condiments -

by snebbu

Double Your Condiment Opportunity: Spiral Dogs

Are you prepared for Memorial Day? Probably not if you just said “spiral what?” I like my dogs slightly burnt, or as known in the culinary world—caramelized. I like a crispy snap when I bite into the dog. Hot dogs should never be boiled, put on rollers, or microwaved. The only way they should be cooked is on the grill and..spiral cut. You may even be able to call these gourmet at your next barbecue; all of your man friends will really take note of it. But what they WILL take note of is that every single bite of these wieners is caramelized crispy, and snappy.

Not enough for you? What if I told you that spiral cutting your frank optimizes condiment opportunity? Yes – opportunity. Sure, mustard is standard, ketchup is great, both are even better. I know you see those chopped onions, chilli, relish, maybe even baked beans—but where is the space? Well, now you have the opportunity to double your condiments—without suffering from soggy bun syndrome.

100 Ways to Use Beer in Food and Drinks #7: Ketchup!

With summer grilling season upon us, I thought the time was due to introduce a beer condiment to the mix. When thinking what the best would be for the holiday, one of my favorite condiments came to mind: ketchup. This staple condiment is found in nearly everyone’s kitchen, and is welcomed to various meals ranging from burgers and fries to scrambled eggs in the morning.

Why not complement your craft beer (still not giving up on my “anti-big-beer campaign”) and burger/hot dog with a beer infused ketchup? Beer has a tang that complements the flavors of the ketchup, while also giving it a crisp, refreshing aftertaste. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any homebrew available other than my berry wheat, so I chose Yuengling Lager.

After forming a base with tomato paste, vinegar, beer, and brown sugar, I started experimenting with other spices in the cabinet. I ended up with a consistency similar to that of Heinz and a taste that was just a little bit sweeter than what I wanted (maybe less brown sugar next time?). But the beer did give the ketchup a bit of a kick to it, and an aftertaste that left a hint of lager with you.