The running joke in my family – which I unabashedly perpetuate – is that I’m of German descent – though, admittedly, my blood runs Irish green. Despite that, I do love German cuisine, especially, this time of year when there’s a cool nip in the air and an increasing amount of Octoberfest beer on the shelves of my local package goods store.

Knowing my penchant for all-things-Teutonic (and relating to the aforementioned running joke), my sister recently bought me a Sauerkraut-making-kit thinking that; a) it’ll be fun; b) the end result will be better than store-bought and; c) it’s so easy that even I could do it!

Having no alternative, I accepted the challenge – and in sharing my experience here, perhaps you will too.

Tools You’ll Need

To begin, here’s what you’ll need:

• Mandolin Slicer (optional) or sharp knife
• Mixing Bowl
• Scale
• Ball Jar
• Fermentation Lid
• Muddler
• Fermentation Weights (or pinch bowl)

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

For the Sauerkraut, you’ll need:

• 1 head of Cabbage (more if you’d like to make a bigger batch)
• Kosher salt (2% of the shredded cabbage’s weight)

And the basic procedure is as follows:

1. Shred or slice the cabbage (thickness is your preference)
2. Mix the sliced cabbage in a bowl with salt (2% of weight of cabbage) until slightly watery

   Example: My cabbage weighed 640 grams, so I used approx. 13 grams of salt

   Note: Crush, squeeze and mix the cabbage with the salt until slightly watery (2- to 5-minutes)

   

3. Place in Ball Jar (a little bit at a time) and use Muddler to compress until juice is above cabbage
   
4. Cover cabbage/salt mixture with the fermentation weight(s), or weigh down with pinch bowl
5. Cover the jar with the fermentation lid and let set un-refrigerated
6. Fermentation takes about 2-weeks – but feel free to taste every few days until the sauerkraut is to your liking.

Like I said, so easy a caveman can do it!

Have fun – and look for my next post in a few weeks to see how my Sauerkraut turned out.

Related Posts

• Make the Best Reuben Sandwich Ever!
• Man Bites Dog! Plus, 10 Top American Hot Dogs
• A Revolutionary New Way to Cook Bratwurst

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The post How to Make Sauerkraut at Home – It’s Easier Than You Think appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

You’ve eaten salmon grilled, roasted, blackened, planked, and pan-fried; perhaps you’ve even chopped it to make burgers.

But have you made salmon candy, also known as Indian candy? (We no longer call it “squaw candy” by reason of political correctness.) British Columbians snack on it and it’s a staple in Pacific Northwest gift shops. Think of it as jerky, only better. Burnished to an Old Master chiaroscuro by hours of exposure to fragrant wood smoke—usually alder. Glazed with pure maple syrup or honey. Salty and sweet at the same time. It has a nice chew, too—but nothing that will threaten your molars.

Salmon candy makes a great snack for a road trip, hike, or long day at the office. It’s addictive as all-get-out. Once you gnaw your last piece, you’ll instantly crave more.

Making a batch is a satisfying project for the waning days of winter. Yes, it requires some time—16 hours or more including brining and smoking—but very little actual work.

Before you get started, here are a few secrets for salmon candy success:

• Use wild-caught Pacific salmon if possible. You’ll recognize it by its deeper red-orange color and leaner appearance. If in doubt, verify its origin with your fishmonger. It is illegal to farm salmon from the state of Alaska, so salmon from there is always wild, while salmon from the East Coast, Chile, and Norway is likely to be farmed.
• A center-cut fillet will yield more uniform pieces of fish: It tapers and becomes sinewy the closer you get to the tail.
• Remove the skin before slicing the salmon into strips. If using a whole fillet, place the salmon skin-side down on a cutting board. Firmly hold the tail with one hand and run a sharp knife between the skin and the flesh, holding it parallel to and against the board. Slide the knife away from the tail the length of the fish, being careful not to cut the flesh or the skin. Remove the skin, but don’t discard it. Make Pac-Rim potato chips by brushing the skin with toasted sesame oil and season it with salt and pepper. Indirect grill at 400 degrees until crisp. Five to ten minutes will do it.
• You can cure salmon candy using either a dry or wet brine, but the ingredients are more uniformly distributed in a wet brine.
• If the salmon smells fishy, soak it in cheap vodka, rum, gin, or Scotch before brining. I often do this when I smoke salmon.
• Do not substitute table salt for kosher salt in the brine. Table salt contains iodine—a metal that “burns” the fish.
• To achieve the translucency characteristic of commercially-produced salmon candy and jerky, add curing salt (sometimes sold as pink salt, InstaCure #1, or Prague powder, all available online) to the brine strictly following the manufacturer’s recommended proportions.
• For the purest flavors, use spring water, not tap water, when making a wet brine.
• Use a charcoal grill or smoker. Gas grills do not work well for smoking.
• Store salmon candy in the refrigerator to prolong its shelf life. Refrigerated, it can be kept for at least 5 days—and likely much longer. (Both the salt and smoke act preservatives.)
• For lip tingling heat sprinkle the salmon lightly with cayenne before smoking. Coarsely ground black pepper makes a less fiery option.

FAQ For Salmon Candy

What exactly is salmon candy?

Salmon candy a traditional dish of the Pacific Northwest—salmon cut into bitesize chunks, cured with salt and brown sugar, smoked, then glazed with maple syrup or honey. It’s sweet, salty, and smoky, playing to virtually every tastebud in your mouth.

What kind of salmon is best for salmon candy?

The richest, fattiest salmon: king.

What’s the secret to getting the perfect glaze?

Use maple syrup or honey and brush it on while the salmon is smoking. Add one final coat at the end.

How do you keep salmon candy from drying out?

Because the salmon pieces are relatively small, keep the smoking time short—20 minutes or so.

Can you make salmon candy without a smoker?

You can make brined, maple syrup-glazed salmon. Cook it on your grill, on the griddle (there’s a great griddle recipe in Project Griddle, or even in the oven. It won’t be smoked, but it certainly will be delicious!

How long does salmon candy last in the fridge or freezer?

Up to 5 days in the fridge. Several months in freezer, but it will lose some of its pizzaz in the freezer.

Try these other salmon recipes:

• Salmon with Maple-Mustard Glaze
• Planked Salmon with Mustard-Dill Glaze
• Scotch Whiskey-Smoked Salmon

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On a competitive cooking show that aired recently, judges unanimously noted the dryness of a chef’s barbecued chicken breast. “Aha,” I thought. “It can happen to any of us!” Let’s face it: Who among us hasn’t plated and served a Sahara-dry chicken breast?

Yes, boneless, skinless chicken breast is the meat grill fanatics love to hate and hate to love. (You likely have a package of it in your refrigerator or freezer right now.) But you needn’t fear this lean cut again. Here, we’ll share our strategies for grilling moist chicken breast every time.

9 Tips for Grilling Moist Grilled Chicken Breast

1. Remove the loose piece of meat (called a tender) from the underside

If your butcher has not already done so, remove the loose piece of meat—called a tender—that runs lengthwise on the underside of the breast. (You can recognize it by a prominent white tendon that runs through it.) If left on the breast, the tenders give it an uneven thickness, making it more difficult to grill properly. Grill the tenders separately as they cook very fast—just 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 minutes per side if your fire is hot. (Be sure to clean and oil your grill grate first.)

2. Pound to an even thickness

Place the chicken breast in a sturdy plastic bag or between sheets of parchment or wax paper. Using a meat mallet, small cast iron skillet, or a rolling pin, pound the chicken breast until it is an even thickness. Pounding not only breaks down the meat fibers, but the breast will cook more evenly.

3. Don’t overcook

The high, dry heat of the grill can quickly overcook ultra-lean chicken breast, especially if the grillmaster doesn’t keep a close eye on it. Thinner breasts—ones that have been pounded, for example—may cook in as little as 4 minutes per side, while thicker breasts might require 6 to 8 minutes at medium-high heat (400 degrees). Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. (Always use a meat thermometer with a thin, sharp probe, and insert the probe through the side of the breast. We like to pull the breast when it reaches 160 degrees as the temperature will rise as the meat rests.)

4. Baste toward the end of the cook or serve with a sauce

Brush the breast with melted butter, oil, or a glaze—preferably one that’s not sugary as it can easily burn.

5. Let the meat rest

Resting is an important step whenever you grill meat. Don’t skip it. Chicken breasts are relatively small and need only 5 minutes for the juices to redistribute themselves.

6. Slice the meat like a pro

Using a sharp knife, such as a chef’s knife or boning knife, slice the chicken crosswise on a diagonal into pieces of even thickness. Shingle on a plate or platter.

7. Do brine

Brining—soaking chicken breasts in saltwater—has an amazing effect. We combine 4 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of Morton’s kosher salt, then stir until the salt dissolves. (Some people add sugar and/or spices or other aromatics or liquids. We keep things simple.) Submerge the chicken, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or even overnight. Brining relaxes the coiled proteins in the chicken, making it more tender. Rinse the brine off the breasts, then pat dry with paper towels. Continue with your recipe. Note: We do not recommend brining and marinating as the chicken could become too salty.

8. Try Chinese “velveting”

You won’t see this trick on many barbecue blogs. Have you ever eaten in a Chinese restaurant and marveled over the tenderness of the chicken? Here’s the secret: it’s called velveting. Toss the chicken—preferably pounded thin (see above)—with baking soda, about 3/4 teaspoon per 8 ounces of chicken breast. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Rinse, then pat dry with paper towels. Continue with your recipe. The alkalinity of the baking soda tenderizes the chicken.

9. Marinate

Marinating is a way to add flavor, but it does not penetrate the chicken breast the way brining does. Marinades have only shallow penetration. Marinades containing an acid, such as a vinaigrette, can be used, as can dairy-based marinades—buttermilk or yogurt, for example. Tandoori chicken is an example of the latter.

Check out our 1000+ Recipes section here on Barbecue Bible.Com

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The post 9 Strategies for Grilling Moist, Succulent Chicken Breast appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.