Make Summer Sweeter with Fresh Cherries

6/26/2018

Summer and cherries seem to go hand-in-hand, and using fresh fruits can help boost seasonal food and drink recipes. Impress your guests this summer with this ice-cold Cherry Lavender Spritzer. Or try Roasted Cherry Sauce for an accompaniment to your favorite barbecued meat, as an ice cream topper or paired with a cheese plate.

Make Summer Sweeter with Fresh Cherries

(Family Features) Summer and cherries seem to go hand-in-hand, and using fresh fruits can help boost seasonal food and drink recipes.

Whether you use them as a snack, as a special ingredient in recipes or to inspire new dishes, Northwest-grown sweet cherries are one delightful way to celebrate the summer season.

Many grocery store shelves are full of these sweet, seasonal treats. Ripened on the tree and generally harvested, packed and ready for sale within just one day, it can be difficult to find a fresher summer fruit.

Cherry recipes can be enjoyed outside the summer months, too – simply rinse, pack and freeze an extra bag or two of cherries to harness the sweet flavor and health benefits in your appetizers, desserts and sweet or savory sauces throughout the year.

Impress your guests this summer with this ice-cold Cherry Lavender Spritzer. Or try Roasted Cherry Sauce for an accompaniment to your favorite barbecued meat, as an ice cream topper or paired with a cheese plate; it’s one way to have everyone asking for more.

Find more recipes and cherry tips at nwcherries.com.

Cherry Lavender Spritzer

Servings: 6

4 cups pitted and halved Northwest sweet cherries
2 cups water
3 tablespoons lavender
2 tablespoons sugar
6 Northwest sweet cherries with stems
6 sprigs lavender blossoms

In small saucepan, combine cherries, water, lavender and sugar. Heat mixture until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely. Strain and reserve liquid.
For each drink, combine 4 ounces cherry-lavender mixture and 4 ounces crushed ice in tall 12-ounce cocktail glass; top each with club soda. Garnish each drink with one cherry with stem and one sprig lavender blossoms.

Variation: To make alcoholic version, shake or stir strained cherry-lavender mixture and ice with 9 ounces vodka. Strain into 8-ounce martini glasses, top each with club soda and garnish each with one cherry with stem and one sprig lavender blossoms.

Roasted Cherry Sauce

Makes: 1 cup

2 cups pitted Northwest sweet cherries
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oven to 400° F. On foil-lined baking sheet, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, salt and black pepper; toss to mix.
Place in oven and roast until cherries start to release juices and become soft, about 10 minutes. Cool before serving.

SOURCE:
Northwest Cherry Growers

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A Smokin' Celebration

6/3/2016

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If the surge in barbecue and smoking competitions across the country is any indication, grilling has become an art form. This Father’s Day, grab dad and gather around the grill with these smoking tips to create a masterpiece meal, such as Ancho Chile Rubbed Smoked Beef Brisket or Ancho Chile Rubbed Smoked Pork Butt, and plenty of memories together.

A Smokin' Celebration

Ancho Chile Rubbed Smoked Beef Brisket
Ancho Chile Rubbed Smoked Pork Butt
Ancho Chile Smoking Spritzer

(Family Features) If the surge in barbecue and smoking competitions across the country is any indication, grilling has become an art form. This Father’s Day, grab dad and gather around the grill or try a new technique that’s rising in popularity – smoking – to create a masterpiece meal – and plenty of memories – together.

From secret marinades to tricked out grills and smokers, competitive smokers know there is a near ritualistic approach to teasing the perfect flavor out of a premium cut of meat. Follow in the footsteps of those pit masters and smoke like a pro with these tips from Omaha Steaks Executive Chef Karl Marsh.

Omaha Steaks

Start with style
The first step is deciding how you’d like to prepare your meat. Consider stepping up your game by smoking your meat. Smoking is a popular choice because it infuses flavor throughout the meat, while extended cook times at low temperatures make it extra tender. Another advantage is the chance to create a wide range of unique flavors using wet and dry rubs, as well as seasoned wood chips and planks.

Choose your cut
Virtually any meat can be smoked, but the most popular cuts of meat to smoke are brisket, ribs, pork shoulder or turkey, all of which are typically large in size. Guarantee a great experience with Omaha Steaks Brisket for smoking or Whole Pork Butt, which were created with the competitive barbecue and smoking circuit in mind.

Omaha Steaks

Ready your rub
Rubs are often used to add flavors and surface texture to a cut of meat. For best results, brush meat with cooking oil or another liquid ingredient (such as yellow mustard) before adding the rub. Spread the rub on a clean plate and place the meat on it. Coat both sides with the rub by gently pressing the meat on the plate.

Set up the smoker
Some pit masters consider their equipment as vital an ingredient as the meat or flavorings they choose. Preparation varies from one recipe to the next, but one constant is the importance of maintaining a steady temperature. As you prepare your charcoal, be conscious of where you'll place any wood chips or other flavor enhancers for maximum impact.

Omaha Steaks

Slow and steady
Sensational flavor takes time to build, so plan to dedicate several hours to your task. Often, smoked foods require foil wrapping for at least a portion of the cook to retain moisture. Plan to check in at regular intervals to restock wood chips, flip or rotate meat and apply a fresh coat of seasoning or spices.

Find more tips and recipes perfect for a smoking Father’s Day celebration at omahasteaks.com.

Ancho Chile Rubbed Smoked Beef Brisket

Ingredients

1 Whole Omaha Steaks Brisket for smoking
2 cups white vinegar
2/3 cup yellow mustard
3/4 cup Omaha Steaks Ancho Chile Rub
4 cups Ancho Chile Smoking Spritzer, divided (recipe below)
8 cups apple or cherry wood chips, soaked in water

Preparation

Remove brisket from bag and rinse with white vinegar then rinse with water.
Dry completely using paper towels.
Slather brisket generously with yellow mustard.
Rub generously with ancho chile rub and inject with 1 cup Ancho Chile Smoking Spritzer.
Prepare smoker using 1 chimney of pure lump charcoal fully lit and one chimney of pure lump charcoal unlit. Make sure water pan is full and adjust vents until smoker maintains a temperature between 225 and 250°F.
Place brisket on smoker fat side up and brush smoking spritzer over top.
Every hour, check smoker temp, squirt with smoking spritzer and add handful of wood chips.
After 3 hours, flip brisket fat side down and squirt with spritzer.
After 6 hours, flip brisket fat side up. Wrap heavy duty foil around the last 3-4 inches of brisket tip to prevent it from drying out. Restock water pan and add lump charcoal as needed. Adjust vents until temperature is between 225 and 250°F.
Beginning at 8 hours, check internal temperature every hour and apply spritzer and wood chips as needed.
Between 11-13 hours, when internal temperature is between 195 and 200°F, if fork slides easily into brisket, it is done.
Let brisket rest for 1-2 hours before slicing and serving.

Preparation Time:
1 hour

Cook Time:
11-13 hours

Inactive Cook Time Time:
1-2 hours

Total Time:
13-16 hours

Ancho Chile Rubbed Smoked Pork Butt

Ingredients

1 Omaha Steaks Whole Pork Butt
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup Omaha Steaks Ancho Chile Rub
4 cups Ancho Chile Smoking Spritzer, divided (recipe below)
8 cups apple or cherry wood chips, soaked in water

Preparation

Score top fat so it will melt into pork while smoking and allow more rub to get into meat. Rub pork with white vinegar then rinse with water. Pat dry with clean paper towels.
Rub pork butt with yellow mustard. Rub pork butt with ancho chile rub. Inject pork with 10-12 ounces of Ancho Chile Smoking Spritzer.
Set up smoker with 1 chimney using unlit lump charcoal and 2 chimneys using lit lump charcoal.
Adjust vents in smoker until temperature settles between 225 and 250°F.
Place pork butt fat side up and add a lot of wood chips.
Every half hour, add more wood chips and spritz pork with smoking spritzer.
After 2 hours, insert remote thermometer probes. Be careful not to let thermometer touch bone to prevent false readings.
After 5 hours, place pork in foil pan and liberally coat with spritzer. Wrap pan tightly with foil.
Continue cooking without adding wood chips or opening smoker until thermometer hits 190°F (for sliced meat) or 200°F (for pulled meat), about 8-10 hours total.
Let rest 1 hour before serving.

Preparation Time:
1 hour

Cook Time:
8-10 hours

Inactive Cook Time Time:
1 hour

Total Time:
10-12 hours

Ancho Chile Smoking Spritzer

Ingredients

2 cups apple juice
1 cup cranberry juice
1 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons red hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup Omaha Steaks Ancho Chile Rub

Preparation

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Serves
4 cups

SOURCE:
Omaha Steaks

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