Home Made Ketchup Made Easy.

Fresh out of the pot and delicious.

Hey, it's summer right now, and it's time to grill and barbecue (yes, there is a difference) all over. Ketchup is one of the main condiments of summer, whether on a burger or hot dog or in your secret home made BBQ sauce.

Thing is,  I'm not a big fan of using commercial ketchup in something I use on my BBQ.... so I came up with something that is easy, uses ingredients that are inexpensive and for the most part already in your home. It keeps well in the fridge and makes an even better base for any tomato based sauce you can dream up. Give it a go!

You'll need:
1 796ml (26oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp Kosher salt (makes a difference, trust me)
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. celery seed, crushed to powder in a mortar or celery salt
1 tsp. mustard powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Keep on hand: 1 box (liter) vegetable stock

Heat a small pot at medium low and add crushed tomatoes, wine, and vinegars. As they heat, add the remaining ingredients. Simmer until thickened, adjusting consistency with vegetable stock if needed.

Once desired consistency is achieved, take it off the heat and let it cool. Use right away or store in airtight container in fridge for up to two weeks. Can also be frozen (useful to have a vacuum sealer at this point.)

Old School Hot Dog Chili Sauce.

One of the best things to ever happen to a hot dog. Mine, sans mustard.

Hot dogs. Almost as much an American pastime as baseball. Every city has their own way of making them their own, but they all have one option in common: chili. Every chili is as different as the city in which they are created.

But what if you can't get to Boston, Montreal, Cincinnati, New York, or Chicago? Well, some people buy it pre-made (canned.) Me? Not an option, and not just because they don't sell it here. It's too easy to make yourself!

The recipe I came up with is a mix of several good sauces, along with my own touch. It's simple, I love it, and I'm sure you will too!

You'll need:
1 lb, ground beef
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 onion or 1 shallot, very finely chopped
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp onion powder
2-3 tsp your favorite hot sauce (best choice I found - Tobasco or Tapatio)
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp kosher salt

beef stock or broth on hand (1 ltr. box)
(all above measures are subjective - feel free to adjust to your desire.)

Put a little oil in a pot and saute the onion/shallot at low - medium heat until slightly translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add ground beef and brown, stirring to break it down as it cooks.

Once sufficiently browned, add the crushed tomatoes and dry ingredients. If it seems too thick, add some stock - it only adds to the flavor. Add your hot sauce to taste.

Let it simmer on low heat, thinning it if it gets too thick too soon. Taste as you go, add stuff if you want - I do recommend chipotle powder. A little more salt doesn't hurt, either. Once it's thick, it's ready!

Horseradish Aoli

Borrowed image, but you get the idea.

It occurred to me that not everyone can get horseradish mayo where they are at. This simple recipe cures that issue. It is excellent for anything related to beef, and can be used on sandwiches. Even works with a little mustard for ham!

You'll need:

1 cup mayonnaise ( brand is your preference, but I use Hellman's)

2 tbsp. cream horseradish, or to taste

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

pinch of garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Place in an airtight container and it will keep for up to a week.

Enjoy!

Kim's Cilantro Lime Sauce

A simple, delicious sauce that that minutes to make.

A while back Kim, my lovely wife, and I decided to make fish tacos. Problem was, we weren't too sure about what we wanted to put on them. I came up with a wonderful slaw, but we needed something else to bring it to life. After a quick look in the fridge, we found what we needed and this was the result.

The beauty of the recipe is its flexibility. Not only is it great on fish tacos, but it's perfect for regular ones as well. You can use it as a dipping sauce for southwestern style foods, like Southwestern Spring Rolls (to be published later,) or even wings. It's amazing.

You'll need:
1/2 cup guacamole
1/2 cup sour cream (14% is best)
3-4 cloves of fresh pressed garlic
3-4 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (or to taste - not everyone loves cilantro as much as Kim)
juice of 1 freshly squeezed lime
pinch of Old Bay Seasoning

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a fork or whisk and refrigerate. Allow at least 4 hours for flavors to meld, overnight if possible.
Enjoy!

Sauce... Ed's take on Eastern Carolina BBQ sauce

An example of an East Carolina BBQ sauce.

Everyone has a favorite barbeque sauce, especially when it comes to pork. This is nowhere more true than in North Carolina. What you get depends on what region you're in at the time. Some will serve you a tomato based sauce, some mustard based, but in Eastern Carolina (where I lived) they use a straight up vinegar/ pepper sauce. 

Whether it's used as a mop for a slow roasted half pig (good ol' pig pickin's,) or as the main condiment/final ingredient in pulled pork, this is my favorite of the three. I hope it's yours, too.

For the sauce:

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. Louisiana hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper powder
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes

Put all the ingredients together in a pot, heat at medium low, stirring and adjusting to taste. Remove from heat, let cool, use what's needed. The remainder can be stored, refrigerated, up to 6 months in a tightly closed container. In fact, the longer it sits, the better it tastes!