Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir Fried Squid)

It has been a few weeks since I completed my personal culinary challenge to cook a main course based upon South Korean cuisine.  That was part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge.  I focused my cooking on seafood as part of South Korean cuisine, with a grilled squid recipe, followed by a fresh oyster recipe and the main course of grilled fish.  The seafood dishes were very delicious.  

I was particularly intrigued with the use of the South Korean ground chiles (Gochugaru) and South Korean chile paste (Gochujang).  As someone who loves chiles and the heat, it seems only natural that I would be drawn to South Korean cuisine.  I recognize that not every South Korean dish is spicy, but there appears to be a fair share of dishes that utilize chiles for a good kick.  Those are the dishes that I want to explore. 

So, when I wanted to find another South Korean dish to make, I just chose a protein -- in this case, squid -- and searched "spicy South Korean squid."  I eventually found this dish, Ojungeo Bokkeum or Korean Spicy Stir Fried Squid.  This dish is similar to Olingeo Gui or spicy grilled squid. Rather than grilling the squid, one uses a wok to quickly fry the squid in the spicy marinade.  

I made a couple of adjustments from the recipe that I found.  First, I decided to keep the one inch strips of squid intact, because I felt that the rolling up of the squid during the cooking process would "create" small tubular versions of the squid.  Second, I sliced the onion thinner than what was called for in the recipe. I wanted the dish to focus more on the squid than the onion.  Two inch strips of scallions (which was what was called for in the original recipe) did not seem right.  I thinly sliced the scallions and sauteed them up in the manner called for in the recipe. In so doing, the scallions still figured into to the flavor of the dish, but the thinly sliced scallions allowed for the squid to be front and center in the dish. 

In the end, there is one thing that I can say with absolute certainty ... I want to use Gochargaru and Gochujang in every dish.

OJINGEO BOKKUM (KOREAN SPICY STIR FRIED SQUID)

Recipe adapted from from Kimchi Mom

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

1 pound squid, cleaned

2 tablespoons cooking oil

5 scallions, sliced thinly

1 green chile pepper, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1 stalk of a scallion, thinly sliced (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

1.  Prepare the sauce.  In a medium sized bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, Gochargaru, soy sauce and Gochujang.  

2.  Prepare the squid.  Rinse the squid.  Cut the bodies lengthwise along the ridge.  Flatten it out so that the interior wall of the body is face up on the cutting board.  Scrape off the interior.  Lightly score a diamond pattern on the squid.  To do this, first score a set of parallel lines (about 1/2 inch apart).  Score a second set of lines crosswise at about 30 degrees to the first set of line. Cut the squid length wise in 1 inch strips.  Repeat until all of the squid is cut.  

3.  Marinade the squid.  Add the cut squid bodies and tentacles to the sauce and toss to ensure that all of the pieces are evenly coated.  Let it rest for about 20 minutes.  

4.  Cook the dish.  Heat the cooking oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add the green onions and pepper and saute until the onions start to wilt.  Add the marinated squid and cook until done, about 1 1/2 minutes or 2 minutes.  The squid will turn opaque and curl up, and the diamond pattern will be more apparent.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. 

ENJOY!

Andrew Zimmern's Pan-Crisped Soft Shell Crabs with Lemon & Herb

Does Maryland have a complicated relationship relationship with soft shell blue crabs?  Maryland is the State who has designated the blue crab as the official state crustacean (Chapter 724, Acts of 1989, Code of General Provisions, Article 7, Section 7-303.)  But, Kit Witsom Pollard asked that question in an article she wrote over four years ago in the Baltimore Sun.  In particular, she raised the question of whether Marylanders, who love their blue crabs in hard form, get a little squeamish when presented with soft shell crabs.

Anyone who follows this blog should know that this particular Marylander has no issue when it comes to soft shell crabs. There are four recipes highlighting the different ways that one can make soft shell crabs.  There is the the grilled soft shell crab recipe, a curried soft shell crab recipe and a soft shell crab po boy recipe.  I also have a traditional pan fried recipe, which was part of my Iron Chef challenge to cook dishes with Vidalia onions.

While I love hard crabs, I love soft crabs even more.  Once you get past the prep work, you have crabs that are entirely edible.  No need to pick crab meat out of shells.  All you need is a recipe to cook the crabs.  For this dish, I found one from Andrew Zimmern, the host of Bizarre Foods and The Zimmern List.  I have to say that I am a big fan of Andrew Zimmern and have watched most of his shows.  So, when I found a recipe from him for soft shell crabs, I knew I had to try it.

This recipe calls for the most common method of preparing soft shell crabs ... pan frying or sauteing the crabs.  What makes this recipe different is the shallot/herb pan sauce.  The shallots, parsley and thyme added some great flavor to the dish, as did the lemon juice.  If only the soft shell season were longer and I had access to more soft shell crabs, I would be making this dish as often as I could. 

PAN-CRISPED SOFT SHELL CRABS WITH LEMON & HERBS

Recipe from Andrew Zimmern

Serves 4

Ingredients:

12 soft shell crabs, cleaned and patted dry

1 cup corn starch

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

4 ounces clarified butter

4 tablespoons minced parsley

3 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2/3 cup of white wine

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the crabs.  Clean and dry the crabs.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn starch, flour, old bay seasoning, salt and pepper.  Dredge each crab in the cornstarch mixture, shaking off any excess.  Set aside.

2.  Saute the crabs.  Preheat a very large saute pan over high heat for a couple of minutes.  Add clarified butter, followed by the crabs.   Cook for one minute and lower the heat to medium.  Cook for 2 more minutes until crisped.  Flip the crabs and cook until brown and crisp on the other sides, about 3 minutes longer.  Reserve crabs to a platter.

3.  Prepare the sauce.  Add the shallots and herbs to a pan.  Swirl to cook through, add the wine.  Reduce by two-thirds.  Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the butter.  Adjust sauce by adding the lemon juice and drizzle over the crabs. 

ENJOY!

The Cuivre

Over the past several years, I have reviewed over 180 beers.   My general rule is that I review only beers that I like.  (As the old saying goes, if you have nothing good to say, don't say it.)  Quite a few times in the past, I have said to myself, "this is the best beer that I have had."  As I write this post, I find myself saying that again.  The beer in question is the Cuivre, the seventh anniversary ale brewed by The Breuery.  

This is not my first encounter with a beer from The Breuery.  I have previously reviewed the Saison de Lente, a Belgian style saison, The unique characteristic of that beer, according to the brewers, was the use of Brettanomyces or wild yeast.  While I liked that beer, it was not one of the best that I ever had for that style, whether a saison or a brett beer.  That award would go to Birrificio del Ducato for its Nuova Mattina (Belgian-Style Saison, which is also a finalist for one of my all-time favorites) and the Orval (breet beer).  

But when it comes to an English Old Ale, the Cuivre is the best one that I have ever had.  The Cuivre is the seventh anniversary ale for the brewery, "loosely brewed in the English-style old ale tradition" using the "house Belgian yeast strain" and then blended using the solara method.  I learned a lot about this method back in 2006, when I was in Emilia Romagna and visited Acetaia del Tuono, which used that method to produce balsamic vinegar.  The solera method requires a series of barrels, each one filled with the product at a particular interval, such as a year.  Eventually, you have the oldest vintage, followed by the next, and the next, until you get to the youngest vintage.  Some of the oldest vintage is removed from the barrel and bottled.  That barrel is then filled with some from the second oldest vintage.  The barrel with the second oldest vintage is filled with some from the third oldest vintage and so on.  This method is commonly used for balsamic vinegar, wine and brandy.  Not so much for beer. 

The solera process is what gives the Cuivre its distinct personality and sets the beer apart from nearly every other beer.  The Cuivre is not so much a beer, as it is a digestif like brandy.  

The Cuivre pours a dark earth brown, like newly tilled, moist soil right before the first planting.  As the beer rests in the glass, aromatic elements of sherry, leather and tanned hide greet the nostrils.  These are not typical ethers one would expect from a beer.  There are more common elements, such as oak and vanilla there as well.  The aroma provides a warning.  This is not a beer that is to be consumed quickly.  It is to be sipped, enjoyed slowly over the course of the night.  

That warning is reinforced by the taste of the Cuivre.  The beer contained many of the notes that were present in the taste of the beer.  There was a lot of boozy dark fruit, such as plums and figs, along with sugar, vanilla and notes in the beer.  Although I don't drink brandy, I would think that there was some brandy notes as well.  There was definitely some notes that could be likened to that digestif.  

The Cuivre is an excellent beer and, like the Nuova Mattina, would be among the finalists for one of my all-time favorites.  It is too bad that this beer was brewed for the 7th Anniversary of The Bruery.  It makes me wish that every day for The Bruery could be its 7th Anniversary.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: South Korea

I always thought that when I got to that part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes personal culinary challenge -- the part in which I would a main course from South Korean cuisine -- that I would be making Bulgogi or Galbi.  It makes a lot of sense, especially given my carnivore ways. The thin slices of ribeye that make Bulgogi or the ribs that comprise Galbi seem right up my alley. However, this personal culinary challenge took a completely different turn.

This personal culinary challenge will focus on seafood.  This focus seems appropriate for a country with 1,499 miles of coastline.  With the Sea of Japan to the east (also known as the East Sea) and the Yellow Sea to the west, there is a wide variety of fish available. The fish include mackerel, sardine, anchovies, herring, sea bream, salmon and trout. One can also find clams, oysters and squid in both seas. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the records show that, as far back as the 12th century A.D., commoners ate a diet that consisted primarily of seafood that included shrimp, clams, and fish. 

Dried seafood is very popular in South Korea, with anchovies, corvina and croaker being the fish of choice for such preparations.  South Koreans also dry squid and cuttlefish. Historically, the drying of fish and other seafood was to ensure that these foods would be available during the winter. I did not have enough time to prepare dried seafood and, even if I did, I am not sure that would satisfy the challenge to prepare a main course of South Korean cuisine.  

APPETIZER

The South Korean challenge began with a search for a recipe for grilled squid.  I had a hankering to eat the cephalopods.  As I searched the Intenret, I came across a recipe for Ojingeo Gui from Korean Bapsaeng.  The article described how squid -- or ojingeo -- is "an essential and versatile ingredient in Korean cooking."  Another site, Maangchi, observed that the recipe was a staple in Korean bars.  (I presumed that all references were to South Korea, as opposed to North Korea.)

This recipe marks the first time that I have worked with two quintessential South Korean ingredients.  The first is gochujang, which is a savory and spicy, fermented red chile paste,  The second is gochugaru, which are Korean red chile pepper flakes. 

While the recipe looked very good, and it tasted very good too, I decided that the grilled squid dish was not enough for a main challenge.

OLINGEO GUI (SPICY GRILLED SQUID)

Recipe from Korean Bapsang

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds of squid

6 to 8 perillla leaves (kkaennoip) or spring mix, arugula, lettce, etc.

1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped scallion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 tablespoon Korean red chile pepper flakes (gochugaru)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons Korean red chili pepper paste (gochujang)

2 tablespoons Korean corn syrup (oligodang) or sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Pinch pepper

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Clean the squid.  If using whole squid, clean by carefully pulling the tentacles until the innards slip out of the body.  Use your fingers to reach inside the tube to remove any remaining parts.  Cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes. Remove the beak from the center of the tentacles.  Discard everything except the body and tentacles. Rinse the squids under cold running water and drain.

2.  Prepare the marinade.  In a bowl large enough to hold the squid, combine the marinade ingredients and stir well.  Add the squids and coat evenly with the marinade, and then marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  

3.  Grill the squid.  Heat a lightly oiled grill or a frying pan until very hot.  Add the squids and sear quickly until the squids curl up and turn opaque, about a minute depending upon the size of the squid.  Flip and cook another minute.  Base with the sauce if you like.  Remove the squid.  You can pour the remaining squid into the pan, bring to a boil, and use as an extra sauce.

4.  Serve the dish.  Plate the squid on the sliced leaves and any other vegetables of your choice.  Drizzle with lemon juice and garnish with a slice of lemon.

APPETIZER

Having come to the conclusion that I needed more than grilled squid for this challenge, I continued to look for recipes.  The next one that caught my attention was a recipe for seasoned fresh oysters, which is known as Gul Muchim.  This is a raw oyster recipe, but it is not just any recipe.  The oysters are bathed in a sauce of garlic, green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil.  This was also a very good recipe, but, it too was not what I would consider to be a main course dish. 

GULMUCHIM (SEASONED FRESH OYSTERS)

Recipe from Maangchu

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 ounces fresh, cleaned, shucked oysters

1 garlic clove, minced

1 green onion, chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Combine ingredients.  Combine oysters, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, sugar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.

2.  Plate the dish.  Transfer the oysters to a dish and serve with rice.

MAIN COURSE

The main course for my personal challenge is Saengseon Gui (or Saengsun Gui), which is whole grilled fish.  The word Saengseon means fresh fish, and, as one could expect, it could be any whole fish pulled out of the water.  Many recipes call for mackerel, which can be found in both the Yellow Sea and the East Sea.  I saw whole mackerel in my local grocery store, but the smallest fish was three and one-half pounds and rather costly. That got me to thinking, grilled fish recipes can be made with both saltwater and freshwater fish. The store also had black bass, a freshwater fish, that was both smaller and cheaper.

Interestingly, there are black bass in South Korea.  The fish imported from Louisiana to South Korea and were introduced into three lakes around the peninsula by the government.  The government did all of this without performing any studies and, apparently without any planning.  During the rainy season, water was pumped out of those lakes to make room for the expected rainfall accumulation.  When the water was pumped out, so were black bass fry, who found a new home in the rivers of South Korea.  Soon the black bass, along with the bluegill (who were introduced into Korean waters a few years earlier) came to dominate the local river system.

It is said that South Koreans hate the black bass and, whenever they catch the fish, they leave it on the shore to die. I don't know if that is true, but it got me to thinking about how best to deal with invasive species. For example, the Asian carp is menacing the rivers in the United States. Yet, Andrew Zimmern -- a chef and the host of Bizarre Foods -- suggested a response ... eat it. The human appetite, when marshaled in the right way, can be the best check for the growth of an invasive species.

So, for this challenge, I have prepared Saengseon Gui using whole black sea bass.  I grilled the sea bass and filleted it for dinner and the presentation.  The bass produced two nice-sized fillets, which were perfect for my beautiful Angel and myself.  

SAENGSEON GUI (GRILLED FISH)

Recipe adapted from  Bap Story

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 whole fish 

Sea salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1.  Prepare the fish.  Cur crosswise slashes on the skin side of each piece.  Pat the fish dry with a paper towel.  Drizzle lemon juice over the fish.  Season all sides liberally with salt.  Set aside for 20 minutes.  Remove any visible traces of salt before cooking.  

2.  Grill the fish. Clean and lightly oil the grill.  Preheat the grill over medium high heat.  Place the fish on the grill, skin side down.  Cook until the bottom edges are golden brown and the flesh turns opaque, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side for another minute or two.

3.  Finish the dish.  Carefully remove the head.  Remove one fillet using a spoon and fork along the spine and plate it.  Then remove the spine, leaving the other fillet, which can be plated.

*          *          *

This personal culinary challenge took me on a different road than previous ones. While the main course may perhaps been the easiest one to prepare, the entire journey -- beginning with the Olingeo Gui and continuing with Gul Muchim -- allowed me to experience different methods of preparing seafood in South Korea.  It is time to move onto the next challenge and to see path lies ahead for me.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

The Crooked Crab

This is a first for me, especially when it comes to my brewery series ... writing a blog post about a brewery while I am sitting in that  brewery. A couple of asterisks first. I have been to this brewery before. That visit was a kind of scouting mission.  I want led to check the place out, and, as it turns out, all of the pictures for this blog post come from that first visit. The other asterisks is, of course, there has been some editing of the post after the fact. I have to admit that it is really damn hard to type a blog post on a phone.

With all of that out of the way, the brewery is the Crooked Crab in Odenton, Maryland. It is one of a couple of new breweries in Anne Arundel County. I stopped by the first time with my beautiful Angel and my kids to try the beer and to pick up a growler for our crab feast later in the day. 

As has become my practice when visiting a new brewery, I start with the sampler. This allows me to try a range of the beers and to get a sense of how the brewers approach different styles. The tap list at the time our visit had a variety of pale ales, such as the Haze for Days (New England Pale), I Fought the Claw (IPA, and props to the reference to one of my all time favorite Clash songs), Space Master Flex (a NE IPA), the Wit-ty IPA (a cross between a With and an IPA) and Too Much of a Good Thing (the Triple IPA).

After getting the sampler, it was off to the tasting. The sampler included the Space Flex,  Wit-ty IPA, I Fought the Claw, and Too Much of a Good Thing. It also included the Ryeders of the Sun, which is their Rye IPA.  So, basically all of the seasonal beers plus the year-round IPA. I liked all of the beers, particularly the I Fought the Claw and the Too Much of a Good Thing.  However, I have to say that I loved the Wit-ty IPA. In fact, I liked it so much that it was the beer that would go into the growler for our crab feast.  Given how well Crooked Crab did with pale ales, New England Pales, double and triple pale ales, I decided to try the Chuck Brown, which is their brown ale.  That beer was a very good example of a brown ale. 

In the end, the Wit-ty IPA won out and, as I noted, I bought a growler of the beer because I thought that it would work best with the flavors of the crab meat and Old Bay The beer pours like an IPA, with a golden amber hue that suggests a very hop forward beer.  However, this beer cannot be judged by its appearance.  The elements of the beer strongly suggest aromas one would expect from a Belgian Wit. Elements that suggest coriander or some citrus that one would not expect from an IPA, like orange. The Wit carries through to the taste of the beer, and this is what I think sets the Wit-ty IPA apart from the other Belgian Pales that I have tried. There is a significant coriander, along with a some clove in the taste of the beer.  The fact that one can get these elements before the traditional citrus elements of a pale ale makes this beer far more enjoyable to me.  In the end, the only bad thing I can say about the Wit-ty IPA is that as I sit here during my second visit to the tap room, the damn beer had been tapped.  

I am a big fan of the Maryland craft beer movement and Crooked Crab is the perfect example. This brewery hit on all of the beers that I tried and the Wit-ty IPA is the best Belgian pale ale that I have tried in a very long time. If you find yourself in the Odenton area, you should check out this brewery. Hell, if you find yourself in the State of Maryland, you should check out this brewery. Until next time,

ENJOY!

The Savage Boleks Smoked Apple Pork Shoulder

It is time for the smoking season at the Savage Boleks.  This is the time when I try to experiment with smoking various proteins, as well as experimenting with different rubs and sauces, in an effort to find recipes that I could make for parties and get-togethers that we host at our home.  

It has been a while since I have smoked a pork shoulder, so I decided that the initial smoke for this season would be a seven pound Boston Butt.  I started with a basic rub that I found a while back on Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible website. The rubs ingredients are fairly straightforward: salt, sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, freshly ground black pepper and celery seed. This basic rub has become my go to rub for any pork barbecue.  The recipe below produces a lot of rub, especially given that I had only a 7 pound pork shoulder.  The leftover will definitely get used as the basic rub for my next pork shoulder.

With the pork resting in the refrigerator, I needed to turn my attention to the rest of the cook.  I had estimated that I would need at least 7 hours.  The plan was to cook the shoulder at a slightly higher temperature, between 275 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  I wanted to shorten the cooking time because the pork would be served at a get together with friends.  

I figured I needed a mop sauce and some barbecue sauce.  I first figured out the barbecue sauce using one from Steven Raichlen's book entitled Barbecue Sauces, Rubs and Marinades.  I found a great recipe called B.B.'s Lawnside Spicy Apple Barbecue Sauce, which was ideal for the pork shoulder, which I planned to smoke using apple wood.  

After choosing the barbecue sauce, I started looking for the mop sauce.  I wanted a sauce that would incorporate some apple brandy that I had left over from the Glazed Roast Loin of Pork recipe I made a couple of months ago.  I found a recipe for Honey Apple Brandy Glaze.  The combination of honey and the apple brandy helped with the color of the pork roast and added another layer of sweetness to the final product.  

In the end, this was a good start to the smoking season.  I had to pull the shoulder before I got to the ideal temperature of 190 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit because of the event we hosted.  Some of the shoulder was able to be pulled, but I just chopped the rest in large pieces that could be served in a pork BBQ sandwich or just by itself.  Now it is time to plan the next smoke. 

SAVAGE BOLEKS' SMOKED APPLE PORK SHOULDER

Basic Rub recipe by Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible

Honey Apple Brandy Glaze from Barbecue Smoker Recipes

B.B.'s Lawnside Spicy Apple Barbecue Sauce from 

Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Sauces Rubs and Marinades (page 166)

Serves many 

Ingredients:

1 Boston Butt Pork Shoulder (6 to 8 pounds)

Ingredients (for the Raichlen Rub):
1 cup sea salt (or kosher salt)
1 cup brown or white sugar
1 cup sweet paprika
1/2 to 1 cup coarsely ground or cracked black peppercorns
3 tablespoons granulated garlic powder
3 tablespoons granulated onion powder
1 tablespoon celery seed

Ingredients (for the Honey Apple Brandy Glaze):

1/2 cup of apple brandy (or Calvados)

1/2 cup cider vinegar

5 tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons brown sugar

Ingredients (for the B.B.'s Lawnside Spicy Apple Barbecue Sauce):

1 bottle (14 ounces) ketchup

1 cup apple cider

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon molasses,

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon liquid sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 /2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1.  Marinate the pork butt. Combine all of the ingredients for the rub. Season the pork shoulder on all sides with the rub, massaging the rub into the meat.  Cover the shoulder with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

2.  Prepare the smoker or the grill.   Set up the smoker or grill for indirect grilling and get a fire going.  Preheat the grill to about 250-270 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.  Smoke the pork butt.  Place the pork but, fat side up in the middle of the grate over a drip pan.  Toss a handful of soaked wood chips (soaked for about an hour) on the charcoals.  Cover and smoke the shoulder until it is the color of mahogany, about 7 to 9 hours.  The internal temperature should be about 195 degrees.

4.  Prepare the glaze.  Place all of the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Simmer gently for about 5 minutes (this helps to remove the bitterness from the alcohol by burning it off) and stir gently for the five minutes.  After 5 minutes, take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool so that it becomes a semi-viscous glaze.

5.  Continue to smoke the pork butt.  Toward the end of the smoke, around the last hour or so, brush the glaze every half hour (about 2 times).

6.  Make the sauce.  Combine all of the ingredients in a large, heavy, nonrestrictive saucepan and stir or whisk to mix.  Bring the heat to low and gently simmer the sauce, uncovered until thick and richly flavored, stirring often to prevent scorching, 15 to 20 minutes.  Use right away or transfer to jars, cover and cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. The sauce will keep for several weeks.

7.  Finish the cook. Once the shoulder reaches the ideal temperature (about 190 degrees), remove the shoulder from the smoker and allow it to rest (which will bring it up a few more degrees).  Pull or chop the pork, add some of the sauce, and pour the rest of the sauce in a bowl for guests.

ENJOY!