As Will Smith, PKA “The Fresh Prince”, so eloquently chanted, “Sitting with your friends as y’all reminisce about the days growing up and the first person you kissed. And as I think back makes me wonder how the smell from a grill could spark up nostalgia.”
Isn’t it funny how that happens in the summertime? You smell a grill, and not only are you instantly hungry, but you’re instantly taken back to summers spent as a kid – playing outside all day long, smelling the aroma of a charcoal grill in the air around dusk. Something about that aroma – so indescribable and unique yet so familiar. Ah, summertime! It is here at last.
In the summer, we lay back and take it easier. We eat dinner later in the evening now that we don’t have to worry about homework and early bed times, so we grill A LOT! Almost every night. My husband is the grill master in this house. Although I’m learning how to stack and light the charcoal briquettes (no gas grill for us), he is the grilling ace! He grills anything and everything he can get his hands on…well…almost everything.
Let me tell you about this grill sauce he developed. It’s a splendid concoction of just about any and every flavor note you’d expect from and want in a grill sauce. The perfect blend of tangy & spicy, sweet & smoky. Slather it on chicken, ribs, pork chops, you name it. It’s a winner every time. No need to salt & pepper the meat beforehand.
Just like the wifey, hubby doesn’t measure his ingredients either. I’ve estimated the measurements below, but taste the sauce as you mix it up and adjust according to your preference. Slather a little sauce on your meat before it hits the grill, and baste every 15 minutes or so as the meat continues to cook. Relax and reminisce as the aroma of the grill hits the summer evening air.
Dale's 'Kick-A**!' Grill Sauce
Ingredients (Approximate Measurements)
1/2 cup prepared BBQ sauce (the higher the quality, the better)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tbs vinegar (balsamic, red wine, apple cider) – any kind you have on hand works well.
a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper
Possible add-ins: Dijon mustard, brown sugar (light or dark), horseradish, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder (not fresh garlic as it will burn), onion powder.
Stir together and slather on meat prior to, during, and at the end of grilling. Discard any left-over sauce to avoid cross-contamination.
The Seasoned Heart 