Summer Grilling Success with Pure Honey
Start with two master sauce recipes for a summer's worth of creative variations. From two base recipes—one light and citrusy and one thick and tomatoey—creative cooks can improvise endless sauce variations that marinate as well as they baste and glaze. Using the master recipes as a starting point, cooks can add, substitute or adjust based on what's in the pantry, fridge or garden.
Honey Mojito Mojo Marinade and Grilling Sauce
A lighter style sauce for marinating and basting poultry, pork, seafood and vegetables.
Ingredients
1 cup pure honey
1 cup lime juice
1/4 cup rum or orange juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 fresh or 3 canned jalapeño peppers, diced (remove seeds for less spicy sauce)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
Directions
In a food processor or blender, puree the first seven ingredients. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan, boil until slightly thickened (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in mint. Sauce may be used immediately as a grilling baste or cooled to use as a marinade.
Kitchen Notes
- Sauce can be made ahead and kept covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Marinate vegetables and seafood for 30 minutes; pork and chicken for up to 2 hours.
- Some favorite variations: — Lemon Thyme (substitute lemon juice for the lime juice and thyme for the mint)
— Grapefruit Cilantro (substitute grapefruit juice for the lime juice and cilantro for the mint)
— Ginger Lime (substitute ginger for the jalapeño)
Honey Orange and Smoked Paprika BBQ Sauce
A thicker, BBQ-style sauce for brushing on beef, ribs and chicken.
Ingredients
1 cup pure honey
1 1/4 cups orange juice
3/4 cup cider vinegar
2 cups tomato sauce
1 medium onion, grated or very finely diced
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot)
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. Chill before using. Baste or brush meat or poultry with sauce several times during grilling.
Kitchen Notes
- Sauce can be made ahead and kept covered in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Some favorite variations: — Pomegranate Rosemary (substitute pomegranate juice for the orange juice and rosemary for the paprika)
— Tomato Fennel (substitute tomato juice for the orange juice and crushed fennel seeds for the paprika)
— Pineapple Peppercorn (substitute pineapple juice for the orange juice and cracked black peppercorns for the paprika)
Caribbean Burgers with Honey Pineapple Chutney
Makes 6 Servings
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ripe fresh pineapple, peeled and chopped
2 large onions, peeled and diced
1/3 cup pure honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon orange peel, grated
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 sandwich rolls or buns, toasted
Butter lettuce leaves
Directions
To prepare the Honey Pineapple Chutney:
In a heavy, medium saucepan, heat oil over high heat. Add pineapple and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium high and add honey, vinegar, orange peel, ginger and allspice; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bell peppers and cook for 10 minutes more; let cool. Makes about 3 cups.
To prepare Caribbean Burgers:
In a medium bowl, stir together ground beef, 1/2 cup honey pineapple chutney, Jamaican jerk seasoning and black pepper. Shape into 6 large flat patties. Grill over medium coals for 5 to 8 minutes per side. Serve on toasted buns topped with lettuce leaves and a spoonful of remaining honey pineapple chutney.