bbq sauce (base)

Everyone has their own favorite bbq sauce, but let’s admit it – usually it’s store bought. There’s nothing really wrong with that, and there are definitely some good sauces out there to buy. I didn’t get into the idea of making it from scratch myself until I started living somewhere where it’s virtually impossible to find. I know, I didn’t think that was even possible. Still, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to throw something together quickly in case you run out, or want something fresh and customizable, or a way of giving your burger an original and personal touch? I think it’s worth a try.

Let me start out by acknowledging that everyone has different tastes on this, but what we’ll make is a launching pad – something to build from. I imagine you’ve noticed that with a lot of my stuff, but I like solid basics. If you have some solid basics down, it’s easy to be original and creative by adding this or that to suit your own tastes.

So what are the solid basics when it comes to bbq sauce? Well, for one, it’s based around tomatoes. That’s the main ingredient. Whether you’re using fresh tomatoes, paste, or ketchup (catsup? Anyone?), that’s the body of the flavor. Tomatoes naturally lean towards both sweet and tart flavors, so that’s the next step. For the sweet it’s sugar or honey (unless you’re a dire fan of Sweet-N-Low), and for the tart it’s vinegar.

You can see I’ve already given you a load of options – what kind of vinegar, tomato choices, sweeteners, etc. From there you add in your spices and additional flavors to make the sauce unique. Check the labels of bbq sauces in the store for inspiration if you’re feeling low on creativity. I’ve seen everything from onion powder to coffee to chocolate, and I’m sure there’s a whole lot more recipe secrets out there worthy of lifting an eyebrow at.

The great thing about having a building block to work from is that you can change it to fit with many different dishes. Maybe some rosemary to have it go with that lamb, maybe some red wine, garlic and shallots to fit it with that skirt steak. So, here’s my simple, basic recipe, the base that I like to think you'll soon be putting your own twists to.

simple, quick bbq

●3 Ketchup

●1 Honey heated thin (and not just any honey!)

●1 Vinegar (I blend rice and balsamic here)

●1/4 Mustard (whole-grain here)

●Hot sauce (optional, but not really that optional)

●Black pepper (or another seasoning of your choice, like paprika or onion powder)

●Salt (not cooking salt!)

●Lemon (to taste)

Mix all together and there you go. As for the ratios, I use about a 3 to 1 to 1, with the hot sauce and seasoning to taste. Maybe you're astounded that I don't use garlic? I am a garlic lover, but I don't need it every time. Add it when the menu calls for it. Give it a try!

too-may-toe, too-ma-toe, tomato sauce

Tomato sauce, one of the official members of the haute five since Auguste Escoffier’s interpretations of the mother sauces, is one of those most basic and most necessary to conquer. It is the underlying source of so many beautiful dishes. If you can make a good tomato sauce, you are well on your way towards delicious pastas, pizzas, soups, and myriads more.

If you are still buying your tomato sauce in a jar, this recipe is a must for you. Have you ever tasted that stuff right out of the jar and actually liked it? DIY it and not only can you make it perfectly to your tastes, but perfectly suited to your meals as well. So, that’s what we’re going to do.

Good tomatoes are naturally quite sweet, but leaving them in a can gives them tartness as time progresses. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s something to keep in mind later when we balance the flavors. First of all - and this should be obvious – a tomato sauce can only be as good as its tomatoes. That’s why I rather heartily demand that you find Italian canned tomatoes and accept no substitutes. The Italians know how to take care of their tomatoes. Oftentimes, those canned tomatoes are better than what I can get fresh locally, so don’t think badly of them just for being in a can. Also here’s a tip – don’t be fooled by labels advertising “Italian-style” tomatoes, check for the “prodotto in Italia” – make sure that they’re actually tomatoes grown in Italy.

 
The tartness in the canned tomatoes has to be balanced, but with what? You might think of adding sugar as a sweetener to combat the sourness, but I prefer to use that tartness to our advantage rather than counter-attack against it like it’s some kind of bad flavor. Garlic, and the richness that garlic contains, will do most of the work for us here. Frying the garlic in the pan a bit before adding your tomatoes is just what gives a great balance to the sour notes within.

The other trick is using whole tomatoes. If you want a really smooth sauce, feel free to blend and strain it after making, but make it first. I’m convinced this creates a richer something, and the tinny flavor seems less infused in the tomatoes packed this way. You can add anything to this either during or after it has been created to make it fit your style, so give this a shot.

the French Dip sandwich - the name tells you it's not foreign

Nothing says, "I wasn't invented in the country that my name says I was invented in" like writing a country's name into the title of a recipe. The history behind the French Dip goes way back to America in 1908. Or maybe it was 1918. It's hard to say, since the exact date is debated. The reason for this shroud of mystery lays in a double-claim over who originally invented the sandwich - Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet, or Philippe The Original. Both restaurants are long-standing establishments in the Los Angeles area.

Not only the restaurant, but the claims themselves also change quite a bit. Some say it was a police officer, while some say a fireman, who came in for a bite. While hastily trying to get this customer a sandwich, according to some, the cook accidentally dropped the sandwich into a pan of meat drippings. Alternatively, the customer asked if the sandwich could be dipped because of a problem with soar gums. Whatever the case, all the stories agree that the result was so popular that patrons were back for more in no time at all. Nowadays, you can find these slightly soggy, beefy wonders just about anywhere, at diners or even at fast food chains.

To my mind, French Dips are the quintessential soup and sandwich combo - simple, hearty, and filling. Despite its name, this is old school American fair. This isn't something I'd want to overdo by getting too complex. Meat, onions, and a nice spread on a French roll is as far as I want to go with this. Don't be fooled by my picture there, those tomatoes and that spring of dill were only needed for the photo-shoot. Not that they were bad, but they were definitely superfluous.

One thing I like to do, as you'll see in the video, is poach the beef in water for a minute or two. This does two things for me. It gets the meat tender and starts it off cooking, while also flavoring the water and making the start of a nice beef stock. The next step is to slowly simmer a bunch of onions in there and complete the soup.

In the video, I used a homemade barbeque sauce that was great, but feel free to use whatever is handy. Simple mustard, as long as it's good mustard, would work fine for the spread too, but when I'm really feeling fancy I like to upper class it a bit by mixing it with some cream cheese and maybe a little oil. You could easily start adding things like garlic or spices, and they would be delicious, but refrain from doing so. We're keeping this one simple, it's a lesson in restraint. Let the meat speak. After all, this sandwich was born with the idea of dipping meat into meat juice.