sauce Archives - Opine Away

Smoked Brisket

OpineAway — Thu, 01 May 2025 20:45:55 +0000

I got what is considered a small brisket, about 7lb, from Costco.

Here’s what I did not do – I did not trim it. As is. With the fat. do not trim. It’s good as is.

Here’s what I did do with it, but first, because as you read you’ll say “Hey, where do I get those fermented thingies? Well, it’s so easy you have no excuses but to make them.

Honey fermented garlic – Take a bunch of pealed garlic cloves. Put it in a jar. Fill the jar with honey. Close the jar and let it sit for a few days in a kitchen cabinet. Open the jar daily to release the pressure built from the fermentation process. After a few days of gas release (from the jar that is) put it in the fridge and use it for cooking.

Honey fermented habanero – Do the same as with the garlic, only with habanero. You can slice the habanero to whatever pieces you want for easier use.

Back to the brisket

Cover the brisket on all sides with salt, black pepper, honey fermented garlic and honey fermented habanero. If you have fermentophobia then use garlic powder, hot pepper powder and some honey.
Let it sit overnight to make it one with the rub.
Heat your smoker to 225F/110C. I used a combo of hickory and mesquite for the smoking.
Place the brisket, fat side on top, in the smoker.
Smoke the brisket for a few hours (this depends mostly on the size of brisket, can be 3-6 hours) until the internal temperature “stalls” – i.e. when you see that the internal temperature does not change for 10-20 minutes, usually somewhere around 150f-165f/65c-75c at the thickest part (do not measure in the fat).
Wrap the brisket in aluminum foil, not tight but mostly sealed. Seam of the foil should be on top (fat) side.
Keep the smoker at the same temp and let the brisket temperature reach 202-205F/94-96C.
Take it out and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes
Unwrap carefully, preserving the juices in the foil and collecting them into some vessel. They are priceless.
Slice against the grain and enjoy tremendously.

These make the most amazing sandwiches, just as is with some side dishes with or without sauce.

Here’s a sauce I made for it which came out d-leash:

Sauté large sliced vedalia (sweet) onion in some olive oil until soften, add sliced dehydrated apricot, sliced garlic, sauté a bit more, then add water, salt, white pepper, hot pepper and some honey, bring to a boil and let simmer on low, covered, for an hour. Everything should soften and the sauce should darken and thicken. If it seems too thin for a sauce, mix a little cornstarch in cold water, add to the sauce, raise the flame a bit (not too much so it won’t burn) while mixing. Serve with slices of brisket, it’s reallllly good.

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DSS – Devil’s Silk Sauce

OpineAway — Sat, 05 Mar 2022 19:34:12 +0000

Simple and tasty, I fused east and far east in the west. Made myself a kind of frittata, and it really needed some sort of a condiment. So this is what I whipped together (and named..):

DSS – Devil’s Silk Sauce

Ingredients:

3 tbsp tahini paste
1tsp Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cold water
1 pinch salt

Mix all well together. That’s it.

If it feels a bit heavy add a little more water. Will get thicker after a bit / refrigerating.

You can adjust spiciness with more/less Gochujang.

Yes, it’s silky.

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Sautéed Shrimp with Avocado

OpineAway — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:19:35 +0000

The sauce makes this dish. Makes it irresistible that is.

Serves 2

Shrimp and Avocado in butter white wine spicy sauce

12-16 Medium size shrimp (thawed if frozen) peeled and deveined, butterfly cut.
Juice from 1 Lime
1 Avocado

Sauce:

2 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 pressed (or finely chopped) garlic cloves.
Spices: pinch Black Pepper, pinch Salt, pinch Smoked Habanero or Cayenne, pinch White Pepper, 1/3 tsp paprika (smoked is even better), 1/2 tsp sugar in the raw
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 chopped cilantro

1. Place shrimp in a bowl with the lime juice, mix a bit and leave until used.

2. Cut Avocado to two halves, slice each half and plate.

3. Place butter and oil in a big pan over medium heat until the butter melts.

4. Add 2/3 of the garlic and all spices and let simmer on low flame for 5 minutes.

5. Rinse shrimp (no need to dry) and place in pan on medium heat for 1 minute, stirring.

6. Remove shrimp from pan and put aside.

7. Add wine and broth to the pan. Reduce over high flame for about two minutes (at least 3/4 cup should remain).

8. Reduce to medium flame, add remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

9. Add shrimp and cilantro and stir for 30 seconds. Remove shrimp and plate, pour sauce over shrimp and some over the avocado slices.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with toasted bread.

Eat the shrimp with the avocado, soak the toasted bread in the sauce, and you’ll feel in heaven.

Repeat.

Note: Pictured is also quick pickled cucumber – toss Julienne cut cucumber with lime, vinegar, a bit of salt and a pinch of sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes, then toss with some chopped dill and serve.

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