olive oil online provider right now: I love to take a Carolina style vinegar sauce and meld it with a berry jam for either my sauce or glaze. Later in the year you get apples and pears, so reducing those down is such a great compliment for pork especially. So in the end, I love the variety and creativity that comes from living here and building upon such great styles of BBQ from other regions in the US. And is doesn’t stop in the US, internationally there are also other styles to keep an eye out for too. Discover additional information at balsamic vinegars.

While BBQ sauce might seem like the most important flavor component in your smoked or grilled meat meal, we’d like to nominate another contender in the MVP taste race: BBQ rubs. Since it’s often either the first ingredient applied (in other words, it has the most time to infuse every ounce of meat with flavor) or the last ingredient, the best BBQ rub recipes can make your meal stand out. Try these unique spice blends, our go-to homemade BBQ rub recipes, to take your meats to new levels of deliciousness.

Maple syrup tip of the day: The maple tree must be a least 10 inches in diameter and in good health before it can be tapped. It usually takes about forty years before a tree will reach tappable size. The hole is usually placed about waist high on the tree, and not near previous tapholes. Larger trees may take as many as three or four taps, but only if they are healthy. The sugarmaker has a feeling of respect for his trees and knows they must take care of this tree which provides for them. Trees that are in poor health or have been defoliated by insects are often tapped less, or not tapped at all. If proper tapping procedures are followed, tapping will not endanger the health and vitality of the tree. A healthy sugar maple can provide sap every year for a hundred years or more.

The rich and complex flavors that result from the multi-year aging process are truly exceptional. You only need a small amount of this dark syrupy vinegar to sprinkle on a fresh strawberry or peach, or drizzle on some Parmesan Reggiano, or vanilla ice cream. You don’t cook with traditional balsamic vinegar. Heat would destroy the subtle flavors, and waste this precious liquid. You can however, drizzle some on a plate before adding the main dish, or sprinkle some on top of a dish such as pork, chicken, or polenta. Or you can do what I do, and that is take few drops and enjoy it straight up, allowing the flavors to coat the inside of your mouth. You will get hints of the different woods and the sweet and sour flavors of the vinegar. Taste it as you would a precious, fine wine.

A trifle is a dessert with layers of custard (or pudding) or whipped cream, fruit, and pound cake or sponge cake. My mom makes a version of this every year for Christmas, but she soaks her pound cake with brandy and also puts brandy in her whipped cream. We always joke with her that one bite of her trifle is like a shot of booze! Needless to say, we are very “happy” after dessert. Trifle is usually made in a big pedestal glass serving bowl so you can see all the pretty layers. But you can plate this any way you like! And this one will also have grilled angel food cake instead of pound cake for a warm, really rich and soft layer. Preheat the grill to medium. Lightly coat each slice of cake with the melted butter. (Be careful not to use too much butter as it may drip onto the coals etc. and cause flare-ups, burning the cake.) Grill the angel food cake on both sides until it has beautiful grill marks. This won’t take long. Build the trifle on a plate or glass bowl from the bottom up: cake, pudding, strawberries, cake, pudding, strawberries, whipped cream. Give a final drizzle of the Strawberry Sauce over the top.

Tri-Tip Roasting Directions: Rub the Tri-Tip with olive oil and then the dry rub. Using an injector, inject the tri-tip in at least four spots with the butter/garlic sauce. Plus each hole with a small garlic clove then with the chile (optional). Let the tri-tip stand for at least an hour (2 hours preferred). Light your grill/smoker. If using a gas grill, set on low to medium flame. If using a smoker or charcoal grill, have your temperature set at approximately 325 to 350 degrees. Place your choice of wood onto the coals, set your rack on the highest level possible, and place your tri-tip on the rack fat side down. Slow roast/smoke the tri-tip for 20-30 minutes or until desired doneness, not turning it for the whole time it is being roasted/smoked. Remove the tri-tip and let rest at least for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Balsamic vinegar comes from an Italian vinegar making process dating back to the middle ages. There are two main types. Traditional balsamic vinegar is made only with one ingredient – “grape must” (in Italian, “mosto”), the sweet juice of freshly pressed grapes – that is boiled to a concentrate, fermented and acidified, and aged for 12 to 25 years or longer in wood barrels. A highly crafted product, traditional balsamic vinegar is produced in small batches. It is sweet, tart, dark, syrupy, and expensive. You will only find this seriously pricy vinegar in a specialty store or online.

Tennessee River Olive Oil Co is nestled in the mountain lakes region of Northeast Alabama, we proudly provide premium imported olive oils and balsamic vinegars to our local community and beyond. Steeped in tradition, olive oil production in Italy combines history, authenticity, and culture to produce a culinary experience like no other. Let the outstanding flavors take you back to Old Italy and a time when slow food was the standard, not a marketing pitch. Our store features a variety of ultra premium, gourmet products that bring exceptional flavors from around the world to your kitchen. Find more info on tnriveroliveoilco.com.