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My Condiment Era Starts Now
Published about 5 hours ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader,
Here is a small confession. After years of grilling all summer, I got bored of the condiments before I got bored of the food. The burger was great. The squeeze bottle of yellow mustard next to it was the same squeeze bottle it had been since I was a kid. So one rainy afternoon I made my own mustard, and it was so much better and so much easier than I expected that I have been quietly making my own condiments ever since. Mustard, ketchup, a barbecue sauce or two, a hot sauce for the people who ask. It turns out the stuff on the side of the plate is the easiest place to make a summer cookout taste like yours instead of everyone's. Mustard is where to start.
Make the Side of the Plate Yours
Start with mustard; it is the easy win. Mustard is mostly waiting, not work. Soak the seeds, blend, and let it mellow a few days in the fridge.
Let a homemade condiment rest before you judge it. Fresh mustard and hot sauce are harsh on day one and rounded by day three. Make ahead, taste later.
Balance is sweet, sour, salt, heat, in that order. Taste for all four and adjust one at a time. Most flat sauces are just short on acid or salt.
Make small batches and label the jar. A little goes a long way and the fridge fills up fast. Date the lid so you know what is what.
Put your own jar on the cookout table. It is the cheapest way to make people think you fussed. Make the mustard this weekend and work down from there.
Homemade yellow mustard is deceptively simple to make from mustard powder, vinegar, and a couple other basic pantry staples. You just may never go back to store-bought! Here's how to make it from scratch.
Making homemade whole grain mustard is easy. Just a few ingredients--mustard seeds, brown sugar, and cider vinegar. You may never go back to the stuff from the store.
This homemade ketchup, made with tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar, is made without high-fructose corn syrup. And with a whole lot more complexity and finesse than the store-bought stuff.
This honey barbecue sauce is easy to make with a handful of pantry ingredients including ketchup, vinegar, molasses, honey, and spices. So long, store-bought sauce.
This vinegar barbecue sauce, made Carolina style, calls for cider vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce, and has a distinct and acidic-in-a-good-way tang. Use it to douse your BBQ ribs, chicken, pulled pork, or anything you pull from the grill or smoker.
This North Carolina barbecue sauce is made with a handful of ingredients, including apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, and cayenne. You're gonna want to slather it on everything.
This homemade Sriracha sauce, made with everyday ingredients including hot peppers, vinegar, garlic, and salt, is easy to make, incendiary in taste, and less salty than the traditional version.
Mustard is a wonderful accompaniment to many things, and I’ve found that when added to this simple sauce, it can really enhance other dishes. As a cream sauce, it provides for a gentle, yet savory coating for your meal.
Potato salad with mustard and celery is a brighter version of those mayo-soaked sides you might be familiar with. White balsamic and white wine vinegar, along with grainy and Dijon mustards bring a welcome freshness that's unlike the stodgy potato salads of the past.
Why, hello! Leite's Culinaria is the James Beard Award-winning site that helps home cooks and bakers put dinner on the table and laughs in the kitchen. Hungry for more? Join 40,000 food lovers and subscribe.
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