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How To Make Extra-Delicious Soups, Sauces, Casseroles - One Special Secret

I just can't help it - I have an absolute passion for cooking. I love it! And please forgive me for tooting my own horn but if I do say so myself I've become pretty good at it. I'm not a "chef" because I don't "create" new dishes but I'm a master at seeking out great recipes and making them extra special by adjusting ingredients and flavors for my own family's preferences. People tell me all the time that I'm a great cook, but the truth is - I'm actually just a great recipe follower. I'm not secretive about it either - when anyone asks if they can have the recipe for something I've made, I'm flattered and eager to share it with them.

But I ran into a bit of a problem in that it seemed that no matter how precisely I wrote or relayed a recipe, friends often told me later that the dish didn't turn out as good as when I made it. I couldn't figure it out, so I took the time to think through my cooking process step-by-step and discovered the secret. It's such a fundamental thing for me because my mother taught me this so I assumed everybody cooked this way and I never thought to mention it in my recipes. Yet this small but important step makes all the difference in the world in creating a dish that goes from "pretty good" to "WOW! This is delicious!"

Here's the deal. Almost all main-course recipes call for onions. For example, let's say you're making homemade vegetable soup. Most people will brown whatever meat it calls for and then cut up the onion and other vegetables and add them to the pot, then add broth or water and the called-for seasonings. That's the big mistake...

Whenever something calls for cooked onions and/or other fresh vegetables, always sauté the onions and vegetables first in a little olive oil and real butter. Do this in a separate pan from the rest of the ingredients (I use a deep skillet). Sauté until the onions are caramelized and soft and the other veggies (carrots, celery, peppers, etc.) are crisp-tender; about 15-20 minutes. Then add the vegetable mixture to the main pot.

What happens is that the flavors of the vegetables are greatly enhanced when they're sautéed separately - the caramelization process develops the flavor. With the "usual method" all ingredients are put into one pot at the same time and that wonderful vegetable flavor and aroma can't fully develop. The "sauté" step transforms all recipes with vegetables from "good" to "outstanding" and it's so simple!

Tips: Always try to purchase sweet onions for cooking (they're way more flavorful) but if they aren't available, add about 1 teaspoon sugar to regular onions as you're sautéing them. Any vegetables that are a little on the bitter side can benefit from a small amount of added sugar during the saute' process (and you can't taste the sugar in the final result).

It probably goes without saying but the "separate sauté step" does not apply to potatoes or tomatoes. Those can be added directly to the pot with the other ingredients.

I use this separate sauté method just about every single day because it seems that almost all recipes at least call for onions, if not other vegetables as well. I sauté the onions/vegetables before adding them to anything cooked - soups and stews, chili, meatloaf, crab cakes, quiches, scrambled eggs, salmon loaf, hamburgers, the works. If the recipe calls for onions or other veggies make it a given that they are sautéed separately first. The difference in flavor is truly amazing.

For more cooking tips, great recipes, and "must have" kitchen equipment, visit my website, listed below.

Barbecue Pork Steaks - Secret Ways to Cook Them Revealed For the Very First Time

Have you ever eaten a barbecue pork steak? If not, you are really missing out on a delicious barbecue experience. Almost everyone who is from the region of the United States that surrounds the City of St. Louis has, and takes for granted that everyone else in the country has too. That is not the case. It is very hard to find them outside of the St. Louis influenced regional area.

For his reason, directions for properly preparing a pork steak will be presented:

Locate the right cut of meat. This may sound obviously easy. It is not. In areas outside of the St. Louis zone, it is very difficult to find the cut that we know as the pork steak. You just can't pop down to the Schnucks and get 3 pounds on sale. Grocery stores don't even have them. Butchers look at you like you have three heads if you ask for one. This is how you get an authentic pork steak to cook. Go to your friendly butcher and ask him if he would be so kind as to custom cut some meat for you. He should be happy and willing to do this. If not, find another butcher. Tell him you need a pork shoulder, (the Boston butt portion) sliced into steaks, approximately 3/4 inch thick. Get about six of them. This is a pork steak. A pork chop is not a very good substitute, because it is a pork chop. Thank your butcher for helping you, and pay him. He should be more than willing to accept your money, and will be glad to see you again if you pay him.
Get out your Weber style kettle grill, set it up for direct cooking. This means build a charcoal fire on the bottom grate, and spread out the coals across the bottom when properly lit. You want your fire to be medium hot when you grill your pork steaks.
Season the steaks with salt and pepper. You may want to rub them with a barbecue rub. Some do, some don't. Put the steaks on the grill, cover with the lid, vents open. You'll hear all sorts of sizzling sounds and smoke will pour out of the open top vents. This is good. Turn the steaks over after about 5 minutes, and do the same with the lid, smoke pouring out. Cook this side for about 5 minutes.
Remove the steaks to one of those cheap aluminum disposable baking pans that you can purchase at your grocery store, and cover them with the barbecue sauce that you like best. In St. Louis, the sauce of choice for old school backyard grill-masters would be Maulls, a local sauce with a catchy TV advertising jingle. Any sauce will do though, as long as it is your favorite. Some people will add beer to the mix at this point, both by drinking some and adding some to the sauce pan.
Place your steaks back on the grill, in the pan and let them baste for awhile, until you are ready to eat.
Serve them with potato salad (the kind made with mayo and egg is the best for authenticity) on the side.
Accept the praise offered by your family and friends humbly as they devour your pork steaks.

There you have it, the secret method used by native St. Louis barbecue chef's to prepare the dish, barbecue Saint Louis Style Pork Steaks.

Summer BBQ Pork Chop Recipe With a Special Secret Sauce

Barbecuing is one of America's most popular thing to do during the summer. Laying out in the sun, smelling that delicious meat being grilled and having a cold margarita can't get anymore relaxing. When you have hungry friends that come over and want to feed them, you want to be ready to fill their stomach up with your specialty barbecue dish. I'm going to tell you a simple and easy way to make my favorite pork chop recipe which you can share with your friends and family. There are times where I crave it so much that I turn my grill on during the winter and make them even when it snows.

Here are the Ingredients you'll need to start making this fantastic barbecue pork chop.

Ingredients

6 pork loin chops (center cut)

1/4 cup of sugar (brown)

1/4 cup of dijon mustard

1/8 cup of soy sauce

1 carrot (finely chopped)

1 celery (finely chopped)

1/2 medium onion (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon of ginger (finely grated)

1 tablespoon of shallots (minced)

1 tablespoon of garlic (minced)

1 pound of fresh cherries

3 cups of chicken stock

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

1 tablespoon of water

3 black peppercorns

3/4 cup of port wine

8 ounces of butter

2 sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Start by mixing the sugar, soy sauce and mustard in a bowl then spread the mix over the chops to marinate. Cover it and put it in the fridge for 5 hours. When your ready to cook, put 1 ounce of unsalted butter in a pan. Once It's melted add the carrot, celery, onion, ginger, shallots, garlic, fresh thyme, bay leaves and black peppercorn. Cook them until it turns light brown then add the port wine. This will bring all the flavors together. Keep the heat on until the liquid is thick.

Next add the cherries and cook them until all the liquid is extracted. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil then reduce the temperature to simmer for about 40 minutes. Take if off the heat and strain it so you get all the juice. Pour the juice in a pan over low heat and add the rest of the butter an ounce each time. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water then add it to the sauce. Stir in over the heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Season the sauce with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper for flavor.

Get your grill going with some woodchips and charcoal. Grill the pork chops on the grill to the desired doneness. When serving you want to put the sauce on top of them. It can't get any more simple than that!

Our Secret Chili Recipe

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