Editor’s note…
Jana Erwin from Washington, D.C. writes a blog called Cherry Tea Cakes, which is a blog devoted to “food and life and my little adventures,” she says.
Jana takes catering orders and gives the profits to a local food bank.
She also gives baking and cooking classes.
She will be appearing at the Salisbury Barbecue Festival on Saturday, doing demonstrations and sharing her cooking expertise.
You should definitely check out her blog at www.cherryteacakes.com. It’s entertaining, and there are some wonderful recipes.
By Jana Erwin
For The Salisbury Post
Have you ever sat, staring at your nine bottles of barbecue sauce and thought to yourself: How am I going to use all of these? Working barbecue sauce into your everyday recipes is easier than you think. After five months of trial and error, creating recipes for the Salisbury Barbecue Festival, I’ve learned enough to take the guesswork out of it. With just a few simple guidelines you can spice up your dishes in no time.
If a recipe calls for vinegar, North Carolina-style barbecue sauce can be replaced on a 1 to 1 ratio.
Tomato-based barbecue sauces can be used to replace some of the water or mayonnaise in most recipes.
DO NOT use barbecue sauce to replace milk or cream, or add to cream or milk contents. Its acidity will curdle the cream and make ricotta cheese if you attempt to heat the mixture.
If it can be made with shredded chicken, it can be made with pulled pork.
If you want to add a kick to your cocktails or homemade drinks, try adding barbecue sauce to your simple syrup. (Recipe to follow)
In five months of recipe trial and error, I’ve come through with a few favorites to share. Updating homemade pickles, jelly, whiskey sours, eggs benedict and pizzas has never been easier, not to mention tastier.
BBQ Simple Syrup
1/4 C. barbecue sauce
1/4 C. water
1 C. sugar
In a medium saucepan combine sugar, barbecue sauce and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.
Now, how can you use it? You can replace the regular simple syrup in a cocktail, as I did for a whiskey sour (which I’ve been assured was quite tasty), or you can add it to sodas and lemonades.
BBQ Whiskey Sours
1 1/2 ounce whiskey
1 1/2 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce BBQ simple syrup
Pour the bourbon, lemon juice, and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a chilled sour glass.
BBQ Pickle Chips
created for the Salisbury 2011 Barbecue Festival
1/2 C. Eastern Style Vinegar BBQ Sauce
5 Tbs. of sugar
11/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 C. very hot tap water
2 large (10 inch) cucumbers sliced,1/8-inch thick
For refrigerator pickles:
Stir together the first four ingredients to dissolve the solids, and pack your pickles into a mason jar. Cover the produce with the brine, cover, and refrigerate. Let sit for four days before eating. Lasts up to two months.
For canning pickles:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Put two half-pint mason jars, lids and rings in the oven to sterilize for 20 minutes.
In a small sauce pan, stir together the first four ingredients to dissolve the solids. Bring the mixture to a low boil.
Pack the pickle slices in to the sterilized mason jars. Pour the simmering brine over top with a quarter inch left to spare. Seal with rings and lids, and turn, lid side down. Allow to sit upside-down on your counter for 45 minutes.
Store in a dark cool place. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for two months after opening.
BBQ Eggs Benedict
created for the Salisbury 2011 BBQ Festival
for the hollandaise sauce:
1 C. butter melted
1/4 tsp. salt
4 medium egg yolks
Dash Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbs. lemon juice
3 Tbs. barbecue sauce
8 eggs
2 tsp. BBQ Vinegar Sauce
(see www.cherryteacakes.com for recipe)
half a pound pulled barbecue pork
In double boiler, mix egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and Worcestershire sauce. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can hold a small saucepan over a steaming pot of water. The saucepan should be suspended, and not touch the boiling water.
Slowly stir in a cup of melted butter, two tablespoons at a time.
Once all butter is stirred in, stir in barbecue sauce, remove from heat and place a cover over the sauce.
To poach the eggs, bring 2 inches of water to boil in a large pan, and add vinegar.
Crack open eggs directly into the water, cover, and let cook for 3 minutes. Egg whites should be set, and yolk should be slightly soft. Remove with slotted spoon.
Warm barbecue pork in a skillet.
Slice buttermilk biscuits into halves and toast.
To serve, place toasted biscuit halves on a plate, then place a slice of pork BBQ, then the poached egg, and lastly two tablespoons of BBQ Hollandaise sauce.
BBQ Deviled Eggs
9 barbecue pickled eggs
(see www.cherryteacakes.com)
1/3 C. mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbs. barbecue sauce
Kosher salt and freshly
ground pepper, to taste
2 chives minced
Tarragon leaves, for garnish
Cut each egg in half lengthwise. Transfer the yolks to a small bowl and mash well with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pipe filling into each egg.
Distribute the minced scallion and tarragon over the eggs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
BBQ Jelly
Now for one of the recipes I developed for the Salisbury Barbecue Festival: BBQ sauce jelly. Yes, jelly. Like a pb & j. Sounds a bit crazy right? Not at all. It’s actually made with a cider base and comes out very sweet and tangy. It’s surprising. It’s shocking. Best of all, it’s very simple to make, store, and will be very useful for other recipes.
2 C. apple juice
2 C. barbecue sauce
1 package (13/4 ounces)
powdered fruit pectin
5 1/2 C. light brown sugar
7 half-pint jars, lids and rings
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place jars, lids and rings on a cookie sheet in the oven, and leave for at least 20 minutes.
In a large sauce pan, combine the apple juice,barbecue sauce and pectin over high heat. Stir constantly. When the mixture boils, quickly stir in sugar. Continue stirring until the mixture boils for at least 2 minutes. Check the set every two minutes until the jelly has reached the level you prefer.
Remove from the heat. Skim off any foam that may have formed on the top of the jelly. Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars. Be sure to leave a fourth of an inch from the top unfilled.
Put lids and rings onto the jars, wiping off any jelly that may have gotten on the sides. Seal firmly and invert, lid side down on the counter for one hour. Return to right-side-up and store. Once opened keep refrigerated.
BBQ Pork and Caramelized Onion Pizza
created for the Salisbury Barbecue Festival
1 recipe pizza dough (see
next recipe, make the day
before)
1 C. shredded reduced-fat-shredded-cheddar-jack pepper jack cheese
1 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C. pulled pork
1/2 C. barbecue sauce
1/2 C. onion, cut into rings
1 tablespoon sugar
olive oil
Place the pizza stone or tile onto the bottom of a cold oven and turn the oven to its highest temperature, about 500 degrees. If the oven has coils on the oven floor, place the tile onto the lowest rack of the oven. Split the pizza dough into two equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper.
Wet hands barely with water and rub them onto the countertop to dampen the surface. Knead the dough gently a few times. Then cover one ball with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat the steps with the other piece of dough.
While the dough is resting, dip the thin slices of onion into sugar and place on a large skillet. Cook on a medium heat. Cook until the onions becomes a light brown. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle the cornmeal onto the peel and place the dough onto the pizza peel or flat baking sheet. Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza. Stretch the dough into a round disc, rotating after each stretch. Toss the dough in the air if you dare. Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it will slide onto the pizza stone or tile.
Dress and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture.
Brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil. Place half the pepper jack and cheddar cheese on the pizza, then sprinkle with half the pork. Drizzle with half the bbq sauce, and spoon caramelized onions onto the pizza.
Place pizza onto pizza stone and cook for about 7 minutes
BBQ Pizza Dough
Adapted from a recipe from the Food Network ( www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pizza-pizzas-recipe4/index.html).
2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 Tbs. kosher salt
1/2 Tbs. barbecue rub blend
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. chili
flavored olive oil,
separated plus some for
rubbing
3/4 C. warm water
2 C. bread flour
1 tsp. instant yeast
cornmeal
Place the sugar, barbecue rub, salt, olive oil, water, 1 cup of flour, yeast, and remaining cup of flour into a standing mixer’s work bowl. Using the paddle attachment, start the mixer on low and mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball. Lube the hook attachment with cooking spray. Attach the hook to the mixer and knead for 15 minutes on medium speed.
Tear off a small piece of dough and flatten into a disc. Stretch the dough until thin. Hold it up to the light and look to see if the baker’s windowpane, or taut membrane, has formed. If the dough tears before it forms, knead the dough for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Roll the pizza dough into a smooth ball on the countertop. Place into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours. (If making the pulled pork pizza, look above for the remainder of the instructions).
Place the pizza stone or tile onto the bottom of a cold oven and turn the oven to its highest temperature, about 500 degrees F. If the oven has coils on the oven floor, place the tile onto the lowest rack of the oven. Split the pizza dough into 2 equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper. Flatten into a disk onto the countertop and then fold the dough into a ball.
Wet hands barely with water and rub them onto the countertop to dampen the surface. Roll the dough on the surface until it tightens. Cover one ball with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat the steps with the other piece of dough. If not baking the remaining pizza immediately, spray the inside of a ziplock bag with cooking spray and place the dough ball into the bag. Refrigerate for up to 6 days.