Ask a Chef

A couple of week I got asked to check out Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce to see what I thought about it. So I took a little time and looked over the recipes listed on the Country Bobs web site, which by the way is great place to buy their products if your local store doesn’t happen to carry them, anyways after checking out the recipes and trying the sauce I had set out to try it in and on a few different items.

[ad#ad-block-1]First I tried the sauce simply just brushing it over steak, chicken and pork. Now personally I am not a fan of anything on my steak, just a little S+P, but the sauce did have nice flavor not to over bearing or really went well with the meat. If you enjoy a little steak sauce with a steak then Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce will be a real treat. As for the chicken I really not blown away, while the flavor was good it just did not jump out at with the chicken. Again just brushed on the chicken with nothing else and I saw a couple of chicken wing recipes that I am going to check out here soon, so I’ll update on this later. As for the pork I brushed Country Bob’s over some pork chops and simply broiled them. I was so blown away with it that I had it a again a few days later. Really added to the pork chops.

Next I wanted to try the sauce in a few items to see how it stacked up. First was in a meatloaf, I love making meatloaf around the house and I always looking to change it up a little. So I made a meatloaf with the Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce mixed in and a little brushed on the top for a little glaze, it came out fantastic, it really added to the flavor of the dish. I will be making this again. Baked beans where next on the list for me and again Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce did not disappoint , I just one of my recipes and just replaced Ketchup with the Country Bob’s and it came out delicious in truth my family is now requesting I make my baked beans like from now on. The last thing I used the sauce on was hamburgers and like the meatloaf the sauce really added to the flavor when in with the ground beef.

Now I have to say when I was asked to try the sauce I was I little scared most sauces of the nature are normally not that good but I am happy to say that overall Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce was a very nice addition to just about everything I have ever tried it on and I am looking forward to trying the sauce in some other recipes. Make sure you check it out when you get a chance.

As almost every ones knows pork comes from pigs. Pigs have been raised as livestock for thousands of years dating back as far as 5000 BC. There is an old phase that goes something like “we use everything but the squeal.” Well this is very true everything on the pigs is used but what is important to us is the meat or pork as it is commonly known.

Over the last few decades pork have undergone many changes. In the past pork was considered a fatty animal and that it was not very healthy. Well through breeding, proper diets and genetics pork has slowly been changed to have less fat and more protein. Pork is a white meat like chicken and turkey and 1987 was crowned the “the other white meat” by the US National Pork Board a phrase that is still used to market pork to this day.
Another change that has been happening with pork is the how much it has to be cooked. Yes it is a product that does have to be cooked it does not mean that it has to be super well done. The reason pork must be cooked is trichinae (which causes trichinosis) but this is killed at 137 degrees. With that being said I would still recommend cooking pork to at least 150 degrees which leaves it a little pink and has the best flavor. This is your choice though if you don’t feel comfortable with this or you just prefer your meat a little more done cook it to 160 degrees which is well done.

Common Cuts:

When you go to the store you will see many different cuts of pork. Which can be put into couple of main categories:

Shoulder:
The Shoulder has two main cuts the Picnic shoulder and the Boston butt. You can get both cuts with or without bones/shoulder blades in them. They both are fatty cuts of meat and do very well slow roasted, braised, or slow smoked.

Belly:

The belly has to main cuts that come from the first is a cut called the pork belly which is normally either salted to make salt pork or salt and cured to make bacon. The other cut that comes from the belly is pork spareribs.

Ham:
This is the rear legs, and is almost always cured and sold as ham. If you come across a fresh ham (that has not been cured) you can cook it the same way as you would a shoulder.

Loin:

The loin has many cuts that come from it the area. The first is the very lean tenderloin which I find is best grilled or broiled. Then there is the pork loin itself communally this will be broken down into three types of roast or chops; the rib-end, center lion and rump-end. The rib-end is where is prefer to get chops from if I plan on breading and frying. With center lion I like to use this as a marinated roast or sliced to go into stir fry dishes. The rump-end is a little leaner so I tend to get chops form this end that I plan to marinate and grill. The center loin is also used to make Canadian bacon. There are two styles of ribs that come from this area as well the baby back ribs and country style ribs.

Shrimp is widely available seafood that can live in either fresh or salt water and can be found in both cold and warm waters. With year round availability shrimp has become the most popular seafood in the United States today. Americans consume more shrimp than any other country in the world. The great thing about shrimp is that it can be cooked in so many different ways.

There a hundreds of species of shrimp some of them less flavorible and some even inedible. The most common shrimp we will see are: Gulf White, Mexican White, Gulf Pink, Gulf Brown, Black Tiger, and Chinese White. Even with these most store are going to label shrimp by color that is the color it is before it is cooked: white, pink, brown, or black tiger.

Buying Shrimp:

Shrimp can be bought either fresh or frozen. The two main things to check for when buying fresh shrimp: first check that their bodies are firm, do not buy them if they fell soft and sticky; second the smell of the shrimp it should smell slightly fishy, avoid any that have an ammonia odor to them. With frozen shrimp the main thing that is that they are not cover in frost or dried, these are signs that it has been re-frozen and will not have great flavor to them.

Sizes of Shrimp:

Shrimp are also graded by their size meaning how many come in a pound:

Colossal (10 or less)
Jumbo (11-15)
Extra-Large (16-20)
Large (21-30)
Medium (31-35)
Small (36-45)
Miniature (about 100)

Peeling and Deveining Shrimp:

I prefer to peel shrimp for any dish that I am making because I don’t want to have to do this while eating. As a general rule if the shrimp is going to be in a sauce or in a dish where it will be hard to see them they should be peeled. But it is completely up to you if you want to peel the shrimp.

To peel the shrimp, grab the feelers/legs on the underside and pull this should take the shell completely off.

Deveining shrimp is when you remove the vein (which is the intestinal tract) from the shrimp. My personal preference is to devein any of the larger shrimp (large to colossal) and the vein is much more noticeable. As for the smaller shrimp (medium and down) the vein is not as noticeable.

To devein shrimp make small shallow cut allow the back side if the shrimp and pull the vein out.

A good thing to not is that more and more places are starting to offer to devein the shrimp for you, this may cost a little more but it will save you a lot of time.

Well we should now be ready to cook shrimp.

A surefire benefit to using herbs for cooking is that herbs have many healing properties that will benefit your health in a positive manner. Once you use herbs for cooking you will naturally incorporate their healing powers into your meals, and there is a good possibility that you are already either knowingly or unknowingly using herbs in the food that you are consuming. Herbs such as basil and thyme are useful as they add taste to your dishes and at the same time improves your general well-being.

No Different To Using Dry Herbs

When you use herbs for cooking, it will not be any different to using dry herbs. All that you need to do is to cut a small portion of the herb and then season it according to your taste. However, herbs for cooking mean that you will need to use twice as much of the herbs as compared with using dried herbs. And, if you want your dishes tasting fresh and crisp make sure that you wait while your dishes are being cooked, and then only add herbs after about twenty minutes of the cooking.

Herbs for cooking allows you to add flavor to your dishes and they are commonly used in pasta sauces, as well as in soups, eggs, oils as well as sometimes even in desserts and drinks. The herbs that you use can either be grown at home or are purchased fresh from grocery stores. When you use your home grown herbs, it would be necessary to first freeze them and dry them in a dehydrator for best use as well as for using them later on.

Some of the possible combinations of foods that you can use when using herbs for cooking include eggs and dill, pesto with basil, adding mint in your tea or punch, parsley with salad, rosemary and thyme along with roasted potatoes, and finally basil and sage added to flavor your butter. Herbs for cooking are also helpful in case you have a particular condition or illness and you may want to add a small amount of herbs for taste and thus realize their health benefits without needing to take pills or drugs.

In any case, using herbs for cooking will afford you with the many benefits that can be derived from these versatile plants that have many medicinal benefits and are also much appreciated because of the wonderful flavors that they give to a dish.

If you’re looking to start your own garden, whether indoor or outdoor, you should consider growing herbs. Not only are these plants fragrant, giving off a pleasant smell, but growing your own herbs allows you to have fresh ones whenever you need some to cook with. Because herbs are usually better fresh, a garden of them is one way to ensure that you’ll always have them on hand and in their peak condition. Let’s look at some of the herbs that you could grow in your garden.

Basil

One of the most popular and versatile herbs, basil is used worldwide in a variety of cooking applications. Basil goes particularly well with tomatoes, which is why this is one of the herbs often included in Italian dishes that feature tomato sauces. But varieties of basil are valued in many Thai dishes as well for their pungent aroma and great flavor. Harvesting the leaves regularly on a basil plant actually encourage new growth on the plant, so this plant is ideal for an herb garden that you can maintain all season.

Rosemary

Unlike many other herbs, rosemary resembles an evergreen bush more than any other plant, with little needle-like leaves. If you’ve ever smelled a pine tree, though, you know that evergreen-type plants tend to have very noticeable scents, and rosemary shares this characteristic. Other than the great smell it gives off, this herb goes great in lamb dishes and with rice. Many herbs have medicinal properties, and rosemary is no exception, acting as a muscle relaxant in small amounts, though too much will leads to stomach irritation.

Chives And Scallions

You may not know it, but the plants in the onion family are herbs, too! This is most apparent for chives and scallions, which resemble chives. In both cases, the plants tend to form leaves that are almost round and hollow in the middle. Cut into small pieces, they add mild onion flavor to a variety of dishes, from French cooking, where chive is important, to Asian cuisine, where the scallion shines. In addition to being great for cooking, the juice from the leaves repels insects, making it useful for those looking to do some organic gardening.

As can be seen, herbs come in a variety of shapes and have a wide variety of uses, from food to medicine to natural insect repellents. With such a wide range of applications, a small garden, indoors or out, for herbs will allow you to have their versatility at your fingertips. So, get to your local gardening store and get started on growing your own!

The use of herbs in medicines is a long-standing tradition. Every culture in the world has, at one time or another, left documentation showing their use of herbs in the treatment of every known illness. Healing herbs are found in the wild, and as more and more people become interested in this form of holistic medicine, these herbs are now being grown in gardens.

Where To Get Herbs

Not only can you grow some of these herbs, most can be found either on the Internet or in local health food stores. These healing herbs are often powdered down to create teas, tinctures, capsules or as extracts. It is always important to make sure the integrity of the herb has been maintained. Verifying where the herbs were purchased and how they were grown can help a consumer determine if the herb has been properly processed. Stores that won’t divulge this information should be avoided.

What To Do With Herbs

There are many herbs that are very well known. Aloe vera is known for its healing properties when someone is burned. Companies have picked up on the fact that people are interested in healing herbs, and offer products with these herbs in them. Sunburn creams often contain aloe vera.

Garlic is a well-known herb that has a reputation for being one of the healing herbs. It is thought to help with high blood pressure, diabetes and is good for the digestive system.

Another of the healing herbs is sage. This is a very well known healing herb that is used for many different illnesses. Sage can be used in an aromatic fashion to assist with breathing. Companies are now manufacturing products that can be plugged into an outlet and the aroma of sage is released for help with opening the sinus passages due to colds. Sage is one of the healing herbs because it also can be used in a tea form and this will help reduce inflammation within the body.

Parsley is another of the healing herbs. This one is known for its help in the digestive system as well as keeping bladder infections from occurring. Parsley can also be used to apply to insect bites to prevent infection.

Chamomile is an herb that offers a calming effect. This is one of the healing herbs that are often found in teas to help relax people. It is also thought to assist in digestion.

There are many kinds of herbs and spices. Most of these are used for cooking and medicinal remedies. Herbs have a less strong taste than spices. Some people might like a list of herbs and spices that are used for cooking.

A List of Herbs and Spices

Here is a list of herbs and spices commonly used for cooking. Allspice, anise, basil, bay leaves, caraway seeds, cardamom seed, celery seed, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, dill seed, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, mace, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, black and white pepper, poppy seed, red pepper, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, sesame seed, sweet pepper flakes, tarragon, thyme, turmeric.

The herbs and spices listed above are all very good for enhancing the taste and smell of foods and other dishes. The list of herbs and spices above is not the complete family of herbs and spices available to people but they are some of the more commonly used in the kitchen to add to our everyday foods.

Tips for Herbs and Spices

It is best to store all kinds of herbs and spices in a cool, dark place far from heat and light sources. Dried herbs and spices do not go bad but they do lose their potency if not used for a long time. Seeds like poppy and sesame turn rancid if left for a while. Most of the whole herbs and spices usually retain their flavor for about a year. Dried and ground herbs and spice are best consumed within six months of the buying date.

Crushing dried herbs in the palms of your hands before adding them to the food makes them more flavorful. Most dried herbs can be substituted with one teaspoon of the dried herb with one tablespoon of chopped fresh herb. Some of the items in the list of herbs and spice above can also be utilized for medicinal purposes and remedies. Most of our medicines today come from herbs and spice and other plants.

Keeping a list of herbs and spices and their uses can be a useful thing to study or even have in the kitchen. Sometimes, experimenting with food and the various herbs and spices available to us can yield fantastic results and also really weird tasting food. You can always read about which herbs and which spices can do what or add flavor to which food but actually tasting it can open your eyes to possibilities.

Dill weed has been around for thousands of years. Both ancient Egyptian texts and the Bible have references to dill in them. Romans believed dill to be a good luck symbol and in medieval Europe dill oil was known for its medical properties. Now days people most associate dill with pickles, but it is a great herb that match well many items and can be found in a lot recipes.

What is dill weed?

Anethum Graveolens is the botanical name of the plant and it is a member of the parsley family. The plant can grow up to 2 feet tall. Dill weed is the feathery green leaves that are found on the top eight to ten inches of the plant (the flower and seed can be eaten as well). If you are a gardener dill is one of the easiest herbs to grow just being careful because the seed are toxic to birds.

Fresh dill weed is remarkably better the dried and can be found year round in most supermarkets. When buying fresh dill do not worry if the leaves are a little wilted this is very common dill weed is very fragile.

What does dill weed match well with?

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Sour cream
Cream cheese
White sauces
Melted butter
Seafood
Salads

One of my favorite ways to use dill weed is very basic:

Two large Tomato cut into wedges
1 Cucumber cut into wedges
2-3 tablespoons of fresh dill weed
3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
As needed salt and pepper
As needed mixed salad greens

1. In a small bowl combine the Dill weed, oil and vinegar. Mix together with a fork.
2. In an another bowl combine tomatoes and cucumbers season with a pinch of salt and pepper and then add oil and vinegar mixture. Toss together and let rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Serve over a bed of mixed salad greens (drizzling some of the liquid in the bowl over the mixed greens)