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3B Wednesday, July 3, 2013 – Daily News County Fare & tasty fresh Think barbecue sauce, not Salad proves watermelon and feta better together lemon juice, buttermilk and meat, when fixing cocktails By Sara Moulton olive oil. Blend until Associated Press By J.M. Hirsch AP Food Editor When it comes to food and drink pairings, most of us tend to be pretty old school. As in, red with beef, white with fish. But that's a pretty broad brush with which to paint the way we eat and drink. Most meals are comprised of a symphony of flavors and textures, any one or more of which could be the inspiration for a drink pairing. Seasonings, for example, often play a bigger role in determining the flavor profile of a dish than the main ingredient does. This is particularly true in summer, when we are wont to slather barbecue sauce onto whatever we throw on the grill. At this point, the meat or veggies are far less important to a pairing than the ingredients used in the barbecue sauce. Which is to say, a brown sugar-bourbon barbecue sauce would want the same drink whether it's on a chicken breast or a beef tip. To help you start thinking along these lines, I created three deliciously different barbecue sauces that are versatile enough to be used on whatever you care to grill — a tangy apricot and brown sugar barbecue sauce; a Central American recado rojo, which is rich with oregano, cumin and ancho chili powder; and a balsamic strawberry jalapeno sauce. Then I sent off recipes to Davin Affrunti, a mixology master and bar director for Prospect Restaurant in San Francisco. "In considering what to pair with each sauce, I definitely think about what might be the most prominent flavors when completed," he explained via email. "Spices can react tricky depending on the preparation, as can citrus and acid. Finding ways to complement these flavors is crucial." And when it comes to barbecue sauces, that isn't always easy. By definition, these sauces tend to be big and bold. That can be a lot to consider. The tangy apricot barbecue sauce is a great example. "There appears to be a lot going on here, from stone fruit like apricot to tropical fruit like pineapple, to various spices," he said. "My initial goal would be to find something that subtly cuts through the spices, yet still leaves a refreshing zing at the end. I'm thinking something like ginger beer would be a great go-to." One choice would be a dark and stormy, a classic cocktail that blends dark rum, fresh lime juice and ginger beer (try 2 ounces rum and a squeeze of lime over ice, then top off with ginger beer). Or there is his own creation, the Sword and Stone, which blends 1 1/2 ounces Old Overholt rye, 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth, 1/2 ounce Yellow Chartreuse, 1/2 ounce apricot shrub (a blend of fresh apricots, cider vinegar and sugar) and bitters. For the recado rojo, Affrunti wanted to work with the sweet, peppery and slightly nutty profile of the sauce. "Because of the tangy cider vinegar component, something fresh and aromatic would be a great pick," he said. "Circling back to the prominent annatto of Central and South America, Brazil's signature caipirinha (a Brazilian drink that muddles fresh lime wedges with sugar, then tops with 2 ounces cachaca and ice) seems appropriate." He also suggests his own Golden Gate Julep, which starts by muddling 5 mint leaves, 3/4 ounce wildflower honey and 3 dashes orange flower water, then stirring in 2 ounces of Buffalo Trace bourbon and ice. Finally, there is the balsamic strawberry barbecue sauce, the very definition of "lots going on." "This is perhaps the wild card of the bunch. I feel that sticking to darker spirits (like rum and whiskey) generally work best for barbecue, but in this case I will make an exception," he said. "I want to lean toward tequila because of the jalapeno, yet I feel like something with basil might be awesome with the strawberry, especially to tame the heat. So I will give you both." In this case, both means a strawberry-basil gimlet (muddle 2 strawberries and some fresh basil then shake over ice with 2 ounces of gin, 1 ounce of lime juice and 1/2 ounce simple syrup) and his own recipe for Road to Rosarita, his version of a strawberry margarita (2 ounces Ranchero tequila, 1/2 ounce simple syrup and 1 ounce strawberry juice, shaken with ice and double strained into a glass rimmed with chili powder, salt and crushed freeze-dried strawberries). Even though fruit and cheese tend to go together like soup and sandwich, the first time I saw watermelon and feta cheese paired up on a menu it struck me as very odd. Apples and cheddar? Sure. Pears and Stilton? You know it. But I was sure that watermelon was much too watery to stand up to the bold flavor of feta, no matter that everyone tends to love the interplay of sweet and salt in general, and that the combo is hugely popular in Egypt, Israel and throughout the Balkans. Well, those folks are right and I was dead wrong. Watermelon and feta are a great match — and they are at the center of this salad. I must confess that I've only recently come to love watermelon. Part of the problem is that it always seemed kind of monstrous. You brought one home from the supermarket, chopped it into hunks, and still had to empty out your whole refrigerator to store it. These days there are options. First, of course, we can buy it in pieces and sometimes by the slice. Secondly, there are now littler guys — seedless watermelons — so called because they contain only tender little edible seeds, much like the seeds in a "seedless" cucumber. The user-friendly new packaging aside, I also appreciate watermelon's healthfulness. The aptlynamed edible is in fact 92 percent water by weight, which is at the core of its unique ability to hydrate us. Finally — and duh! — it's delicious, and particularly refreshing when accented with a spritz of citrus. With the watermelon, feta and cucumber in place, I filled out the salad with some dark bitter greens — namely arugula — and fresh herbs. You're welcome to substitute watercress for the arugula, and any one of your favorite herbs for the mint and cilantro. As for the onion, there's a way — if you have a little extra time — to abbreviate the lingering smell of it on your breath. Just soak the slices in a strainer set in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Then drain and dry it and add it to the salad. The whole process not only tamps down onion breath, it also makes the little rascals crispier and crunchier, too. The grilled pork tenderloin here plays the same role as the chicken or shrimp added to a Caesar salad — it turns a side dish into a meal. By the way, the tenderloin is one of the leanest cuts of pork. And so long as you don't overcook it — and give it a bit of a rest before slicing — it will be tender and juicy. Now to the dressing, which teams up feta and buttermilk. Given its ability Recipe: Tangy Apricot Barbecue Sauce By J.M. Hirsch AP Food Editor This tangy-sweet barbecue sauce is just right for grilled chicken breasts, turkey burgers or salmon steaks. If you can't find fresh apricots, substitute frozen apricots. Start to finish: 20 minutes Makes 3 cups 3 large apricots, pitted and chopped 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 3/4 cup (6 ounces) pineapple juice 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper In a small saucepan over medium-high, combine all ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and the apricot chunks begin to break down, about 10 minutes Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return to the saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced by a quarter. Transfer to a bowl and use immediately or cover and refrigerate up to a week. Nutrition information per 2 tablespoons: 20 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 percent of total calories); 0 g fat (0g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 0 g protein; 40 mg sodium. smooth. Season with pepper, then stir in the remaining feta. Set aside. Split each pita pocket into 2 rounds. Spray the rough sides of each round lightly with the cooking spray, then sprinkle lightly with salt. Cut each round into 8 triangles. On a rimmed baking sheet arrange the triangles in a single layer. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. Spray the pork with the olive oil spray, then season it lightly with salt and pepper. Grill it directly over the heat, turning it a quarter turn at a time, until a thermometer inserted at the thickest part registers 140 F to 145 F for medium, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a plate, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, onion, mint, cilantro, watermelon and cucumber. Add the pork juices from the resting pork to the feta dressing, whisking to incorporate. Place a mound of the salad on each of 4 plates. Slice the pork crosswise into rounds 1/2 inch thick and arrange a quarter of the slices on top of each mound of salad. Drizzle the dressing on top of the pork, then divide the pita croutons between the plates. Serve immediately. 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, divided 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/3 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Ground black pepper Two 6-inch wholewheat pita pockets Olive oil cooking spray Kosher salt 1-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed 3 cups arugula 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves 2 cups cubed and seeded watermelon 1 cup cubed seedless cucumber Heat the grill to medium. Heat the oven to 400 F. to provide creaminess (and tang) to a recipe without adding a ton of fat, buttermilk is one of my favorite cheating ingredients. And the feta is so flavorful — and its texture so pleasurable — that I crumbled some extra onto the finished salad. At the end, you'll add some crunch in the form of homemade baked wholewheat pita croutons. These are so easy to make, I never bother with the packaged varieties, which are usually deep-fried and loaded with fat. Voila, the perfect summer meal in a bowl. Refreshing and filling. GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH WAT E R M E L O N ARUGULA SALAD Start to finish: 50 minutes (25 minutes active) Servings: 4 While the grill and oven are heating, in a blender combine half of the feta, the WE FEATURE BLACK CANYON ANGUS BEEF 8049 Hwy 99E, Los Molinos, CA CUSTOM CUT MEATS AT NO EXTRA CHARGE "Your Family Supermarket" WE ACCEPT FOOD STAMPS We appreciate your business - and we show it! 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