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The Sauces My Summer Runs On
Published about 5 hours ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader,
Every summer, my refrigerator develops a split personality. The front shelves look perfectly respectable. There's fruit, yogurt, maybe a head of lettuce I swear I'm going to use. But hidden behind all that? A small arsenal of sauces. Jars of pesto. Containers of chimichurri. A rogue mayonnaise that's been given a suspicious amount of smoked paprika. Something red, spicy, and vaguely threatening. Usually at least one mystery sauce that seemed like a brilliant idea three days ago and now requires a taste test before deployment. Alan has learned not to ask questions. Because summer cooking, at least in my house, isn't really about recipes. It's about infrastructure. A grilled steak is nice. A grilled steak with chimichurri is dinner. A tomato sandwich is lovely. A tomato sandwich slathered with paprika mayonnaise is the reason August was invented. Even vegetables—which, let's be honest, occasionally need a little encouragement—become far more persuasive when accompanied by a bold sauce. The older I get, the less interested I am in spending hours over a hot stove and the more interested I am in making one thing that earns its keep all week long. A great sauce can rescue leftovers, elevate a weeknight dinner, and convince guests you're a far better cook than you had any right to be. Not bad for something that usually starts in a bowl and takes ten minutes.
My Foundational Sauce Fundamentals
Make one sauce, use it five ways. The best sauces earn permanent refrigerator real estate by working on meats, fish, vegetables, sandwiches, and eggs.
Keep something bright and herbaceous on hand. Chimichurri, pesto, and cilantro sauce can wake up even the most tired leftovers.
Don't underestimate creamy sauces. Mustard cream sauce, paprika mayonnaise, and cheese sauce have a way of making everyone suddenly very interested in dinner.
Acid is your friend. Vinegar-based sauces and bright tomato sauces cut through rich grilled foods and keep summer meals from feeling heavy.
Always make extra. Future You will be delighted to discover there's already something delicious waiting in the refrigerator
This quick and easy cheese sauce is a versatile homemade go-to to stash in your recipe repertoire. Use it to top veggies, burgers, pasta or as a stand-in for nacho cheese sauce. Here's how to make it.
Paprika mayonnaise is the condiment that makes everything better. Creamy, smoky, and lemony—not to mention, garlicky—it's terrific on seafood. And absolutely everything else.
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.
This cilantro sauce, made with oil, cilantro, garlic, lemon and lime juice, and honey, is a spectacular embellishment for roasted vegetables or schmear for crostini.
This chimichurri, a classic Argentine sauce, is based on the authentic and traditional. Vinegar, olive oil, parsley, oregano, garlic, and pepper flakes are whisked together in minutes. Tweak slightly to taste. Bring on the steak.
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 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.
This gorgeous romesco sauce will go with nearly anything. Earthy red peppers, spicy paprika and chiles, tangy vinegar, and a good amount of garlic make it tasty enough to eat right off the spoon.
This marinara sauce is so delicious. The hint of sugar balances out the acidity in the tomatoes, and the pop of heat from the red pepper flakes really brings it full circle. Not all canned tomatoes are created equal, though! My favorite brands are San Merican (S.M.T.) Whole Peeled Tomatoes and Target’s house food brand, Good & Gather.
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 more than 30,000 food lovers and subscribe.
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