Steak Marinade

Mrs. Wraith prefers her steaks unadulterated, but even she thinks this turned out well.

1 cup roasted red pepper-infused olive oil (You can make this yourself, or, optionally, add one chopped red pepper.)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard (Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon...?)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper (Alternately, substitute "Lavender Pepper," available from terraverdefarms.com. [Terra Verde Farms is NOT compensating me in any way--I just like a lot of their stuff.])
1 medium onion, sliced
3-4 large cloves garlic, minced

Mix. Marinate meat. Cook. Eat.

Spicy Sake Ahi

I gotta admit, I love Trader Joes.  Great folks, good food and unbeatable prices.  When one opened up here, I wondered what all the fuss was about, but when Mrs. Wraith insisted we go, I found myself amazed at the selection and value.

Last time we went, we ended up bringing home some ahi steaks, and I decided to make an experimental marinade.

 

Here's what you'll need:  Ahi steaks, a Ziploc bag, green onions, soy sauce, chili garlic paste, sake, ground ginger...

 

 



...and ground mustard.  Chop the green onions, reserving some of the tips for garnish.

Add 1/2 c soy sauce, 1/3 c sake, 2 tsp chili garlic paste,

And 1/2 tsp each of the ground ginger and ground mustard.

 

 



 

Close the bag and shake well to mix.  Add the ahi and marinate for a couple of hours.  Sear each side, then cook about 10 minutes on medium-high heat.  Garnish with onion tips.

Real Awesome Sauce

I'm always on the lookout for sauces, marinades and anything that makes food fun.  Today, let me introduce you to some interesting stuff I found in a hot-sauce shop in Cave Creek:  Ol' Ray's Kentucky Gold Bourbon Barbeque Sauce.

You'll be able to pick it out quickly, as it's as gold as the name implies.  It's a mustard-based blend, dark yellow in color, which helps it stand out from the usual red/orange of most BBQ sauces.  The taste is quite reminicent of mustard(which is what many other BBQ sauces have as a main ingredient), but not overpoweringly so, and the bourbon flavor helps give it a more well-rounded body(insert "cut the mustard" joke here).  It has a spicy kick to it, but you won't be breathing fire; it's just enough to be noticeable.

Good stuff.  I marinated some deep-frozen chicken thighs in it for about four days as they slowly defrosted in the refrigerator, and it made quite the glorious meal.