Recipe: Turkey Tips with Chipotle Ketchup

Have you ever heard someone from England, Australia or New Zealand pronounce a foreign word that they have a need to use? Well, to an American ear it is friggin' downright funny. Not that Americans don't err themselves. I cringe every time I hear a well-meaning countryman pronounce "filet" with a hard "t". Yikes! I'm not writing this to make fun of Americans though.

Back to the people who make our language sound funny. Over the course of my life I have been fortunate enough to make many friends in the aforementioned countries that print money with the queen on it. Among the many benefits of having such friends is the abject pleasure I take in listening to them speak. I like the accents. They are interesting and often very, very amusing.

My very informal personal research has revealed that it is the preference of the inhabitants of these odd and strange commonwealth lands to Anglicize the foreign words they need to adopt for various reasons. This as opposed to the American method of adopting them as close to the language of origin as possible. A trait which I find respectful.

I'm sure it doesn't seem like much of a thing until you hear your Kiwi editor pronounce things like "risotto" (rihz-OTTO), "basil" (Beh-ZILL) or "Parmesan" (oh I can't even write it). Better yet, nothing, NOTHING beats hearing her pronounce "chipotle" (well except maybe my friend Sally from Northern England pronouncing "Feng Shui" (FEHNG-SHOOEY). Back to my rant: When pronounced in its native Mexican language "chipotle" seems the perfect sound to describe these smoked jalapenos, especially if they're packed in adobo sauce. However, when a Kiwi pronounces it, the sound is reminiscent of what you hear when you drop an empty metal canteen on concrete. Instead of that perfectly suitable "Chee-pote-lay" you get "CHEE-POT-UHL!"

CHEE-POT-UHL!

It also sounds like the call of a very large, flightless, messy and unpleasant bird!

CHEE-POT-UHL! CHEE-POT-UHL!

If you ever happen upon one of these pleasant and patronizingly polite foreigners I encourage you to offer them an Italian or Mexican menu. You'll have hours of fun listening to them! I did it with a Portuguese menu once and I still laugh every time I go back to that restaurant! Funny foreign chatter aside, this is a quick and easy recipe. Season the turkey to your personal taste and adapt the spicy ketchup to your comfort level. Personally, I make a large quantity of the chipotle ketchup and keep it handy in the fridge just like regular ketchup.

Turkey Tips with Chipotle Ketchup

1-2 lbs. Fresh turkey tenderloin or breast (cut into 1" cubes)
Montreal Steak Seasoning
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1-2 Tbs butter
1 can of Embasa Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
1 cup of ketchup.

In a large bowl, toss the cubes of raw turkey with your desired amount of Montreal Steak Seasoning (I think I'm somewhere around a tablespoon per pound of turkey, maybe a little less). Cover and set aside while you prepare the chipotle ketchup.

In a blender or food processor combine 2 Tbs of the adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers), the cup of ketchup, and 1 of the chipotle peppers (stem and seeds removed)* blend until smooth.

Set a fry pan on medium-high flame. Add the olive oil and when it begins to shimmer add the butter and cook the combination until the butter is no longer foaming. Add the turkey cubes and cook, stirring frequently until just cooked through.

Serve with the chipotle ketchup on the side.

I serve these with fries or tater tots. Yeah!

* Freeze the balance of the chipotles and adobo for future use.

Recipe: Turkey Tips with Chipotle Ketchup, Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk