Posted on 05/30/2011 8:25:03 AM PDT by Bean Counter
I've always been a big fan of pickling and canning, and one of my favorite things to make at home is prepared mustard. We use it for a variety of purposes, and not just on hotdogs.
Mustard can be the basis for some outstanding tomato-less BBQ finishing sauce, as a glaze for salmon, the basis for vinaigrettes and other salad dressings and even marinades. Potato salad made with just a spoonful of either one of these recipes is a revelation....
There are many ways to make mustard and I am presenting 2 of my favorite recipes along with the technique used to produce them.
Enjoy!
These two recipes yield ten pints plus a quart of mustard. That may seem like a lot, but I only make it every 2 years or so, and it keeps very, very well. You can easily reduce this recipe by half, or by half again to produce as much as your kitchen needs.
Each recipe calls for 3 pounds of seed. My source is Penzey's Spices, whom I have been dealing with for years. They have an outstanding website, ship very quickly, and have been opening retail stores all over the country; we have 3 in this area alone. Check their website to find a store near you, or shop online.
http://www.penzeys.com/
Once I have my whole seed, I grind it to the degree of coarseness I want in my electric spice mill. I think I paid all of ten bucks for it, and it grinds everything very well.
"Dijon" is a style of mustard where the ground seed is allowed to rest "on its lees", usually with some sort of wine. That is the first general technique that I use with both of these recipes.
The other mustard making tip is to keep the ratio of ground mustard seed and vinegar as close to 1:1 as possible. This will ensure maximum flavor and maximum thickness.
Now, on to the recipes.
Honey-Dijon Mustard
2 1/2 pounds Yellow Mustard Seed, ground coarsely 1/2 pound Dark Mustard Seed, ground coarsely
NOTE: Measure the ground seed; 3 pounds should yield 8 cups of ground seed or very close to it.
Place ground seed into a large stainless steel pot and add the following:
2 cups honey 8 cups (2 750 ml bottles) white wine 1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
NOTE: I use a locally produced Chardonnay which has some excellent aroma and flavors. Your choice of wine will affect the flavor of the finished mustard.
Stir the wine, honey and seed together and allow to sit for an hour or so, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
Add 8 cups of White Wine Vinegar to the pot, and put over medium heat.
NOTE: I use Four Monks White Wine Vinegar, because it is very consistent, and I can get it in gallon jugs at the local wholesale supply. I keep a variety of vinegar in out preparedness pantry, and this is how I rotate my stock...
Stir the mustard constantly as you bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Once it is bubbling gently, reduce the heat to low and allow it to cook, and reduce slowly for an hour. Periodically stir it to ensure it is not sticking. The wine you used has a volume of alcohol in it that will boil off as you cook, and the mustard will thicken rapidly.
I use my boat motor hand mixer to blend the hot mustard and smooth it out.
When it is done, I hot pack it in wide-mouth pint jars with new rings and seals, then process the jars in boiling water to seal. Let the mustard age for at least a month before using and refrigerate it after you open the jar.
Bourbon- Molasses Mustard
3 pounds dark mustard seeds, coarsely ground (about 8 cups) 4 cups of your best bourbon 4 cups of molasses 1/2 C Kosher Salt
Combine the above in a large stainless steel cooking pot, stir until well blended, then allow to sit until all of the liquid is absorbed by the ground seed. It will be very thick.
Put the pot over medium heat, and add 8 cups of Malt Vinegar (Four Monks again...). Slowly bring the mixture to a slow simmer. When it begins to bubble turn the heat to low and allow to cook for about an hour.
You must stir this one frequently. The high content of sugar makes it prone to scorching. It also thickens very quickly, and may need a little shot of water if it becomes too thick. Remember that 40% of the liquid in the Bourbon is alcohol, and it will boil off very quickly.
As before, when the mustard is done, hot pack in clean wide mouth pint jars with new seals and rings, then process in boiling water to seal.
Let this age for at least a month to let the vinegar mellow a bit, then refrigerate after opening.
How long do you process in boiling water?
There is no such thing as tomato-less BBQ anything.
BTT
Thanks for posting this. I like trying new things like this and canning in general. I’ve made ketchup a couple of times after particularly abundant tomato crops.
mark
Dip 4 snapper fillets in beaten egg; then dredge in combined bread crumbs, coconut flakes. Bake on lightly greased sheetpan 450 degrees 15 minutes (flakes easily). Serve w/ Mustard Sauce.
MUSTARD SAUCE Mix ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbl lime juice.
If the mustard is very hot, I usually process the jars for 15 minutes. It’s steaming enough that most of the air is driven out already, and the vinegar ensures it will keep for years....
Thank you, Bean Counter. It sounds very good! We have a Penzey’s near us and it is definitely high quality. Thanks again!
I wish you could try some of the smoked pulled pork I dressed with mustard finishing sauce last weekend. I used a pint of Dijon to make a modest batch of sauce and it was an enormous hit. I cooked 18 pounds of Boston Butts and there were no leftovers. I think one of my nephews was licking to pan....
I’m not knocking tomato based sauce one bit either. I make a Jack Daniels-molasses-tomato based BBQ sauce too, and it is every bit as killer as the mustard sauces are...
I found a skirt steak marinade that was lemon juice and mustard. (I used a dijon) Best steak marinade I had in a long time.
My step son works at Rudy's in Amarillo, so Rudys rub, garlic salt, balsalamic vinegar,Sea salt, and 2 Tecates to activate it.
Now 10 minutes a side on the grill, then 4 hours at 275 degrees.
We will see :)
The wholesale restaurant supply where I buy meat sells all kinds of cuts, beef and pork, at quite a good price if you are willing to buy primal cuts and dress them yourself. Flank steak is one of our favorites on the grill, but it can be expensive.
However, the store also sells something they call “special cuts”; which is essentially the trimmed portions of flank steak. Everyone wants nicely shaped flanks steaks so they can cook them consistently and slice them easily, so meat processors oblige by cutting flank steaks and selling them at a premium price while the trimmings are every bit as good but are priced much lower.
I like to use a Mojito Marinade for flank steak and anything else worth grilling...
1 5 pound bag of limes, juiced
4 sweet oranges, juiced
1 5 pound jar peeled garlic, chopped
2 bunches fresh Cilantro, chopped.
1 C premium Tequila, Agave, or Dark Rum...your choice.
Combine everything in a large jar, (1/2 Gallon or better...) and allow to marinate overnight under refrigeration.
Lay your meat out in a shallow pan and pour the Mojito over it, being sure to lay it on a bed of the garlic as well as covering the top with garlic. Marinate the meat under refrigeration overnight, then grill over hot mesquite charcoal to medium done (pink but not bloody) and slice diagonally for service.
Too much garlic can be a very good thing...this recipe is one of those...
I have a question for you. Can refrigerated Malt Vinegar ever turn? I noticed sediment on the bottom of the bottle I have and have been hesitant to use it.
bump
some awesome recipes on this thread
ought to start a bbq ping list
sfl
Check out SF Herb, their prices are about half of Penzey's. I've been ordering from them for years and the quality and service is always top notch. You do have to place a minimum order, $30.00 I think.
I’m starting my second batch of this since the original post... a double-batch of honey-dijon. The first time I came up short on wine (2X750ml = more like 6.3 cups). So I added some homebrew to make more liquid. Also, my mustard ground up to more than 10 cups, so I needed more anyway.
The difference this time: more wine! Probably more honey, too as I have a good supply just now. We all LOVE this mustard.
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