Grilling season is upon us. Families are escaping to their backyards, picnic areas and campgrounds breaking out their grills. Whether it’s beef, pork, lamb, venison, seafood or vegetables, the sky is the limit on what you can cook on a grill.
Today, I am going to take a different approach. Since everyone has their favorite type of meat to grill, I am going to share with you a couple of sauces that enhance your favorite proteins. These recipes are Cream Horseradish Sauce, Bud’s Broiler Hickory Smoke Sauce, Cannon’s Hickory Smoke Sauce and Chimichurri Sauce. You may wonder why two different hickory smoke sauces. One is served warm while the other is kept cool. They have different flavors so you may find you prefer one to the other. For me, it just depends on my mood. They are both great additions to burgers.
Cream Horseradish Sauce is traditionally served with Prime Rib. It is a great accompaniment to any steak. You can find bottles of creamy horseradish on the condiment isle of your store, which is not the same as prepared horseradish. This you will find in the refrigerated meat section.
Cream Horseradish Sauce
6 tablespoons prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Combine all the ingredients except the cream in a gravy boat or sauce dish. Mix thoroughly and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, then add the heavy cream slowly, stirring constantly. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Bud’s Broiler is a hamburger chain in New Orleans. They cook their burgers over charcoal, giving you the feeling that it was cooked in your backyard. The combination I get is the #4: Hamburger topped with grated Cheddar cheese and Hickory Smoke Sauce. They keep this sauce warm before serving.
Bud’s Broiler Hickory Smoke Sauce
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup liquid smoke
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste
Combine tomato sauce, ketchup, liquid smoke, vinegar, chili powder and Worcestershire sauce in a medium pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and keep warm.
This Hickory Smoke Sauce was featured on Cannon’s Canadian Bacon Burger. The hamburger was topped with grilled Canadian bacon, shredded Cheddar and Jack cheese combination and Hickory Smoke Sauce. This sauce was kept on refrigeration. It was often served as a dipping sauce for other dishes.
Cannon’s Hickory Smoke Sauce
2 cups BBQ sauce
2 cups chili sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon onion, minced
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Keep refrigerated between uses.
I know that I have shared this recipe before. This Argentinian sauce is great on grilled meats. There is no cooking involved, making it a simple sauce to make. Try it next time you grill a steak. You will be happy you did.
Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
3-4 garlic cloves
2 Tbsps fresh oregano leaves (can sub 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Finely chop the parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic (or process in a food processor several pulses). Place in a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving. Can keep for a day or two.
I hope you try one of these sauces the next time you grill. If none of these sauces are to your liking, here is a little lagniappe recipe. Melt some butter over low heat. Add chopped garlic and fresh chopped parsley. Sauté for 3 minutes and spoon over your steak.
Good Cooking, Good Eating and Good Living!!!
