Barbecue Sauce

There are not many barbecue sauces that I like. Andy’s Barbecue and Famous Dave’s Barbecue are 2 of my favorite sauces. I thought about trying to make my own, but I never got serious about it. Then one day, I was watching Tyler Florence’s show, Tyler’s Ultimate, on Food Network. He was making ultimate barbecue chicken which included homemade barbecue sauce. I watched and thought, “This is too simple.” My curiosity got the best of me; so when I got the opportunity to do some barbecue, I used the opportunity to tryout making some of Tyler’s barbecue sauce. Well, it was very simple to make, and tasted great. My family really enjoyed it. I plan on doing some tweaking to adjust the recipe a little closer to my taste. But now I have 3 of my favorite barbecue sauces in the refrigerator. Here’s the recipe for those out there who would like to try it.

Bon Appétit

•4 slices of smoked bacon
•1 bunch fresh thyme
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•1 onion, chopped
•4 garlic cloves, chopped
•2 ½ cups ketchup
•2 tablespoons molasses
•2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
•1 tablespoon dry mustard
•1 tablespoon ground cumin
•1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika if available
•Freshly ground black pepper

Cut bacon into squares. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Separate thyme leaves from stems and add to saucepan and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.

Like Father, Like Son

My son is taking French in high school. A couple of assignments were cooking French dishes. One time he made French onion soup and beef bourguignon. My wife told me the French onion soup was great, but the beef bourguignon was a bit rich. I had to work and missed that meal. I was lucky enough to be around for the next one. My son asked me for some suggestions on what to cook, and I came across a recipe for pot au feu. It was fairly simple, and best of all it required the use of a slow cooker. The recipe required beef with bone, and I suggested short ribs. I bought all the ingredients, showed him how to cut them up, and let him at it. He cut up everything, fried the vegetables, braised the ribs and put them in the cooker. The only things I did, besides show him how to cut the vegetables, was cook some bacon in the microwave and take pictures of him preparing the meal for his report. The prep time took about 30 minutes, and 5 hours later it was done. The meat fell off the bones and tasted great. It looks like there’s another cook in the family. The recipe for the pot au feu is at the link below.

Bon Appétit

http://france-property-and-information.com/pot-au-feu.htm

Potatoes Dauphinios (Scalloped Potatoes)-Take Two

Well, using the information I received from a waiter at “Les Chefs de France” in the France Pavilion at Epcot, I’m finally cooking my potato recipe right where I want it to be. The Potatoes came out tender, not soggy. The cream had hardened up and was not runny. My wife told me that they were great. I liked the way they turned out, although I believe I can “tweak” it to make it even better. By “tweaking,” I mean changing the spices to how I like it. For those of you who would like to try this recipe, here it is.

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• ½ clove of garlic
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Pinch of flour
• 4 small Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 8 ounces Swiss cheese, grated (add in a little cheddar cheese)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with the butter and set aside.

Place the cream in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are barely fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Rub casserole dish with cut garlic clove. Smear the inside of casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of butter. With a large slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a prepared casserole dish, forming an even layer on the bottom. Cover with layer of cheese, and continue layering the potatoes and cheese, ending with cheese on top. Season cream with spices (salt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika) to taste. Pour cream into casserole dish. Place on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve hot.