Matching Sauces and Meats—From Foundations to Flair
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[Meat Products] Vol. 21 No. 3 March 2011 w Matching Sauces and Meats—From Foundations to Flair By Chris Candullo, Contributing Editor I must confess: I am a sauce lover. At meal time, my decision tree goes something like this: first I crave the sauce, then I decide what to eat with it. It would be a bonus if everything came with extra sauce. Whether it is ketchup, pizza sauce, taco sauce, brown deli-style mustard or even steak sauce, it’s hard to get enough. For many, a sauce can make or break a meal. That’s why it’s important to understand the fundamentals when it comes to flavorful meat pairings, while not being afraid to go out on the occasional limb. Ethnic and American standards Thinking about how various sauces and meats pair together reminds me of the holiday season. Traditional holiday recipes don’t deviate far from “heirloom" flavors families have grown to love, such as turkey with herb gravy and ham with brown-sugar glaze. In fact, tradition holds a strong influence over many popular meat and sauce pairings throughout the year and from country to country. Some basic ground rules apply when pairing meat, poultry and seafood with sauces: Chicken works well with almost anything, including most spices, vegetables and herbs; Pork is another versatile protein that matches with a wide range of sauces, but the most-popular pairing is with barbecue sauce; Most fish pairs wonderfully with sauces based on citrus, herbs and butter; Red meat goes great with sauces highlighting full-bodied red wines where the boldness of the protein and the astringency of red wine combine for sensational flavor. However, some pairings of flavors that might be considered traditional to one family or region might be seen as unusual or even out in left field to others. It is this vast diversity in regionality and culture that gives food developers an open canvas to create, blend and twist together an innumerable variety of meat and sauce flavor combinations, giving us an incredible amount of inventory to develop the next big wave of “smash hit" sauces that can be paired with meats. Some standards have maintained strong, consistent followings in various countries around the world and at home here in America. Although some of these ethnic sauces are just beginning make inroads with mainstream U.S. consumers, they are as traditional as they come in their home countries. While the exact recipes can vary, each will have some standard ingredients. www.foodproductdesign.com Page 1 [Meat Products] Vol. 21 No. 3 March 2011 Chimichurri . This Argentinean sauce and marinade is akin to flat-leaf parsley pesto, with supporting flavors from garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Chimichurri can be paired with many proteins, including beef, pork, fish and chicken. It’s particularly common with grilled meats. Where New, Ethnic and Sauces Meet Mojo. Citrus (lemon, orange or lime) and garlic star in this Cuban sauce that also includes flavors from cumin, salt and pepper. According to the 2009 “Flavor Although mojo is a traditional marinade for pork in Cuba and Consumer Trend Report" from Puerto Rico, it also pairs well with many proteins, including beef, Technomic, Chicago, 36% of fish and chicken. consumers are interested in new flavors on restaurant menus. “Considering that Chermoula. This Moroccan delight incorporates parsley, cilantro, two-thirds of diners find dips, sauces garlic, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, lemon juice and olive and marinades appealing," as noted in the report, “sauces and dips are a oil. Traditionally, chermoula is served with fish, but can also be versatile way to incorporate new flavors paired with beef, pork, lamb and chicken. on to the menu," says Tammi Higgins, senior manager, marketing, Kalsec, Raita . A wonderful sauce from India, raita blends together yogurt, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI. Add in the finding diced cucumbers, green onions and cumin. This sauce helps cool that over 55% of consumers want off even the hottest curries. Raitas is also commonly served with greater variety in their sauce options, kebabs, and can be paired with beef, pork, fish and chicken. and a path to innovation appears. Harissa. This chile sauce, a common sight on everyday North Various spice and seasoning blends African tables, contains cumin, red peppers (such as piri piri), can take everyday sauces on a quick trip abroad. “You can develop an array garlic, coriander and lemon juice. Varying the type and use level of of new offerings with a few simple the chiles determines its spiciness. Harissa can be paired with additions to your existing base, such as many proteins, like beef, pork, fish, lamb and chicken. tomato sauces, white sauce, cheese sauces and even marinades," says Hollandaise. One of the five mother sauces that Escoffier refined Higgins. “Ethnic trends such as Latin through Carême’s work, hollandaise sauce is made with egg yolks American and Asian blended along with and clarified butter, and seasoned with lemon juice, salt and spicy components are driving flavor pepper. Hollandaise successfully pairs with seafood. But, as a development across a variety of mother sauce, hollandaise can be turned into many sauces by industries." She suggests the following altering an ingredient, thereby opening the meat pairings to easily possible routes to ethnic diversification include chicken, lamb and beef. For example, turn hollandaise into of sauce and meat combinations: béarnaise by adding shallots, chervil, peppercorns and tarragon. Carne adovada—onion, jalapeño, Grilled or roasted beef or chicken would be a perfect pairing. Take chipotle, toasted cumin, garlic and béarnaise one step further and replace the tarragon with mint to Mexican oregano; make a French paloise sauce that matches perfectly with lamb. Chimichurri—parsley, black pepper, Brown beef gravy. Although many cultures and countries have cilantro, oregano and garlic; their versions, brown gravy is the classic all-American sauce. Brown gravy starts with a rich beef stock that is seasoned and Tom yam—lemongrass, kaffir lime, thickened with a brown roux. Brown gravy is a natural with beef. sautéed sweet onion, ginger, galangal and garlic; As we see, different regions and cultures have what they consider Kimchi—garlic, onion, chiles, leek and “traditional" flavored sauces, which to others might be considered various spices. curious. But for many, each of the above sauce and meat pairings represents a classic recipe that has familiarity and a generally accepted list of ingredients. www.foodproductdesign.com Page 2 [Meat Products] Vol. 21 No. 3 March 2011 Adding a twist Now let’s consider some traditional pairings “with a twist." These Streamlining Sauce Design sauce and meat pairings are either directly derived or inspired by Packaged sauces need a helping hand more-common sauces many have grown to love. Restaurants love when it comes to building in stability to play in this area for their new menu items and limited-time-offer and delivering restaurant-level eating (LTO) sections. Competition is heavy in this section, as a great quality. “Hydrocolloids, like starches, deal of R&D and marketing resources are spent here. can offer multiple benefits such as viscosity; pH, heat and freeze/thaw Barbecue sauce is popular thanks in part to its versatility, with stability; improved mouthfeel; allergen myriad types finding use with everything from chicken to pork, beef replacement; and fat reduction," says to fish. One possible twist to this old standby is adding balsamic Steve Smith, R&D manager, Penford vinaigrette at two parts vinaigrette to one part barbecue sauce. Food Ingredients Co., Centennial, CO. This sauce can be brushed onto any grilled protein. A tomato- “Modified potato starches are based barbecue-type sauce featuring coffee, chipotle and maple commonly used in gravies to provide a pulpy and fuller texture." In steam-table pairs well with smoked short ribs, pork, chicken and beef brisket. applications, the potato starches help Coffee and chipotle are a perfect marriage of robust flavors that sauces maintain viscosity in the face of will make your taste buds jump, with the softening effect of real prolonged exposure to heat. maple syrup. Cook-in-bag methods have been widely Coca-Cola® is not only arguably the most popular beverage in the adopted in foodservice to save time, world, it is also used in barbecue sauces or marinades for proteins notes Smith. “Since modified potato such as ribs and chicken. Coca-Cola enhances the sweet and starch has a lower gelatinization savory notes because of its sugar content, while the acid and temperature compared to other spices, such as clove, add a wonderful accompaniment. Co- botanical sources, it is ideal for cook-in- branded products or menu items also benefit from the brand bag-type meat products," he says, noting that such products generally recognition of the soft drink. cook for a longer time at lower temperatures, so the potato starch A virtually unlimited level of innovation is possible when won’t break down. considering adding a twist to an old favorite, and product and menu developers are only limited by imagination—and how far “Modified tapioca starches can be used consumers are willing to let you stretch the concept. in barbecue-type sauces," says Smith, resulting in sauces with smooth Along the cutting edge mouthfeel and a shiny appearance. “These starches also stand up to heat, low-pH and freeze/thaw conditions." As unusual as the above flavor combinations may seem, they are tame compared to some of the more “left-field" options available to When it comes to dairy-based sauces, the most-imaginative chefs and food-creation professionals. These like those with cheese, rice starches pairings may initially sound strange and sometimes unappealing. It work well.