30 July 2010
Gadget: Condiments On Ice
I'm not a huge fan of single-task kitchen gadgets (I'm lookin' at you, mechanical egg cracker), but I do appreciate anything that will make my BBQ easier and allow me more time at the grill.
The Condiments On Ice tray from Sur La Table looks to be the perfect solution for keeping your grill accoutrements fresh in the hot sun. You could even use it on your bar for cocktail fixins'. At $17.99, it's probably the cheapest thing you can get from Sur La Table!
Via: NBC Los Angeles
Image: Sur La Table
29 July 2010
BBQ Sauce: FunniBonz Original
I wanted to give some condiment love to a Jersey-based sauce I've been enjoying lately. Funnibonz hails from West Windsor, NJ...where, according to their website and label, they've adopted a BBQ/365 philosophy. As a guy who shovels a path to his Weber (before doing the walk) every winter snowstorm, I dig their style!
FLAVOR - Heavy sweetness, with a smoky vinegar middle and a spicy, black pepper finish
CONSISTENCY - Medium thick yet smooth; coats food particularly well
APPEARANCE - Deep reddish-brown with black pepper flecks
SMELL - Smoky vinegar with a sweet/smoky middle
AVAILABILITY - Available (also at Mid-Atlantic region Whole Foods and NJ King's)
INGREDIENTS - Ketchup (tomato concentrate, distilled vinegar, HFCS, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring), sugar, tomato paste, spicy brown mustard (water, vinegar, mustard seed, salt, spices, turmeric), molasses, salt, honey, liquid smoke, spices, onion powder, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, garlic powder, tamarind extract
A few things about this sauce really stand out. First, I'm really liking the ingredient list. There are a ton of ingredients, but very few unnatural ones (save for the HFCS, "natural flavoring," etc.). Also, the Funnibonz crew have included a few unexpected sleepers like apple cider vinegar, tamarind extract and...wait for it...spicy brown mustard. Not sure if I've ever seen spicy brown mustard in any BBQ sauce, outside of South Carolina Mustard Sauces.
Second, the food coating potential of Funnibonz is phenomenal. It coats food extremely well and holds that coating, which is a must for ribs. Mmmmmmm....ribs. I usually concoct my own rib sauce, but I used Funnibonz on my last batch and they were delicious. Their website also lists some other recipe ideas.
28 July 2010
Ketchup: Stonewall Kitchen Country Ketchup
I'm a BBQ sauce guy through-and-through, but lately I've been rediscovering the joys of ketchup. Regular readers know my thoughts on Heinz (hint: it's awesome), but it's always good to get out and try new condiments. My Stonewall Kitchen Country Ketchup purchase was a complete impulse buy that turned out to be excellent.
FLAVOR - Heavy on the tomato and vinegar flavor, with a sweet middle and a mildly spicy finish; notes of allspice or clove
CONSISTENCY - Thick, with large pieces of chewy (in a good way) tomatoes
APPEARANCE - Typical ketchup red, with visible chunks of white garlic and spices
SMELL - Sharp vinegar tang with an undertone of Sunday
AVAILABILITY - Available
INGREDIENTS - Tomatoes (tomato juice, citric acid, calcium chloride), tomato paste, pure cane sugar, red bell peppers, white vinegar, onions, water, garlic, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, spices
You might recognize Stonewall Kitchen as king of the shopping mall sample dips. ("Would you like to try a stale pretzel stick dipped in our congealed wasabi mustard that's been sitting out since 8AM?") Well, they definitely got things right with their Country Ketchup. I found it to be super tasty on both a grilled veggie sandwich and a more traditional hamburger.
World's Largest Ketchup Bottle
Forget the recent news about the world's most expensive
We're more enthralled by the World's Largest Bottle of Catsup, located in Collinsville, Illinois. Built in 1949 by the bottlers of Brooks Rich & Tangy Ketchup, this bad boy could potentially hold 70,000 gallons of the red stuff.
When the apocalypse commences and the global condiment shortages begin, I think you know where I'm heading.
Via Time.com
Image: World's Largest Catsup Bottle - Close-up, by Lance and Erin
27 July 2010
Men's Health BBQ Sauce Taste Test
Men's Health completed a taste test of several different BBQ sauces, and it looks like the winner is a tie between Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sensuous Slathering Sauce and Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce.
TCB is familiar with Dinosaur...we're partial to their Roasted Garlic Honey sauce...but Pork Barrel is a new one. We're working on scoring a review bottle ASAP.
Via Men's Health
Image: BBQ sauce art, by crankyuser
22 July 2010
Hot Dogs for Diplomacy
photo credit: Michael Appleton for The New York Times
New York Mayor Mikey Bloomberg was spotted outside Penn Station yesterday with newly appointed British Prime Minister David Cameron. The two enjoyed a few Sabrett's dirty water dogs. Reports are still outstanding* as to what condiments they got, but I'm guessing it was a strictly spicy brown mustard affair, not wanting to overload Cameron's British palette with onions, kraut, relish or even chili...
This would not be the first time Mikey used NYC street cart dogs as the proverbial olive branch. Check out the brief video below from his campaign, and note the change up from "dirty water dog" above to the classic coal grilled dog below. (Also of interest to note he orders hot sauce with his chicken wings...)
Via The New York Times
*EDIT: Looks like TCB called it! Cameron ordered a plain dog. Further reports indicate that the Mayor used mustard...and left the tip.
21 July 2010
Recipe: Tzatziki
Serious Eats posted a great recipe for tzatziki, the traditional Greek and Turkish dip. I always preferred the store-bought Fage tzatziki, but it was sadly discontinued in Fall 2008. This recipe is WAY better than my current store brand, Trader Joe's cucumber-heavy tzatziki.
Via Serious Eats
Image: Tzatziki, by cathepsut
20 July 2010
Ingredient Spotlight: Xanthan Gum
Go take a look at your condiment rack. Xanthan gum is probably an ingredient in many of the store-bought condiments. What the hell is it?! Wikipedia tells us it's a polysaccharide, but that doesn't really help, so I did some further research...
Xanthan gum is made from the outer shell of a bacteria called Xanthomonas campestris (you've probably seen these little fellas causing brown spots on plants). It's used in foods, particularly condiments, to increase viscosity...AKA thickness...and a little bit goes a looonnnnng way. All you molecular gastronomists reading TCB will be interested to know that xanthan gum works by stabilizing the oil in a condiment emulsion, but it is not an emulsifier.
The good news is that xanthan gum has been approved for food usage since 1968, so its been around for a while.
Note: Having trouble thickening up your homemade sauces? You can pick up some xanthan gum from Bob's Red Mill for around $12.
Image: Xanthan Gum, by star5112
16 July 2010
BBQ Sauce: Rib-Bins Mild BBQ Sauce
I mentioned earlier this week that I spent Sunday at the NJ BBQ Championship. Every year, my highlight of the show is Rib-bins Mild BBQ Sauce. The good folks at Rib-bins have no website...they must be too busy cooking up ribs and batches of tasty sauce...but TCB has learned they're based out of Chambersburg, PA.
FLAVOR - Overall brown sugar sweetness with a hickory kick and a spice-full vinegar finish
CONSISTENCY - Medium thickness, easy pour, good coating potential
APPEARANCE - Dark reddish-brown, spices visible when spread thin
SMELL - Sweet hickory, with a smoky bottom
AVAILABILITY - Available exclusively from Rib-bins BBQ
INGREDIENTS - Ketchup, tomato paste, water, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, onions, celery, green peppers, carrots, black pepper, paprika, fourteen secret herbs and spices
This true Kansas City-style sauce is a creamy blend of sweet and tangy. As you can see by the pic, my single mason jar (they sold out) didn't make it past week one. It's particularly good on grilled meats, especially ribs. Also, I really like the label, which lists "fourteen secret herbs and spices" as an official ingredient.
If you ever see the Rib-bins crew at a BBQ festival, make sure you pick up a jar of this sauce!
15 July 2010
British Open's Claret Jug Filled with BBQ Sauce
Defending British Open champ Stewart Cink had to do some eleventh-hour cleaning to remove BBQ sauce stains out of the Claret Jug. That's what I love about America(ns)...we always add a bit more class to already-classy institutions!
Via Metro.co.uk
Image: The Famous Claret Jug, by Richard Carter
14 July 2010
Recipe: Tommy Dogs
If you can't tell, I have summertime hot dog fever!
One of my buddies bought a hot dog joint my senior year of college. I would often work the grill and counter, ad-libbing insane hot dog creations in my spare time. Don't get me wrong...I love hot dogs. But I love hot dogs with exorbitant amounts of condiments even more!
Ingredients:
- Buns
- Hot dogs (While Thumann's Natural Casing Frankfurters are my go-to dogs, I recommend Sabrett's for this recipe)
- Russian dressing (I prefer Ken's Chef's Reserve)
- Sabrett Pushcart Style Onions in Sauce
- Crumbled bacon
Note: Be real and fry the crumbled bacon yourself...bacon bits are ridiculous. If you're feeling saucy, you can also use this homemade Russian dressing recipe.
13 July 2010
Restaurant: Rutt's Hut
417 River Road
Clifton, NJ 07014
(973) 779-8615
You might not know this, but Northern New Jersey is arguably the hot dog capital of the Free World. Rutt's Hut is one of the more well-known Jersey hot dog joints after being featured on several food shows over the past few years. Their dogs are deep-fried, causing the casing to "rip" open. Hence the name: Rippers.
The Condiment Bible loves hot dogs almost as much as we love condiments...almost. Our favorite thing about Rutt's Hut is the AMAZING homemade relish (see pic). This sweet bright yellow sauce is some heathen concoction of cabbage, onions, pickles, carrots and love. It's free for scooping when you eat in, but RH also sells relish pints and quarts for $3.50 and $7.00.
If you're ever on Rt-21 (perhaps visiting lovely Paterson), stop at Rutt's Hut. You won't be disappointed.
12 July 2010
BBQ Sauce: Garlic Head Gold
This post started out as a "Discontinued" review. I was ready to rave about another favorite sauce you can no longer get, when BAM...the Garlic Head website was back up after a two-year hiatus.
Garlic Head is one of the most unique BBQ sauces I've ever come across, and I'm glad to see they're back in the condiment game with a new label and some recipe changes.
FLAVOR - Super INTENSE GARLIC, with a sugary tomato base, rounded out with even more garlic, a bit of onion and a very mild vinegar zest
CONSISTENCY - Spackle. Seriously, you could probably hang wallpaper (delicious wallpaper!) with this stuff. The new configuration is thinner than the original, and it's still the thickest BBQ sauce I've ever come across!
APPEARANCE - Burnt sienna, with visible pieces of minced garlic and other spices
SMELL - Slightly smoky pungent GARLIC, with tomato undertones
AVAILABILITY - Available
INGREDIENTS - Brown sugar, water, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, cider vinegar, honey, molasses, onions, olive oil, salt, spices
First off, check out that ingredient list. As noted in our Reviewing Process, we don't necessarily score synthetic ingredients lower, but you've got to love a sauce that is au naturel. No HFCS. No ever-present xanthan gum. No potassium sorbate. Plus, Garlic Head is gluten and allergen free.
The bottle notes, "If you have a recipe that calls for two cloves of garlic, and you use two cloves, this sauce is not for you." I couldn't have said it better myself. If you don't love....LOVE...garlic, you should probably be put in jail. Also, you might want to consider another sauce.
I prefer to use Garlic Head on chicken (it makes a mean BBQ Chicken Pizza), but I imagine it's pretty good on pork (recipes here). It also makes for a great garlicky dipping sauce. Keep an eye out for The Condiment Bible's review of their Spicy version later this summer.
Special thanks to Keith from K and L Products for providing the review samples.
11 July 2010
Greetings from the NJ BBQ Championship!!!
The Condiment Bible spent the day at the New Jersey State Barbecue Championship in North Wildwood, NJ. We sampled some amazing BBQ, including ribs, brisket and pulled pork. The condiment winner of the day was definitely the Rib-bins BBQ mild sauce, made by Rib-bins BBQ (out of Chambersburg, PA). We'll get a detailed review up later this week.
10 July 2010
Ketchup Drowning
Some Indian factory workers drowned in a giant vat of ketchup. Funny how one man's fantasy is another's tragic death.
Image: Bursting with flavour (No.37), by PhotoGraham
08 July 2010
Marinade / Finishing Sauce: World Harbors Mexican Style Fajita Sauce
I talked about the World Harbors line when I covered their Sweet 'n Sour Sauce a few weeks back. This week, I'm taking a look at their Mexican Style Fajita Sauce and Marinade.
FLAVOR - Heavy sweetness, followed by a substantial dose of cumin and chili powder and rounded out with a mild vinegar kick
CONSISTENCY - Mild to medium thickness with a smooth pour, grainy (from spices) on tongue
APPEARANCE - Rust brown, with flecks of green, brown and white spices
SMELL - Sugary vinegar, with an earthy chili undertone
AVAILABILITY - Readily available
INGREDIENTS - Water, HFCS, vinegar, modified food starch, sea salt, lemon juice concentrate, dried garlic, spices, canola oil, xanthan gum, natural flavors, jalapeno peppers, potassium sorbate & sodium benzoate (as preservatives), soy lecithin
I primarily use this fajita sauce on enchiladas, burritos and the occasional taco. Actually, just about the only thing I haven't juiced with it are fajitas (but I'm sure they would be great). Like most World Harbors sauces, the fajita sauce contains vinegar, so it can be used as a marinade.
Note: I'm also very impressed with the label's artistic rendering of what must be Mexico.
07 July 2010
Hot Sauce: Cholula (packet)
Although no different then the wooden topped Cholula bottle, TCB wanted to shed light on the condiment packet scene. For too long, we dreaded condiments that were associated with take-out. Sure, this wasn't always the case with certain establishments (think McDonald's sweet and sour, Wendy's honey mustard, duck sauce from Chinese spots) but too often we were stuck with generic no-name ketchup, yellow mustard or the occasional mayonnaise packet. These days it seems more high level condiments are finding there way into packet form (Ken's Steakhouse Dressings @ Yankee Stadium). Cholula packets are just one example.
FLAVOR - Balance between heat and flavor is key; little vinegar flavor
CONSISTENCY - Thick considering its first ingredient is water (that's where the xanthan gum does its magic)
APPEARANCE - Opaque burnt red
SMELL - Peppers come through much more then the vinegar here (compared to Louisiana hot sauces)
AVAILABILITY - Finer burrito carts everywhere
INGREDIENTS - Water, peppers (Arbol and Piquin), salt, vinegar, spices, xanthan gum
Tip: mixing Cholula with sour cream to make a pinkish smooth peppery crema is one of my favorite taco condiments.
06 July 2010
Recipe: Ginger Mayo
Here's a super simple recipe for some Ginger Mayonnaise.
Ingredients:
- Mayonnaise (1 jar, 15 oz. - I prefer Hellman's, and I used Hellman's Light for a slightly healthier mayo)
- Ginger powder (2-4 tbsp. to taste)
- Sugar (2 tbsp.)
- Black pepper (to taste)
Image: Mango Chicken Sandwich, by sheilaz413
04 July 2010
Boycott Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest!!!
Every Fourth of July, I cheer wildly for USA's Joey Chestnut to beat the piss out of Takeru Kobayashi in the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
NO MORE!
Eating a hot dog with no condiments should be a crime. Write your legislators! Even the Nathan's logo has an inspiring strip of mustard!
Note: OK, OK, so I'm still watching...and cheering for Joey
Image: Nathan's, Day Shot, Coney Island, by Tony the Misfit
03 July 2010
Mustard: Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard
Sometimes the best condiments are the simplest ones. Gulden's Spicy Mustard might not be for everyone, but if you're looking for a spicy mustard (opposed to a yellow or honey), look no further.
FLAVOR - Vinegar and mustard, rounded out with mild to medium heat and a tart vinegar finish
CONSISTENCY - Very thick
APPEARANCE - Dark golden yellow with brown flecks
SMELL - Mild vinegar and mustard kick
AVAILABILITY - Readily available
INGREDIENTS - Vinegar, mustard seed, salt, spices, turmeric
I'm a big honey mustard eater, but I love Gulden's on any wurst...brat, knock, kielbasa, etc. It's also pretty damn good on hot dogs, ham and cold cut sandwiches.
Image: DSC04780, by ekkun
02 July 2010
Feeling Stressed?
Mellow out to some choice condiments on this YTMND.
Know your internet meme (from Wikipedia): "YTMND, an acronym for You're The Man Now, Dog!, is a website community that centers around the creation of YTMNDs, which are pages featuring a juxtaposition of a single image, optionally animated or tiled, along with large zooming text and a looping sound file. YTMND is also the general term used to describe any such site."
Ketchup: Heinz Tomato Ketchup
Ketchup.
FLAVOR - Ketchup
CONSISTENCY - Ketchup
APPEARANCE - Ketchup
SMELL - Ketchup
AVAILABILITY - Ketchup
INGREDIENTS - Ketchup
Ketchup. Enough said.
Image: Ketchup, by AJBeanster
01 July 2010
Hot Sauce: Melinda's Hot Sauce: Original Habanero Pepper Sauce
This is the original and flagship product from the Melinda's brand, which manufactures over a dozen hot sauces and other condiment goodness. Made in Costa Rica, I originally became intrigued with this sauce because it's main ingredient was carrots. I've since found the carrot's don't really add a "carroty" flavor so much as a natural, light sweet base, that allows the flavor from the peppers and lime to really shine, with out over powering your meal.
FLAVOR - Surprisingly sweet, mild Habanero flavor with a touch of salty lime at the finish (think margarita)
CONSISTENCY - Thick, almost gel-like (believe that's a result of the pureed carrot base), which makes deployment from the "shake top" slow. That said, well worth the extra couple shakes.
APPEARANCE - Translucent burnt orange color w/ visible specs of red habaneros.
SMELL - Fresh, spiced but not spicy, with a hint of acidity from the lime juice.
AVAILABILITY - Readily available
INGREDIENTS - Fresh carrots, choice red habanero peppers, onions, lime juice, vinegar, garlic and salt.
This was a pleasant surprise. While it won't take over as my daily Mexican style go-to hot sauce (think Cholula, Tapitio, Valentina, etc.), it has its moments. I would highly recommend this for consumption with lighter seafood's given its fresh, lime flavor.
On a side note, Melinda's claims credit for "making the Habenero a household name."
HAZMAT Deployed for Rancid Mayo
Turns out it was just some rancid mayonnaise! Yum!
Via Northwest Florida Daily News
Image: Hellman's mayonnaise, by jamesks
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