Best BBQ Sauces and Marinades
Fire up with grill- here are some of the best sauces going!
It's taken me a while- but I've finally taste-tested some of the best BBQ sauces, glazes, marinades and rubs to bring you the very best.
It all started innocently enough- I'd grill my way to saucy nirvana with some of the best prepared BBQ sauces, marinades, rubs and glazes around. The choice however can be overwhelming as you already likely know. For those interested in trying a few new flavours in the name of giving your taste buds and dinner guests some variety, I humbly offer you some of the best I've found this summer.
Let's start with the Canadian company- Wildly Delicious Fine Foods based out of Toronto. Started in 1994 by husband and wife team Michelle and Austin Muscat out of their own home, what started as a side-line food business venture, quickly blossomed into a thriving company that offers a host of wonderful sauces, dips, marinades, and other gourmet goodies for just about every occasion. The best news is, even if you live as far away from Toronto as say England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland or France- chances are you'll find the Wildly Delicious line, and their Twilight Cocktail offerings (for the home entertainer) in a shop near you.
First up was the Roasted Garlic & Basil for chicken and pork marinade. We promised our friends we had something new for them to try, so we brought the marinade and they produced a healthy, whole chicken to be grilled (a la beer can through the central cavity of the chicken). We were treated to a wonderfully flavoured chicken with perfectly golden crisp skin that wasn't dry and offered up mouthful after delicious mouthful of garlic and basil goodness. Needless to say, we had to leave the rest of the marinade jar with our pals- it wasn't going anywhere after the flavourful success.
Next up was the steak marinade- Merlot & Garlic. I have to say, this is definitely a new favourite for me and for my carnivorous husband. We've used it twice (didn't want to part with it no matter what!) and each time our guests exclaimed "what did you put on the steak? It tastes amazing!" As you can tell, I'm a big fan of garlic when grilling- and this imparted just the right hint of zing with a mellow merlot backdrop. Paired with some off-the-vine tomatoes and sea-salt, our marinated steak was a work of pure craftsmanship!
I offered to bring along my bottle of the Applewood Smoked Barbecue Sauce to my oldest niece's sixth birthday party. Alas, that bottle disappeared as well and even the kids were licking their fingers when they bit into the juicy burgers brushed with a coat of the smoky sauce that was just right on the sweetness level and perfect for a good quality beef burger.
On another steak front flavour, we recently opted to marinate some quality beef steaks with the Wildly Delicious Asian Chilli Sesame Dipping & Grilling sauce. Now for those of you who are not particularly fond of fiery spicy heat, don't be put off by the word Chilli in this sauce as the spicy heat factor is very mild and fully worth your sampling. The most noticeable flavour note would be that of the sesame oil infused in the sauce. After the first bite, I turned and proclaimed, "this would make an inspired grilled steak salad!" Subtle, not too sweet and full of Asian nuances, this sauce (which comes with its own silicone basting brush to boot!) is a clear winner.
Other mouth-watering selections include the Dill & Lemon marinade for seafood and fish, the Mandarin and Kashmir Chilli Glaze and Finishing Sauce for beef, pork or chicken, and the Meyer Lemon and Ginger Glaze and Finishing Sauce for seafood or chicken.
Thank goodness grilling season, in Toronto at any rate, lasts until October (for the determined). In my next instalment, I bring you American company, Kermit's Key West Key Lime sauces and marinades made with real key lime juice and Canadian company Hot Mama's Jerkin' Hot Scotch Bonnet BBQ Sauce for those of you who like it hot, hot, hot!
For those who want to grill some marinated wings, check out Devy Stone's piece at: Winging It On the Barbie
