Basting

Well, the winter is over here in the Arctic and the weather is warming up, which means a lot of my neighbors are joining me on the back deck to fire up the grill.

One of the things that is easy to do on the grill is dry out the meat, so I am always looking for good basting sauce recipes to help retain the moisture of the meat, without changing a lot of the robust flavor I love. The other afternoon I was rumaging through the pantry looking for ingredients to make up a sauce when my lovely bride suggested, "Why not just use olive oil." I had never used just plain olive oil as a basting sauce, but it sounded like an okay idea so I tried it.

It was fantastic! You have to be careful of a little extra flamage, but the oil helps hold the moisture in the meat and allows you to achieve that perfect level of doneness without drying out the juices.

So, if you are looking for a great basting sauce this summer for those steaks or chops, just try some extra virgin olive oil, and enjoy!

Applebee's Bourbon Street Steak

Okay, so this is not an original recipe, but when you grill it at 10° on a 400° grill, it adds certain flair, so here goes:


½ cup steak sauce                                                  2 tsp yellow mustard

¼ cup bourbon                                                      4 – 10 oz. beef rib steak, round steaks, or chuck steaks

2 tsps Cajun seasoning                                          Sautéed mushrooms and onion, for topping

1 Tbs honey

1. Make a marinade by mixing the steak sauce, bourbon, the 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, the honey and mustard. A.1. is the usual favorite for steak sauce, and you can use whiskey or brandy in place of the bourbon if you prefer. Put the steaks in a resealable plastic bag with the marinade and give them a quick massage, making sure the marinade is evenly distributed. Let the steaks sit for at least 4 hours in the fridge (marinating overnight will enhance the flavors and tenderize the meat).

NOTE: I used petite sirloin, A.1. and Jim Beam.

2. When you are ready to cook the steaks, preheat the broiler or light a charcoal grill. Line the broiler pan with foil or put a drip pan under the grill to catch the juices.

NOTE: I use propane this close to the Arctic Circle, and did not catch the juices.

Okay, the rest of the recipe is about discarding the marinade, seasoning the steaks with Cajun seasoning and making sure to let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. U the sautéed mushrooms and onions as steak toppers.

We loved the steak, served it with Blue Cheese Mashed potatoes, and steamed cauliflower. It was a great meal. This one is definitely a keeper, but next time we are going to try a different steak sauce from A.1. Any suggestions?

Until later…

Works Cited

Douglas, R. (2010). More of America's Most Wanted Recipes. New York: Atria.

Basting Sauce

One of the great things about grilling, whether in sub-zero temps or on a more moderate day, is that you get to try all sorts of wonderful basting sauces.  Here is one of mine:

3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup red wine (if you wouldn't drink it, don't use it)
1 T lime juice
1 clove garlic - mashed
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
Black pepper

Mix all this together to use as a sauce as you grill. If your grill is really hot, be careful - the mixture of olive oil and red wine is delicious, but volatile. If you join me in grilling in arctic conditions, it helps to have a small side burner to keep the sauce warm. Otherwise you could actually stop the cooking process by slathering frigid sauce on cooking meat.

Later...

Salmon Chowder

One of the greatest things about living up here is the fishing in the summer. This first photo is me landing a nice sockeye earlier this year.

But the best part about this trip is in this next photo.

Yep, that's the same fish, or at least a part of him, on my grill out back - light snow falling and a balmy 25 degrees makes perfect grilling weather.  The box to your left is Reynolds Pro-Grill Non-stick aluminum foil. If you are grilling something that gets flaky and can fall apart through the grill - this is the stuff to have.

The reasons these nice filets were on the grill tonight was for some of my wife's great Salmon Chowder. For grilling I did not do anything to season these already tasty fish - just threw them on the grill, turned them once, and served them up for my wife's chowder.

Salmon Chowder:

3 T. butter                                            16 oz. cooked (or smoked) salmon

3/4 C. chopped onion                           1 - 1.5 cup mashed potatoes

1/2 C. chopped celery                          1 C shredded cheese

1.5 tsp. chopped garlic (fresh)                  (we use Monterey Jack)

2 - 3 C diced red potatoes (we don't peel them, but you can if you must)

2 C. heavy cream

1 C. chicken broth

1 tsp. salt/ black pepper

Chopped dill to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, celery and garlic. Boil 4 - 6 red potatoes, reserving enough to mash for texture later. Combine sauted vegetables, cream, broth, potatoes, salmon and seasoning. Add mashed potatoes/milk and cheese to adjust texture to your liking. Simmer for 20 minutes and enjoy. Makes six to eight servings.

Hey, I would really like to get some of your recipes for salmon. This snow isn't going to last forever, and my waders are getting mightly lonesome hanging up down in the garage!

Til later.