Today’s Memphis Commercial Appeal’s “Cooking at Home” section featured home cook Konnie Saliba, an avid Cheater BBQ cheater. Ms. Saliba is Professor Emeritus at University of Memphis School of music and a performance pianist. She is also a barbecue cheater and freely admits it. That is pretty cool considering she lives in Memphis. 
Memphis pianist and home cook Konnie Saliba cheats to Chopin in the kitchen.
You can read the March 23rd Cooking at Home Feature here. Our chapter on “Two-Timing Cheater Recipes” is probably our favorite of the book because it solves the problem of leftover barbecue (in case there is such a thing). Leftover cheater barbecue regardless of the kind and cut of meat is the starting point of so many great new meals. By not confining your slow cooker pulled pork to a barbecue saucy style when its made you can transform it later into tacos, breakfast hash, soups, sandwiches, or Asian-style spring rolls if you feel like it. And it’s why we always make a little more cheater than we think we need. We love the leftovers. Konnie Saliba got that chapter, that’s for sure. So much so, in fact, that in response to the “Favorite Cookbook” question she named two: Cheater BBQ and The New York Times Cookbook. As Mike Tyson would say with enthusiasm, “Nice!”
Here’s our Two-Timing Cheat Sheet in case you’ve made too much cheater again:
Weekend Hash—Cook up leftover cheater meat and packet potatoes with onions in a skillet until crusty. Serve topped with fried eggs and salsa.
Stuffed Bakers—Fill baked potatoes with leftover cheater meat warmed with a little barbecue sauce. Top with shredded cheese and chopped fresh onion.
Nachos Grande—Top tortilla chips or corn tostada shells with cheater meat and cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted. Serve with nacho fixings like sliced jalapeños, black olive slices, salsa, sour cream, sliced green onions, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Ultimate Chili—We guarantee that your chili recipe, any chili recipe, will taste 50 times better made with chopped cheater brisket or chuck instead of ground beef. Be sure to throw in the leftover brisket broth.
Taco Wagon Tacos—The Nashville taco wagons serve the best, very simple Mexican tacos. To make them at home, crisp up any cheater meat in a skillet. Pile the meat in warmed soft corn or flour tortillas. Top with finely diced white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, chunks of ripe avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. That’s it. Add a bit of green salsa to stay with the color scheme. No cheese, no beans, no tomato.
