Chef Daniel Angerer's Blog

SMOOTH & BUTTERY – the blog

Grilling season is upon us so it’s time to stock some favorite bbq condiments. Certainly there are the typical standbys like ketchup, A1, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce – all straight from the supermarket shelves -- but making a grill sauce yourself can up your bbq game.

grilled steaks with finger-licking bbq sauce

Ingredients
If you were to read the ingredient list of a typical supermarket grill condiment you’ll often see the following ingredients.

supermarket condiments

Sugars
Sweet component in a grill sauce is essential. I’m emphasizing the “s” in sugars because sweetness can come from different sources like white table sugar, high fructose sugar (HFS) which is corn based. They’re highly refined and too much of it is not good for the waistline or your teeth. Other sugars include brown sugar, and cane sugar, which are essentially the same as the aforementioned. Some better sources of sweetness include local honey, first-run maple syrup and/or agave. They are better choices since they still have some nutritional content or at least they are less bad for you. The most natural and ideal source of sugar is from fresh fruit – think of freshly squeezed oranges and pureed pineapple as sweeteners in your condiments. Also dried versions of fruits such as unsulphered raisins are a good choice. Not only do the sugars taste delicious, they also have a fair amount of vitamins. Sugars give sauces texture and, when heated, they make the sauce stick to the meat, which creates lip-smacking, finger-licking deliciousness.
Sodium
Generally, you'll find most likley a high level of sodium in commercial grill smothering and if you’re into having your hands swell up because of that sodium that’s ok … I suppose! A trick for lowering sodium content in your homemade sauce is adding an acidic component such as tomato paste, vinegar or yogurt a la tandoori. By introducing acidity, you will require less salt in your bbq sauce. The acidic zing you’ll realize from a sauce made with vinegar will give your palate a similar flavor sensation as salt does. Also, acidity tends to naturally tenderize meat on a molecular structure since it weakens the cell structure. That means you may benefit by marinating your rather tough cuts such as flank steak, shoulder steaks, hanger steaks and faux-steaks from less desirable cuts, with that sauce before they go on the grill – a two hour marinating time makes a difference. Speaking of tenderizing, another trick, which works perfectly, is to add fresh pureed papaya or pineapple to your bbq sauce recipe. These fruit enzymes tenderize meats significantly after a 1-2 hour marinating time, creating a tender, almost buttery consistency.
Spices & Herbs
Spices such as black cracked pepper, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds add interesting notes to your sauce and will send aromas into the air during cooking, which will make your guests salivate as they await their bbq. Similarly rosemary, thyme, parsley and tarragon will bedazzle the senses and makes a noticeable, tasty addition.

BBQ Sauce
(2 cups)
½ cup yogurt
¼ fresh pineapple
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or black cracked pepper
1 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed with a heavy object such as a small saucepot
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons honey ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1. In a bowl combine all ingredients and mix with a whisk.

Chef’s Note: The bbq sauce can be applied to poultry, fish and meat and even vegetables such as eggplant and zucchini. Make sure you marinate tough meat cuts for at least two hours. Welcome summer!

Happy Summer!

EAT TO LIVE VS. LIVE TO EAT – the blog

At a recent interview for a magazine the question came up what makes a daily meal a gustatory success?

The source
I’m sure some of you can relate to the constant feeling of having no time left to do anything, even eating becomes a nuisance amongst all the things we need to do on a daily basis.  But if you’re lucky enough to live close to a farmer’s market you have a good chance to score excellent products. Let’s take the current season when veggies become abundantly available in vibrant colors. Last week a good example was zucchini and yellow squash, which I was lucky enough to taste. The amazing part is that they were picked not even 24 hours ago. Those vegetables had a soft apple like texture with a faint natural, vegetable spiciness. The experience was not even close to a conventional supermarket product that tends to have a bitter flavor profile. Although zucchini are not on the list of my favorite vegetables I was blown away by how good they tasted raw, so I decided to buy some.

tossing zucchini, yellow squash with onions spices and herbs... 

Later at home I cut them lengthwise into four long strips then I cut the seed section out which tends to get mushy during cooking. Next I tossed the strips in a salad bowl with extra virgin olive oil, lemon thyme, black pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt. I spread the zucchini over a cookie sheet pan and roasted them for 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven at the hottest setting (500°F).  I had red onions leftover, which I sliced into half-inch thick rings, then I seasoned and roasted them along with the zucchini. The fragrance that escaped the oven during the cooking process was transcendent and it reminded me of French Provencal cooking which I had experienced over a decade ago.  In France simple vegetables taste incredible because of the soil.  The notion of connecting taste profile to soil and climate conditions is known as “terroir” (familiar in wine lingo).  Well just about every dish was a revelation. 

After my zucchini and onions were cooked and still warm, I tossed a handful of grape tomato halves into the mixture. The tomatoes lend the dish the right amount of acidity and moisture.  Then a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and another sprinkle of sea salt completed the dish and revealed a beautiful summer zucchini salad.

roasted veggies 

Circling back to the busy lifestyle. The whole meal took me about 25 minutes to prepare and cook and did not create a messy kitchen. I even took a quick shower during the cooking time.  The whole point that I’m trying to make here is this meal could have been replaced by a mundane sandwich bought at some store without my trip to the farmers market where I was able to brain-upload all the powerful vegetable colors.  Also I had the chance to chat  with the people that grew the vegetables and shook their dirty soiled hands – live to eat.

summer vegetable salad

Here is the recipe:

Roasted Zucchini
(recipe makes four portions)
3 pounds zucchini and/or yellow squash
3 red onions, peeled and cut into ½-inch rings
1 teaspoon sea salt, and more to taste
10 black pepper grindings from a mill
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and more for drizzling over the finished dish
1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
10 ounces grape tomatoes cut in half 

Chef’s Tip: If you’re a burrito fan roll the vegetable mixture into whole-wheat wraps. 

SPUTS COLD OR WARM - the blog

Potato salad is an important part of my summer menu planning. Coming out of the cold season I bet we’ve all had our fair share of roasted potatoes in just about any variation. In the heat of summer when the temperatures reach the 100-degree mark it certainly does not make you crave a hot potato dish.  We’re all accustomed to mayo coated potatoes at barbecues that will send you to into a caloric coma but I would rather prepare a vinaigrette dressing with olive oil, apple cider vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice, in addition of a spoonful of grainy mustard.  Also, adding a green such as garlic, scallions or chive from the onion family) will add some nice pungency to the hearty potato.

Potato & Bean Salad

 

A potato salad can become sophisticated with the addition of herbs such as dill, anise flavored chervil, fragrant basil and good old parsley. Perhaps adding a salad leaf here and there such as baby arugula, dandelion greens or hearts of romaine, will shake things up and add texture and flavor. I enjoy adding thinly sliced pink radishes for a spicy note, and asparagus certainly makes a fancy potato salad. And for vibrant color, thinly sliced red pepper strips brighten and add a welcoming natural sweetness.

Choose the right potatoesa
New potatoes come to the market in early summer and are ideal for cold salads since they’re less starchy and therefore makes a lighter potato salad. Varieties such as fingerling potatoes, butterball potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes are a good choice for a summer potato salad. My potato farmer grows a purple Peruvian potato variety, which are high in antioxidants and bring the jazzy color along for a perfect potato salad.

Red Potato Salad

 

Basic Summer Potato Salad
(recipe yields four portions)
2 pounds potatoes
1 tablespoon sea salt and more to taste
black pepper from a mill, to taste
1 teaspoon honey
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 stalks scallions 

1. Rinse potatoes with water. Combine potatoes in a gallon-sized pot and cover with water and add salt. Cook potatoes on medium heat setting. Test the doneness of the potatoes by pricking them with a small knife. The potatoes are ready when the knife can be inserted to the middle of the thickest potato and the knife is pulled out easily.
2. Drain potatoes in a colander and let them cool for 10 minutes.
3. Cut potatoes into mouth-sized pieces and toss them with all other ingredients.
4. Taste potato salad and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  

Chef’s Note: The potatoes will absorb most of the other ingredients’ flavors when the potatoes are still warm.  

MESSAGE IN A CAN – the blog

The current warm temperature makes me crave simply prepared light foods.  One example is fish like sea bream that is quickly prepared on a char grill, or sea bass or snapper, both of which are and ideal dishes for lunch or dinner. These types of fish are offered on many restaurant menus since they are universally liked. The downside is that these fish are on the non-sustainable “avoid” list – meaning if we keep eating them like we do currently they won’t be available at all in a few years.

message in a can - tuna

 

Tinned tuna just became en vogue again
Lately I have been opting for white, chunky tinned pole or troll caught tuna. There is no seasonality to canned fish, which makes it an ideal on-hand item to have in your kitchen cupboard. 

Sustainable and non-sustainable fishing methods
Greenpeace has been a strong advocate for sustainably fished tuna. The following two are the most common sustainable practices for catching tuna:

Troll-caught: fish is caught by single line bait or a rubber jig that is most commonly a squid look-alike. A vessel slowly hauls these fishing lines in the ocean. Tuna hooked like this is sustainable because it does not catch other fish as a by-product.  

Pole-caught: fishermen throw bait, such as sardines, along side a fishing boat, into the water. The tuna comes to the surface and gets caught with poles. Tuna caught this way tends to be smaller in size. Again the tuna gets caught one by one so this is a sustainable fishing method.

pole fishing

Common fishing methods that are not sustainable are:
Longline: one long line with many side-branches is kept afloat with buoys. The negative side effect is the bycatch. Sea turtles and many other endangered sea life and unwanted marine animals get caught along with the targeted fish.

 

Purse Seine: a school of tuna is encircled by a net and then drawn tight at the bottom, similar to a purse, then the net gets hoisted on board a fishing vessel. Purse seine method fishing has significant bycatch, which is not sustainable.  This method is known for harming dolphin among other marine life.

tuna salad with green peppers

Sustainable Tuna Salad, Hold the Mayo
(recipe yields 2 portions tuna salad)
1 stalk celery
1 can tuna – I prefer no salt, no oil, white-large chunks, line, troll or pole caught
2 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper grindings from a mill

 

Optional additional ingredients:
2 boiled eggs, chopped
Red, orange or green peppers, cored and sliced
¼ cup chopped pickled onions
1 apple such as Granny Smith, cored and cut into 1/8-dice 

1. Rinse celery with water and cut in half, lengthwise. Chop celery across into 1/8-inch cubes.
2. Rinse the can of tuna with water and soap. Open can and press the lid onto the tuna. Turn can of tuna upside down and press excess juice out of the tuna.
3. In a bowl combine tuna, celery and all other ingredients.
4. With a table fork mix ingredients.
5. Adjust seasoning with black pepper and salt.