Morg's Bar-B-Que Sauce

I have had a request to post my Bar-B-Que Sauce. I never thought to post it as there are so many "bottled" varieties out there, why go through the effort unless you really want tasty and flavorful BBQ. I have been making it this way for so many years and my family just can't get enough of it.

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup Ketchup (Hunts)
¼ cup chili sauce (Hunts)
⅓ cup red wine
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive Oil
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 small lemon
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
½ Tbsp fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp Worcester sauce
4-5 dashes Tabasco sauce

PREPARATION:

Peel and press the garlic. Wash the parsley shaking off the water; cut off the leaves and chop finely. Wash the rosemary shaking off the water; strip and finely chop the leaves. Juice the lemon.

In a medium mixing bowl add the Ketchup, Chili Sauce, wine, and oil. Mix well with a whisk. Continue adding the remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly. (Should yield about ¾ of a cup or so).

Cajun Blackened Salmon

Pan blackened salmon with a Cajun twist on flavor. With so many ways to prepare salmon, this one is easy as the spicing is all in one container from Zatarain's. Sprinkle it liberally for a great Cajun taste.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Salmon fillets 6 to 8 oz.
Zatarain's Blackened Seasoning
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
olive oil spray

PREPARATION:

Wash the salmon thoroughly and trim off any fat around the edges, and pat dry with a paper towel. Lay the salmon onto a plate or cutting board and spray a light misting of olive oil spray, or a light coating of olive oil.

Grind on some fresh black pepper and a lot of Blackened Seasoning. It is quite SPICY! The more the better. So give the fish a nice, even coating of blackened seasoning.* Try to get some on the sides of the fillet as well. And finish up with one last misting of that spray olive oil. The spray keeps the spices in place when putting the fish in the pan.

COOKING:

Place a heavy frying pan on the burner and set the heat on medium high (7 to 8)

When the rim is hot, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil into the frying pan. Allow it to warm, then gently lay the fish into it, flesh side down. Leave it there for a 5 to 7 minutes (1" thick) without moving it.

After 6 minutes, lift the fillets and look at the underside of the salmon. If it’s as dark as you want it, flip it over onto the skin side. Continue frying for 2 to 3 minute or so, then turn the heat down to very low or off and letting the residual heat gently finish cooking the middle, 3-5 minutes should do it. Scoop out and serve.

*Several shakes of the blackened seasoning are needed to get the full flavor.

Grilled Buffalo Strips

As I've said many times, buffalo(bison) is a versatile main dish. Here we slice it thinly, marinate it in an "oriental" marinade, then thread the strips onto skewers and grill it over charcoal. What a different flavor and treat, just don't over-cook them.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Buffalo (Sirloin or other flat cut)

parsley sprigs for garnish

Marinade:

1 Tbsp Oriental Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

½ Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce - reduced sodium

½ Tbsp dark brown sugar

2 garlic cloves

4 dried red peppers - flaked

PREPARATION:

If you are using Bamboo skewers, soak in water at least 1 hour. (about 16)

 

Wash the Buffalo removing grizzle etc. Cut the buffalo into ¼" thin strips* (flying fingers technique) about 1inch wide by 3 to 5 inches long and place in a Zipper bag.

Peel the garlic and squeeze with a press. (Red Pepper flakes) Cut the red peppers in 4 pieces, remove as many seeds as practical, then crush the pieces; combine with the other Marinade ingredients in a bowl and blend well. Pour the marinade over the meat in the bag and massage to coat all the pieces thoroughly,  refrigerate for 2 hours, no longer.

Prepare the chimney starter and set it ablaze 15 to 20 min. before grilling

Remove the strips from the marinade and thread them onto skewers accordion fashion. Let the skewers rest in the marinate until grilling; then discard the used marinade!

GRILLING:

Dump the starter into the grill spreading the coals a little. Replace the grill grids and allow them to heat for a few minutes. Coat the cooking area with olive oil.

Place skewers on a grill grids and grill for about 2-3 minutes on each side until slightly charred.

Garnish with parsley sprigs. Serve immediately

* I also use a meat slicer to get consistently thin pieces.