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Archive: June, 2009

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Barbecue Sauce For A Perfect Barbeque

When someone mentions barbecue images comes to the mind like cooking at the backyard grill, a social gathering, cooking outdoors and cooking meat slowly over wood and smoke that adds flavor to the food.

Different cooks have different preferences and style in their cooking. Some prefer rubbing the seasoning whether wet or dry prior to cooking and some prefers to soak the meat first in special marinades that could be sops, mops and finishing. The preparation and ingredients for marinating may differ from region to region the preferred wood to be used can also differ. However, no perfect barbecue will taste as good without the perfect barbecue sauce.

Barbecue sauces can generally be categorized by what they are based on. Common examples are tomato, vinegar and mustard based sauces. To give the barbecue its distinctive taste and prevent the meat from burning easily, barbecue sauces are applied to the meat while being cooked with the exemption of tomato based barbecue sauces as tomato based sauces burns easier than the other kinds of sauces.

Barbecue sauce preparation can either be sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, hot, thick or thin. The varieties are almost endless which makes barbecues popular because anyone can make his own special preparation depending on taste and anyone can create his own way of serving the barbecue.

Recipes for barbecues can also be guarded. And good barbecue sauces can be purchased at almost any store. But the only perfect barbecue sauce is the one that you can create for yourself.
Remember whatever works for you and your family can be a great barbecue sauce. So start experimenting that is the only way to start good cooking.

The basics of Barbecue sauces?

Tomato based barbecue sauce is the most widely used. Some say that it is the most popular. Its popularity however may be due to the simplicity of preparation and besides; tomatoes are ingredients that could easily be found. The point to remember in preparing tomato-based barbecue sauces is to cook the tomatoes very well in order for the flavor to blend with the other ingredients.

Tomato based barbecue sauces are acidic. Because of this, it has the property to breakdown all the flavor of other ingredients blending them with its own. But because of its propensity to burn, limit the usage of tomato based barbecue sauce while cooking. To make it even more flavorful, prepare tomato barbecue sauces a day in advance.

Mustard based sauces are preferred in North Carolina. The mustard based barbecue sauce is great for grilling pork.

Vinegar is great meat tenderizer. It is also more acidic than tomatoes. Because of its acidic content, vinegar based sauces has a tendency to penetrate deep into the meat. To make this barbecue sauce more flavorful, experiment mixing it with chili, cider vinegar or red pepper, sugar salt and all the other ingredients that you want it to have.

Barbecue sauces today has different uses departing from its traditional purpose. It now serves as a condiment that is present on almost any table like ketchup, salsa, salt, pepper and Tabasco.

However, if experimenting with food is not your greatest strength, you can always find great sauces in any store. To make great barbecues, one rule to follow is not to place too much weight on the “with smoke flavor” label that many bottled tomato sauces advertise itself. Smoke flavor is what is barbecuing all about. The flavor has to come from the wood not the bottle.

categories Barbecue

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Barbeque and Grilling Blunders – Learn to Eliminate Outdoor Cooking Mistakes that Kill Your Cookout

Your average backyard cook is no expert in the barbeque or grilling field. He has no television shows on the Food Network. He has no grilling cookbooks out. Nor has any of those been part of his lifetime goal.

No, your average outdoor cooking enthusiast makes more mistakes with bbq grilling than you could ever imagine. The meat ends up dry and tough time after time, despite marinating for hours. Or the meat is burnt or cooked too long.

These mistakes are made time and time again because your average backyard cook usually does not know any different. He does not automatically know How to Barbeque.

Here are some of the more common mistakes and do’s and don’ts made in bbq grill cooking:

1) If you started with frozen meat, make sure the meat is thawed completely. Trying to cook the inside of a still-frozen piece of meat is next to impossible without burning the outside.

2) When using a charcoal grill, try to start the fire without charcoal lighter fluid. Lighter fluid taste will always get into your meat no matter how much you cook the coals down first. A chimney starter makes starting the fire a breeze. It also allows you to add charcoal along the way should the coals burn out along the way.

3) Never poke the bbq meat with a fork after cooking has begun. This is one of the most common mistakes and one of the most deadly for your barbeque. When poking with a fork, the juices will run out of the meat and right into the bottom of the barbeque pit or grill. Your meat will be dry and less tender. Use a long set of tongs to turn the meat.

4) Lower the heat. Except for grilled steaks, which need a quick searing, cook slowly over low to medium heat. Lower heat is much more manageable and it will make the meat tender and juicy.

5) Quit lifting the lid to check the meat. Every time you do that it changes the temperature inside the bbq grill or pit. Air from you opening the lid acts like a sponge and dries the meat up. Opening the lid also increases your chances of flare-ups.

6) This is more of a food safety mistake. Do not put the cooked meat back on the same plate or platter that the raw meat was on without washing it first. Mixing the cooked with the raw just begs for someone to get sick.

7) After removing the meat from the bbq grill or pit, let it rest for at about 5-10 minutes. Cutting into or slicing the meat immediately after pulling it from the cooker will cause all the juices to flow out of the meat and onto the platter.

Of course, these are not all of the mistakes made by the amateur outdoor cook, but are some of the more common. But if you will prevent doing these yourself, you will eliminate many of the things that cause barbeque failures.

Your guests and family will wonder how come your grilled or barbequed food is so much better then it used to be. And, who knows?…Maybe the Food Network will come looking for you.

categories Barbecue

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Lighten Up Your Menu With Healthful Wild American Shrimp

For many Americans, some of their fondest memories include outdoor gatherings with family and friends and al fresco meals featuring the rich flavors and aromas of fresh local produce and seasonal ingredients.

While shopping for the freshest ingredients, remember to look for local ingredients that are packed with flavor, as are Certified Wild American Shrimp, caught from the open waters along the Gulf and South Atlantic.

“Wild-caught shrimp are fresh, succulent and tender unlike 85 percent of the shrimp, which are imported and pond-raised,” said Chef Dean James Max, executive chef of 3030 Ocean located in Marriott’s Harbor Beach Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale. He has received rave reviews for his fresh, simple and healthy style, which stems from a philosophy of natural and traditional preparation using impeccable ingredients.

A typical four-ounce portion of Wild American Shrimp has just 112 calories, when served steamed, boiled, grilled or baked, so it can be a refreshing way to lighten up your menu.

You may care to try this recipe from Chef Dean James Max’s new seafood cookbook, “A Life by the Sea.”

“When you ask for Certified Wild American Shrimp at a restaurant or seafood counter, you’re supporting an important American industry that spans generations,” added Max.

Sesame Wild American Shrimp with Avocado Purée

and Citrus Sauce

Serves 6

18 jumbo Wild American Shrimp (under 10 size)

1 cup flour

1 cup soda water

pinch sesame seeds

pinch baking soda

6 cups peanut oil

3 avocados

2 Tbs. sesame oil

2 limes

1 shallot

1 cup Florida citrus sauce

Whisk the flour, sesame seeds, baking soda, soda water and salt. Chill the batter in the refrigerator until needed. Clean the shells from the body of the shrimp and devein them. Heat the peanut oil in a small deep fryer to 350 degrees. Dip the shrimp in the batter while holding the tail fins. Carefully, dip the shrimp three quarters of the way into the oil and hold it there for 4 seconds before letting it go. Repeat the process for all the shrimp. You will have to fry the shrimp in batches of 3-4 at a time. Transfer them to a warm plate covered with a paper towel. Season them with fine sea salt when they come out of the oil. Purée the flesh of the avocado with the sesame oil, lime juice, minced shallot and salt. Spoon equal amounts of the avocado purée on each of the 6 plates. Position 3 of the shrimp in the avocado purée. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the citrus sauce around.

Florida Citrus Sauce

Yields 1 cup

1 grapefruit

2 oranges

1 lemon

1 lime

1 tangerine

2 kumquats

1 stalk lemongrass (chopped)

1 Tbs. fresh chopped ginger

1 Tbs. coriander seeds

1 Tbs. fennel seeds

2 shallots (minced)

2 Tbs. rice vinegar

2 Tbs. fresh-pressed peanut oil

3/4 cup grape seed oil

Zest, segment and juice the grapefruit, oranges, lemon, lime and tangerine. Thinly slice the kumquats and remove their seeds. Place the segments and the kumquats in a bowl. Place the citrus juice, zest, ginger, lemongrass, coriander, fennel and shallots in a small pot to reduce over a medium flame. When the juice has reduced to just before a paste, press it through a fine mesh strainer. Add it to the bowl with the segments and whisk in the vinegar and oils. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

categories Healthy Recipes

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Healthful Ways To Keep Your Cool

When the weather’s warm, it’s almost too easy to rely on ice cream, soda, popsicles and other frosty sweets for refreshment. However, there are delicious ways to cool off without making the hope of a trim waistline melt away.

For instance, you can eat something sweet, feel refreshed and still get your recommended five fruits and veggies a day with the recipes below. Easy to make and even easier to enjoy, smoothies and sorbets made with light and healthy canned Bartlett pears are a refreshing antidote to a hot afternoon. Added bonus: The pears contain no fat or cholesterol and are a good source of potassium and fiber.

Pear Yogurt Ginger Smoothie

Makes 4 Servings

1 can (15 ounces) Bartlett pear halves or slices, drained

3 cups nonfat vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup nonfat milk

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

5 ice cubes

In blender or food processor container, puree pears. Add yogurt, milk, ginger and ice cubes, process until well blended.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving): Calories 183; Protein 9g; Carbohydrate 37g; Fiber 2g; Fat 1g; Cholesterol 4mg; Sodium 118mg.

Blissful Pear Sorbet

Makes 6 Servings

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 can (15 ounces) Bartlett pears, well drained

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In saucepan, heat water and sugar until sugar is well dissolved. Cool syrup to room temperature. In blender container, combine up to one-half of the syrup and pears; blend until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and remaining syrup. Freeze in small (1-quart) ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s directions.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving): Calories 166; Carbohydrate 0g; Fiber 0g; Protein 0g; Fat 0g; Sodium 7mg.

Chill Out-These cool and refreshing treats, made with canned Bartlett pears, can be a nutritious and delicious way to beat the heat.

categories Healthy Recipes