Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Fish Sauce

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This sweet and sour fish sauce dip is made spicy with chopped chilies and garlic, while fresh-squeezed lime or lemon gives it a sour edge. Called nuoc cham or nuoc mam cham in Vietnamese, it is the ubiquitous condiment of the Vietnamese table. Drizzle it over grilled meat set atop thin rice noodles tossed with shredded vegetables for refreshing fare, perfect for summer.

Ingredients

1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime or lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced or minced
1 to 2 fresh red Thai chilies, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced or minced

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the fish sauce and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the lime or lemon juice and add the garlic and chilies. Let steep for 20 minutes or so before serving. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Molasses-Bourbon BBQ Sauce

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Rick Browne, Ph.B., host of the PBS show “Barbecue America” and the author of The Best Barbecue on Earth and nine other books, is supplying articles and recipes to the Fiery Foods & Barbecue SuperSite.

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup bourbon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Leaves from 5 fresh thyme sprigs

Instructions

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar and boil until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add ketchup, molasses, and 1/4 cup water, then the bourbon; stir to blend. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir in salt and white pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Stir in the thyme leaves. (This sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Grilled Spring Lamb Chops with Kentucky Rub and Basamic Reduction

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Before advances in livestock husbandry made young lamb available all year long, it was especially popular in the spring, when the lambs were born. Still, spring lamb is particularly tender and non-gamy.  I’m using a rub popular in Kentucky, where they barbecue the lamb. Finally, the balsamic reduction finishes the grilling.

Ingredients

8 spring lamb chops, thickly cut

For the Kentucky Lamb Rub:
2 teaspoons commercial chili powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons dried onion

For the Balsamic Reduction:
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Instructions

Start the grill or build a charcoal fire in the grill.

Wash and dry the chops.

In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the rub. Spread the rub evenly over the lamb chops on both sides.

In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the balsamic reduction.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and remove the garlic and the rosemary.

Grill the chops over a medium fire (150 degrees internal temperature for medium-rare).  When almost done, brush the chops on both sides with the balsamic reduction.  Heat each side of the chops, remove to a platter, and serve.

Big Bob Gibson’s Hickory-Smoked Chicken with White Sauce

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Here it is, Big Bob Gibson’s recipe for his infamous White Barbeque Sauce. This recipe has been published for years on the Internet, but I trust that this one is the real thing. This is the version as published by Mike Mills in the fantastic book, Peace, Love and Barbeque. Enjoy.

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, finely ground
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 whole chicken, cut in half
Finely ground kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

To prepare the sauce: Combine all the first six ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Place in an airtight container or bottle and refrigerate until you’re ready to use. Keeps up to 4 days.

To prepare the chicken: Wash the chicken and season it liberally with salt and pepper. Smoke over hot coals and hickory wood at 300 to 350 degrees for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Halfway through the smoking process, baste the chicken with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper once more.

After you take the chicken off the pit, immediately place it in the bowl of white sauce, turning the chicken to coat evenly. Place the chicken on a cake rack and allow it to rest for a few minutes prior to serving. Discard any sauce that you’ve used for coating the chicken.

Prawns in Orange-Ginger Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Rick Browne, Ph.B., host of the PBS show “Barbecue America” and the author of The Best Barbecue on Earth and nine other books, is supplying articles and recipes to the Fiery Foods& Barbecue SuperSite.

Ingredients

12 giant tiger prawns, shelled and de-veined (tails intact)
1/2 cup butter

1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice 

2 tablespoons sherry

1 teaspoon grated orange zest 

2 minced green onions (tops and white parts)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1 orange, thinly sliced for garnish

 

Prawns in Orange-Ginger Sauce

Instructions

Combine butter, juice, sherry, zest, onions, and ginger in a saucepan and cook over  medium to low heat, stirring until butter is completely melted. Cool to room  temperature.


Put prawns in a one-gallon sealable plastic bag and add half of the orange sauce, seal the bag and set prawns aside to marinate for 1 hour.  Cover remainder of sauce and keep warm.


Preheat charcoal or gas barbecue to 375˚F.


Place the shrimp on an oiled grill rack about four inches above the coals or gas flame. With a brush, liberally baste the prawns with the sauce and grill for two minutes, then turn the prawns over and generously baste again, cooking for another two minutes. Most of them will be done at this point, but continue basting and turning any larger prawns until they are pink and just cooked through. 


Remove the prawns from the heat immediately, as they will get tough if overcooked. 


Serve prawns on a warm platter over spinach leaves, with the remaining sauce as a dip for the prawns. Garnish with thin orange slices.


Serves 4 to 6