Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce

Texas is synonymous with BBQ it is a food group unto its self. Whether your idea of BBQ is Ribs, Chicken, Sausage, Pork or the undisputed "King of Texas BBQ" Brisket. All  BBQ needs a great sauce. Now let me say here really good BBQ should not need any sauce to be good, the meat will speak for it's self. This is not to say that great BBQ can not be enhanced with a touch of a quality sauce served on the side.
Two of the largest growing condiment lines are BBQ sauce and Hot sauce, look around the next time you are at the Market to many choices for this Cowboy to deal with. I decided to make my own based on what I consider the flavors of Texas. Something unique that will go nicely with all BBQ. As a base I chose my favorite beverage Dr. Pepper not only for its complex flavors but because it tastes so good with BBQ I have lots of experience here trust me. The resulting sauce has a sweet start that really elevates the BBQ's sweetness with a spicy finish and a little back heat, with the undercurrents of the Dr. Pepper in the back ground rounding out the experience. Enjoy!

Prep time: 10 min                                   Cook time: 40 min


Dr.Pepper BBQ sauce


Ingredients:


2 cans Dr. Pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup veg oil
2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Basil
1 cup Hunts ketchup
1/3 cup Worcestershire
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp New Mexico Chili powder
1/3 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Black Strap molasses


Place everything in the blender except 1 can of Dr. pepper and blend for 1 min. Transfer to a sauce pan stir in the remaining Dr pepper. bring to a low boil reduce heat to a simmer and reduce by 1/2. Cool and bottle.

Canberry Sauce>Turkeys other best friend

When I think of  the Thanksgiving Feast there are all those delicious traditional dishes that can be found on most all holiday tables. Then there is the RED gelatinous cylindrical blob on a plate usually dressed up with a leaf of lettuce for a bed, it is the dreaded Cranberry sauce. I grew up thinking that is what cranberry sauce was supposed to be and gave my mom praise for carving those decorative  rings around its exterior, once a year she would develop Ninja Knife skills to impress the crowd. Sound familiar?

My first experience with whole berry cranberry sauce came in my early 20's. I was stationed in San Diego unable to get leave to be home (Some body has to mind the store) I ate my Thanksgiving meal in the Officers Club. Part of the condiments on the table where a whole berry cranberry sauce. Mom got a phone call not long after that and we had a good laugh about her Ninja skills and how I must seek out therapy because I was deprived as a child.

Thanksgiving is such a great time with amazing food and I hate the thought of only having this incredible dinning experience only once a year so I celebrate it twice the traditional and again in July. Although the menu is built around the summer turkey is the protein of choice. Have you ever tried to find cranberries in July in Texas? So I needed to find a solution. Little did I know this would become THEE cranberry sauce for all my turkey dinners. So easy and very good it, it is one of those recipes that give maximum bang for the buck with ingredients that can be picked up in any grocery store any time of the year. Enjoy!

Perp time: 10 min                                cooking time: 30 min                   yield: 2 1/2cups


Ingresdients:

1 med granny smith apple
2 cups cranberry juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1 6oz pkg dried cranberries
Juice of 1/2 a lime: about 1 1/2 tbl spoons
1 tsp corn starch and 1 tsp cranberry juice, mixed
pinch of salt

Directions:

Core peal and  finely dice 1/2 of the apple.
Put a high sided skillet over med heat pour in the cranberry juice, lime juice, apple and the spices. Bring to a simmer and add the berries and sugar.

 Simmer 20 min until the berries plump up and the sauce thickens

.
Stir in the corn starch and cranberry slurry simmer for 3 min remove from heat and transfer to a bowl and refrigerate uncovered till cool.

BBQ Meatballs

I Know what your thinking "these are those little gut bombs that I had at the last what ever party from the wholesale place." WHOA not so fast! I promise you these are not even close to those dreaded frozen in the bag ho hum marbles. These are are the food of the BBQ gods. Tender and  moist packing big time flavor. I think of them as BBQ Crack, one bite and your hooked . This is big time comfort food that at home on the plate with some mashed potatoes or Mac & Cheese that will chase the Blues away.

The thing I like about these is their versatility, I have baked them in the oven, smoked them in my wood fired BBQ Pit, and slow cooked in the Crock pot. What ever route you decide to go you will be richly rewarded.
The first time I had these was at a potluck supper. I passed on them at first but my date that night was adventurous and insisted I have a taste, to say I was pleasantly surprised is to understate the Happy Dance my taste buds where preforming. I was on a mission and left that evening with the recipe. I was amazed by it's simplicity and surprisingly few ingredients. Over time I Tried a few things, small changes here and there and have developed this into a real show stopper. Enjoy!

Perp time: 40 min                        cook time : 2 1/2 hrs             Yield 2 dzn

Tools: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, small bowl, wax paper

Ingredients:

Meatballs

1 1/2 lb Ground chuck 80/20
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp lemon pepper
3 tbl finely diced onion
2 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp powdered mustard
2 tbl lt brown sugar
1tsp ground ginger

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water.
2 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tbl lemon pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp onion powder
2 good dashes Louisiana hot sauce
2 tbl grape jam
1/3 cup water

Directions:

Break up the ground chuck in a mixing bowl  add the dry spices, Worcestershire, oats and milk mix to combine. place the meat in the freezer for 15 min to firm up.

In a sauce pan over medium heat combine the ingredients for the BBQ sauce except for the water and simmer for 15-20 min. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat the largest skillet you have over med low heat with 2 tbl of vegetable oil.
Remove the meat from the freezer roll approximately 2 tbl spoons of the meat into a ball ( the mix will be tacky a light touch is required) and drop into the small bowl of all-purpose flour  to coat then place on the wax paper.

Brown the meatballs on all sides to firm the exterior.

If you are going to cook these in the oven place then in a 13x 9" baking dish  add the 1/2 cup water to the BBQ sauce give it a quick stir and pour over the meatballs, place the meatballs in your oven and set it to 225 deg and bake uncovered 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

If you will be using a Crock Pot put the browned meatballs in the crock, prepare the sauce like above cook on low 4 hrs or high for 2-1/2 hrs lay a wooden spoon across the crock at 1 end raising the lid to allow the sauce to thicken.

If you are going to do these in a smoker put the meatballs in a disposable aluminum pan NO sauce! Run the smoker at 225- 240 for 1 1/2 hours then add the sauce with only 1/4 cup of water. Continue to smoke
for 45 min to an hour.

Basic Italian Red Sauce> The Universal Italian Condiment

If you appreciate a nice plate of pasta then a rich, flavorful, zesty, thick sauce is what really makes the pasta stand out. I cringe when ever I go down that isle at the market with all those jars. So many choices some heavy with salt some are sweet and none are fantastic. Read the labels some time and you will probably lose your desire for that plate of pasta.  A great sauce should be big on flavor and have only a hand full of ingredients. After all the tomato is the real star and you should use the best ones you can  afford.
Imported San Marzano plum tomatoes are king and in my little part of the world also go for a kings ransom just under $5.00 for a 28 oz can. That is completely out of my budget so I went in search of and econimical replacement. The closest I could find in flavor and acidity are petite diced and are advertised by a chef who crashes your kitchen to cook with them.
Making a good sauce is not difficult, If you can turn on the cook top and use a can opener your half way home. Enjoy!


  Prep time: 5 min.         Cook time: 1 hr         Yield: about 2 quarts
         

Ingredients:

2 28 oz cans of tomatoes ( chopped or whole)
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/3 cup (aprox.) good Italian olive oil
1 med onion (grated extra fine)
3-4 about 1 tbl spoon cloves of garlic (grated fine)
*1/2 tsp dried basil
*1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup red wine
salt to taste.
2 packets sweet and low sweetener
*Sub 1 tsp Italian seasoning


Tools: Heavy bottom stock pot, wooden spoon, box grater, blender

Directions:

Start by placing the stock pot on the lowest heat add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot + a little extra; You are going to infuse the oil with flavor that will carry through the sauce.
Add the chili flakes and the herbs to the warm oil allow to heat for 10 min.to release their flavors and infuse the oil.
Add the tomato paste repeating the same process until the oil changes  from a green -gold to a red tint

the longer you cook the tomato paste the more tomato flavor will be concentrated into the oil. The tomato paste will begin to caramelize intensifying the natural sweetness, so let your "inner chef " tell you when it has been long enough.
Push the tomato paste to one side of the pan the grated onion and garlic into the oil to sweat their goodness into the infusion until they become translucent this should take about 5- 10 min depending on how hot tour oil is. once the y are translucent mix them with the tomato paste.
A quick note on seasoning, I season as I go after each addition with a final adjustment at the end. You are in control so add what tastes good to you I always try to imagine the food in the pot as it where my plate and season accordingly as if I where adding it at the table.

.Open your tomatoes and add one can to the blender and process in 2-4 quick pulses, pour this into the pot and mix with the tomato paste/olive oil infusion. If you prefer you pasta sauce a little chunky for a more rustic feel reserve about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the tomatoes from the second can and process the remainder as before. If you desire a smooth sauce process the entire second can and add to the simmering pot along with the red wine ( if you do not have red wine substitute; 1 1/2 tbl red wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar or use grape juice and 1 tsp red wine vinegar) turn up the heat until it starts to bubble then back it down to the lowest setting place the lid on cocked off to allow steam to escape and reduce the sauce. Cook for about 30 min, again let your "inner chef " be your guide if you like it thicker cook it a little longer. Give it a taste and check the seasoning adjust it to your liking, if it is a little bitter you may need to add a little Sweet and Low to bring down the acid level. It really depends upon the tomatoes. I find S&L to work better than sugar to keep the flavor savory. Ladle the hot sauce into clean jars and store in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks it also freezes well for up to 6 months.