Don’t let the building fool you; Killen’s Steakhouse is an upscale restaurant in the heart of Pearland, Texas.
Chef Ronnie Killen returned to his hometown after training at Le Cordon Bleu and honing his culinary skills throughout the U.S. He has cooked for President Bush several times and was a candidate to serve as the executive chef at the White House in 2005. Chef Killen has won many awards and accolades and many of his customers consider Killen’s Steakhouse to best of its kind in Texas.
With help from food radio talk show host Cleverley Stone and FOX 26 reporter Ruben Dominguez, Chef Killen demonstrates how to prepare several of his special recipes.
For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston,
listen to Cleverley’s radio show Saturdays from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Talk 650 AM.
(By the way, she gives out restaurant gift cards on every radio show!)
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a charity which benefits the youth of Texas. Since the Show’s beginning in 1932, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has contributed more than $250 million to scholarships, research, endowments, calf scramble participants, junior show exhibitors, the Rodeo Institute for Teacher Excellence, School Art participants, and other educational and youth programs. Currently, 1,934 students are on Show scholarships. Enrolled students are attending 88 different Texas colleges and universities. The value of these scholarships is nearly $24.8 million.
The Best Bites event is on Feb. 21 and will feature announcement of winners of the International Wine Competition, a wine & food tasting and culinary competition between restaurants and catering companies.
Ronnie Killen, chef and owner of Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland, won the 2009 Best Bites Competition. On Feb. 21 he defends his crown at the 2010 event. Killen shows the diva of dish and radio talk show host, Cleverley Stone, how to make his award-winning killer crab cake. Stephanie Baird, chairman of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Wine Competition Committee tells us about the winning wines that guests can sample at the event.
For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, catch Cleverley’s radio show, Saturdays at Noon on KIKK 650 AM. (By the way, she gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)
Killen’s Crab Cakes with Beurre Blanc Sauce
(Yields 6 cakes)
Source: Ronnie Killen, ownerand chef, Killen’s Steakhouse
Ingredients
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1/3 cup fresh toasted bread crumbs
3 green onions (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 egg
Dash of cayenne pepper
Panko bread crumbs, for coating
½ cup oil (plus 1 tablespoon for vegetables)
Beurre Blanc Sauce (see recipe below)
Directions
1. In medium pan sweat whites of onions, celery and peppers in 1 tablespoon of oil, until soft.
2. In a large bowl, mix together sweated vegetables, toasted bread crumbs and dash of cayenne pepper. Fold in egg, then fold in crab, (be careful not to break up the crabmeat pieces).
3. Shape mixture into patties and dredge in Panko bread crumbs.
4. Heat ½ cup of oil in a large skillet over medium heat till 325 degrees. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, (in batches), in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
5. Serve warm with beurre blanc or other preferred sauce.
Beurre Blanc
Ingredients
½ pound unsalted butter, ice cold
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2/3 cup of dry white wine
1/3 cup lemon juice
Salt and white pepper to taste
Directions
1. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and put back in the fridge.
2. Put the shallots, white wine and lemon juice in a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce liquid by two-thirds. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.
3. Briskly beat in the butter. You may strain out the shallots, if you like.
