an island –– even if it's just Manhattan.
Get the Recipe: Brownstone Punch
Brooklyn Girl
How can you spot a Brooklyn girl? Perhaps by her sweet yet spicy notes –– as shown in this cocktail, which carries the same moniker. Craig Samuel muddles fresh blackberries to make this refreshing drink.
Get the Recipe: Brooklyn Girl
Black Skillet Chicken
When cooked in an uncovered skillet, chicken skin becomes irresistibly crisp and the meat stays juicy. If you're pressed for oven space, place the chicken atop the potatoes halfway through the roasting process (they'll get a flavor boost from the chicken juices).
Get the Recipe: Black Skillet Chicken
Smoked Beer Can Chicken
Roasting a bird on top of a beer can has two major benefits: It allows the skin to get hit from all angles and infuses the cavity with earthiness. The team at Southern Swank restaurant tops off each can with a tangy BBQ sauce, which adds an extra layer of flavor.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Beer Can Chicken
Gnaughty Gnocchi
What gives this typically tame recipe an edge? Three pounds of oxtails and a piquant tomato sauce. Hot and Soul restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., proves that their dishes stand up to their namesake.
Get the Recipe: Gnaughty Gnocchi
Chicken-Fried Bacon with Creamy Shrimp Grits
As if bacon wasn't delicious enough on its own, Chef Scott Ostrander of Mama's Boy Southern Table & Refuge batters the strips and dunks them in the fryer for extra crunch. They're layered atop creamy shrimp-studded grits and finished with a sunny-side up egg.
Get the Recipe: Chicken-Fried Bacon with Creamy Shrimp Grits and Sunny-Side Egg
Espresso-Rubbed Short Ribs with Red Eye BBQ Sauce
A smoky espresso rub deepens the rich, beefy flavor of short ribs. Don't waste the flavor-loaded pan drippings — simply blend with ketchup to form a tangy barbecue sauce.
Get the Recipe: Espresso-Rubbed Short Ribs with Red Eye BBQ Sauce
Mama's Boy Chocolate Cake
Coffee gives this decadent chocolate cake a jolt of caffeine and rich espresso flavor, balanced by a fresh raspberry filling.
Get the Recipe: Mama's Boy Chocolate Cake
Mama's Boy Coconut Cake
A tried-and-true Southern favorite, this fluffy cake is filled with coconut-flecked pastry cream and topped with more shredded flakes.
Get the Recipe: Mama's Boy Coconut Cake
Meatloaf
This meatloaf is baked uncovered with a ketchup mixture that becomes a crackly, sticky-sweet glaze when it's pulled from the oven.
Get the Recipe: Meatloaf
Peaches and Cream Stuffed French Toast
Stuff loaves of French bread with a peach-and-cream filling the night before so the flavors can meld and the slices won't fall apart in the pan.
Get the Recipe: Peaches and Cream Stuffed French Toast
Yeah Burger Triple B Bison Burger
This over-the-top bison burger gets a tempting topping of crumbled blue cheese, onion and smoky bacon.
Get the Recipe: Yeah Burger Triple B Bison Burger
Boundary Road Brick Chicken
The simple technique of weighing down chicken with a brick is used to crisp up the skin without losing any juiciness. To give the plate some Southern flair, serve the golden-brown bird with a sweet potato mash and braised collard greens.
Get the Recipe: Boundary Road Brick Chicken
Sixth Engine's Grilled Shrimp
This sophisticated take on shrimp and grits features two traditional Louisiana ingredients: peppery tasso pork and tender black-eyed peas simmered with a briny hock.
Get the Recipe: Sixth Engine's Grilled Shrimp With Tasso Ham, Black Eyed Peas, and Sherry Butter Sauce
610 Magnolia Black Bean Oxtail and Lima Beans
Chef Edward Lee fuses his Asian roots with the flavors and ingredients of the South to create this hearty stew. Cooking the oxtail low and slow is the key to meltingly tender meat, which he punches up with traditional Far East ingredients like fermented black bean paste, ginger and star anise.
Get the Recipe: 610 Magnolia Black Bean Oxtail and Lima Beans
Cookie Confidential's Philly Cheese Steak Cookie
Bacon is so last year. Made with a cheddar cheese base, these savory cookies are flecked with dehydrated onions and beef jerky to mimic the flavors of Philly cheese steak.
Get the Recipe: Cookie Confidential's Philly Cheesesteak Cookie
Caribbean Feast's Oxtail Dish
The meaty morsels of this Caribbean stew get their deep island flavors by marinating in gravy, garlic powder and fresh thyme for four hours.
Get the Recipe: Caribbean Feast's Oxtail Dish
Grub's Ooh La La Egg Sandwich
Buttery croissants are first given the French toast treatment –– dipped in a cinnamon-infused batter and griddled until golden brown –– then stuffed with cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon to form an over-the-top breakfast sandwich.
Get the Recipe: Grub's Ooh La La Egg Sandwich
Fickle Pickle Fried Green Tomato Sandwich
Fried green tomatoes make an appearance in this Southern sandwich, complete with thick, sweet tomato jam and basil mayo.
Get the Recipe: Fickle Pickle Fried Green Tomato Sandwich
Fickle Pickle Fried Cajun Pickles
This is really two recipes in one when you start with cucumbers and let them marinate in vinegar, Cajun spices and jalapenos. Then slice and fry them in a cornmeal-buttermilk batter for pickles that come out crisp on the outside and tangy on the inside.
Get the Recipe: Fickle Pickle Fried Cajun Pickles
Brickstore Pub Battered Ale Fish
Brickstore Pub in Georgia takes this classic pub dish to all-new levels when cod is dredged in seasoned flour, immersed in a curry-beer batter, then fried to a golden crisp.
Get the Recipe: Brickstore Pub Battered Ale Fish
Fried Chicken and Sea Island Red Peas
This crunchy and moist fried chicken is battered in buttermilk and seasoned flour before it's fried up in peanut oil. Serve with red peas and greens for a quintessentially Southern meal.
Get the Recipe: Fried Chicken and Sea Island Red Peas
Local Three Shrimp and Grits
In this version of the humble Southern staple, shrimp are braised in sherry and cream while the grits are cooked slowly in milk and butter.
Get the Recipe: Local Three Shrimp and Grits
Spiked Sweet Tea
For a sophisticated and spiked take on Southern sweet tea, try this frosty American cocktail made with iced tea-infused gin, orange liqueur and orange bitters.
Get the Recipe: JCTea
Tin Roof BBQ Texas Cheese Steak Sandwich
This sloppy but irresistible smoked sirloin sandwich gets hit with a triple-whammy of flavor: First comes a topping of sauteed mushrooms, red bell peppers and onions, then a slice of melty provolone cheese and, finally, a slathering of Thousand Island dressing.
Get the Recipe: Tin Roof BBQ Texas Cheese Steak Sandwich
G's Quick Jambalaya
Jambalaya can be put together in a cinch while still getting a full kick of flavor from the sausage, prawns, shrimp, crawfish and hot cayenne pepper.
Get the Recipe: G's Quick Jambalaya
Pitmaker Brisket
Meaty beef brisket deserves “low and slow” cooking with some smoky treatment for a substantial, fork-tender barbecue main.
Get the Recipe: Pitmaker Brisket
Frank’s Moustache Ride Cocktail
Nothing is quite as Southern as bourbon whiskey, traditionally distilled in Kentucky from corn. This bourbon-based cocktail is mixed with fig simple syrup, orange liqueur and a dash of bitters. Rim the glass with sticky, sweet maple syrup and dip in cocoa sugar before you pour and serve.
Get the Recipe: Frank's Moustache Ride Cocktail
Burger Bistro Veal Osso Buco Burger
This Italian favorite gets a Southern twist when the veal is formed into burger patties and braised in a red wine-tomato sauce until meltingly tender.
Get the Recipe: Burger Bistro Veal Osso Buco Burger
Sour Cherry Pear Pie
Sour cherries were just meant to be in pie. Here their tartness is tamed when paired with tender pears and baked under a sweet crumb topping.
Get the Recipe: Sour Cherry Pear Pie
Blueberry Peanut Smoothie
Fresh blueberries, creamy peanut butter and frozen yogurt come together in this frosty, protein-packed smoothie that will kick-start your day with energy.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Peanut Smoothie