The missing ingredient
Recently, a chef told me what she believes is the most underutilized “condiment” in the home kitchen. And you have probably guessed based on the citrus face here, so I’ll just tell you: acid.
As in citrus juice or vinegar, not the psychedelic stuff. And now you can see why I sat here for a good 10 minutes trying to figure out what to title this post. Drop a little acid on that asparagus? No. Squeeze my lemon until the juice runs down my eggs? Double no.
But all jokes aside, there is true value in this hint. Often, when we taste our food and sense that something is missing, it might be our immediate inclination to reach for salt or pepper or some other seasoning. But it could be that a little squeeze of lime or a splash of vinegar is all we need to brighten the flavors of the dish.
The best way to figure out uses for acids as a finishing touch at the table is to experiment. Already, many Southerners like vinegar on their greens, and lots of people love lemon on seafood. But check out some lime juice on Thai food, a squeeze of lemon on your chicken tacos or fajitas, a splash of apple cider vinegar on your broccoli or asparagus.
When I made those pulled pork tacos I wrote about not long ago, we squeezed a little lemon over the pork before piling on the rest of our toppings. I believe it made a big difference, and it probably cut back on the amount of sodium we would have consumed had we added more salt or seasoning blends.
Do you ever use acids to liven up the flavor of your foods? If so, what is your favorite application?
April 17, 2009 - 10:40 AM
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A little lemon zest in rice or a tomato dish is great too. The oils in the skin are fragrant and flavorful. Just be sure not to get the bitter white part.
I use acids fairly frequently, mostly in vinegar form. I’ll use a bunch of different types too, but mostly I like cider vinegar. I use it for BBQ sauces, chicken, and other dishes. I also will use lemons and lemon juice for some chicken recipes, because it adds a nice tang and flavor to the dish. In a general sense, we try not to over season or over spice our foods because we want to be able to taste the food, and not have it completely masked by the flavors of what we added.
Balsamic vinegar! I use it on lots of different vegetables; it’s great on lightly steamed asparagus, sliced tomatoes, snow peas, sugar snaps, green beans, or even cabbage. Certainly reduces the need for using a lot of butter, olive oil, or salt. I use various citrus juices for salads, meats, fish, and poultry. Probably the best use of lemon or lime juice is, of course, seviche! And the next time you bake a ham, try glazing it with orange juice concentrate (thawed first). It’s also very easy to create a variety of infused vinegars; just recycle a pretty glass bottle by filling it with your favorite vinegar (cider, wine, raspberry, whatever) and add a small bundle of fresh herbs, refrigerate (corked or capped) for about 2 weeks.
I’m a big fan of apple cider vinegar in fall foods. A drizzle on top of a butternut squash soup really brings out all of the flavors and brightens everything up. A little lemon juice on pasta is nice, and I like lime on almost anything!
Fish & chips + malt vinegar = heaven!
Same goes for “boardwalk” fries; a little salt & malt vinegar is the perfect condiment, no ketchup required.
I love to use seasoned rice wine vinegar in salad dressings an in marinating meats. It has a lovely flavor and also helps to tenderize meat.
For you balsamic vinegar lovers, this is a recipe that sounds weird but it’s wonderful! Slice up some fresh peaches and pour a little balsamic vinegar over them and some fresh ground black pepper. Put the peaches in the fridge to chill awhile then enjoy. They are so good.
I’m with you Mark…just the smell of malt vinegar is delicious. It’s good in salad dressings too.
I recommend V8 and catsup as acidic marinades to tenderize beef.
Let flank steak marinade in V8 for an hour before sizzling with a squirt of lime juice and some Mexican spices for tender fajitas or use catsup on the preformed hamburger patty prior to grilling. The burgers taste much better and are tender to boot. Do you ever wonder how they make those preformed patties? I try not to imagine what type of beef might be in them.It’s the farm girl in me.
Good Zeppelin reference.
I use hot pepper vinegar on any type of fresh, home cooked greens. It’s just peppers, usually tabasco peppers, soaked in vinegar and sold in a small bottle that lets you shake out your vinegar. Yummy! My wife puts a small amount of lemon juice in when she makes tuna salad and chicken salad.