The Sauced Chef

Sauce Lab #7: Ginger-Honey Simple Syrup

 Small strainer or fine screened tool

1 cup roughly chopped fresh ginger (skin on)

3 cups water

1/2 cup white sugar

2 cups real honey

1. In a medium sauce pan add all the ingredients and bring to a boil
2. Reduce to simmer,  and let it simmer for 30 minutes until thickens
3. Turn off heat and let cool for 1 hour
4. Remove ginger and strain
5. Use for cocktail, sweet marinades or sauces

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Coffee and Chai Venison Chops with Mincemeat Sauce

large saute pan

spatula and tongs

1/2 sheet pan

parchment paper (not 100% necessary)

various mise en place bowls

6-8 trimmed venison chops

1 cup honey powder

1/2 cup favorite ground coffee

1/4 cup chai tea leaves

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp ground cloves

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cup of Sauce Lab #6: Meatless Mincemeat Sauce

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp peanut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine coffee (set aside 1 tbsp for glaze) chai, salt, pepper, all purpose flour and ground cloves to make a flour rub or dredge for the chops.
3. Dredge chops in flour rub (make sure they are pretty dry first) and set aside.  Make sure every part of the chop is covered.
4. Add peanut oil and butter to hot sautee pan and sear the outside of the chops until a nice crust develops** (about 1-2 minutes on each side).  Set chops aside on sheet pan with parchment paper.  (If you don’t have parchment, just make sure the pan is greased)
5. Mix remaining coffee grounds and honey powder
6. Cover the tops of each chop with coffee and honey mixture
7. Cook in oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 143 degrees.  Make sure that the coffee and honey glaze thoroughly melts before taking it out
8. In the same pan used to saute the venison add the mincemeat sauce and chicken stock.  Reduce until desired consistency is reached. Finish with salt and pepper.  Finish again with any remaining coffee, chai or cloves to taste.
9. Serve it baby!

** Remember we are using coffee ground here people! Don’t think that your chop is burnt because it smells bitter and looks black.  You have to pay attention and feel the outside of the chop to make sure the crust develops.

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Sauce Lab #5: Lemon-Thyme-Beet Vinaigrette

food processor

1/2 cup beet juice (or you can puree 1/4 of a roasted beet)

3 tbsp lemon zest

3 tbsp FRESH thyme

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbsp vanilla balsamic (or regular balsamic w/ vanilla extract added)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp honey

3/4 cup salad oil

 S/P TT

1. Add everything but the oil and S/P to the food processor and blend
2. While the food processor is blending slowly pour in the oil (depending on your oilyness preference, you may want to add more oil)
3. Season with S/P till it reaches that tasty pinnacle of zest

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