Kentucky Bourbon Bar-B-Que Salmon Steak

A very tasty Kentucky Bourbon Bar-B-Que recipe, just in time for the upcoming Kentucky Derby Day!

     While working as a chef in Florida, I used to occasionally sell barbecue fish as a lunch special du jour.  BBQ red snapper was always a good seller.  BBQ salmon sold well too.
     Old fashioned Mango Barbacoa fish is a classic caribbean style of barbecue and it is the very first barbecue that was created.  Mango Barbacoa is a classic tasting preparation for fish, poultry or pork.  I posted an authentic Mango Barbacoa recipe in this blog a few years ago.
     American style BBQ sauce ingredients vary from region to region.  St Louis style BBQ sauce is similar to Kansas City BBQ sauce and Memphis BBQ sauce.  Tomato with sugar, brown sugar, molasses or sorghum molasses tends to be the body of those styles of BBQ sauces.  Kentucky style BBQ sauces are pretty much like Memphis or Kansas City style BBQ sauces.
     In the last 30 years, bourbon whiskey was added to the standard Kentucky regional BBQ sauce to create a signature Kentucky BBQ sauce flavor that was marketed by BBQ sauce manufacturers.  Adding bourbon to BBQ sauce is nothing new, just like adding rum to a Mango Barbacoa sauce.  Many backyard BBQ chefs and BBQ restaurant chefs have always added bourbon to a BBQ sauce recipe.  Bourbon BBQ sauce does carry a nice hint of bourbon flavor.
     Homemade BBQ sauce is always better than a sauce that comes out of a bottle.  I never buy bottled BBQ sauce and I have posted many BBQ sauce recipes in this blog.  Some of my BBQ sauce recipes call for pre-prepared items like catsup and mustard.  Catsup was originally created in China to be a cooking sauce and not a condiment, so never frown on the use of catsup in a sauce!  By choosing to purchase organic catsup, you will have a catsup that is closest to the original catsup recipe with no additives or artificial food colors.  I like using organic catsup when making certain recipes.
     In a bourbon BBQ sauce, the amount of vinegar is critical.  Too much vinegar or too strong of a vinegar will overwhelm the bourbon flavor.  Catsup has the proper level of vinegar content for a bourbon BBQ sauce.
     Sour mash bourbon seems to have the best bourbon flavor for cooking.  Some brands are better than others, but using a top shelf bourbon to make a BBQ sauce is kind of a waste of good whiskey!  Just chose a good less costly bourbon that has a good palatable flavor.  I don't like charcoal filtered whiskey that carries a charcoal flavor to drink, so I don't use those types of whiskey for cooking.  Cooking whiskeys should be chosen like cooking wines.  Only cook with what you would be happy to drink!

     Kentucky Bourbon Bar-B-Que Sauce Recipe:
     This recipe makes enough BBQ sauce for one salmon steak!
     Place 1/4 cup of organic catsup into a small sauce pot.
     Add 4 tablespoons of brown sugar.
     Add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.
     Add 1 tablespoon of Louisiana creole mustard.  (Use coarse German mustard or coarse rustic French mustard if creole mustard is not available.)
     Add 1 tablespoon of minced onion.
     Add 1 pinch of garlic powder.
     Add 1/2 teaspoon of paprika.
     Add 2 pinches of cayenne pepper.
     Add 1 teaspoon of New Mexico chile powder.  (New Mexico chiles have the right flavor for this sauce!)
     Add 1 pinch of cumin.
     Add 1 pinch of coriander.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 1/2 cup of Kentucky bourbon whiskey.
     Add 1/2 cup of water.
     Place the sauce pot over medium low heat.
     Gently simmer and reduce the sauce, till it becomes a medium thin BBQ sauce consistency.
     Set the Kentucky Bourbon Bar-B-Que Sauce aside.

     Kentucky Bourbon Bar-B-Que Salmon Steak Recipe:
     Heat a char grill or cast iron grill over medium/medium high heat.
     Brush an 8 ounce salmon steak with vegetable oil.
     Place the salmon steak on the grill and cook the steak on both sides, till it is halfway done.
     Take the salmon steak off of the grill and place it on a broiler pan.
     Brush the salmon steak with the Kentucky Bourbon Bar-B-Que Sauce.
     Place the pan under a broiler.
     Flip the salmon steak occasionally and brush the salmon steak occasionally with the sauce.  (Flip the salmon steak with a spatula gently, so the belly meat does not break off!)
     Try not to allow the BBQ sauce to caramelize heavily.
     Broil and Bar-B-Que the salmon steak, till it is fully cooked.
     Place the Kentucky Bourbon Bar-B-Que Salmon Steak on a plate.
     Serve with a starch and vegetable of your choice.  (I served the BBQ salmon in the pictures with sauteed mushroom halves and gently sauteed russet and purple potatoes.)
     Garnish with an Italian parsley sprig.

     Beyond what the barbecue flavor senses can imagine!  This Kentucky Bourbon Bar-B-Que Salmon Steak tastes great!  Slightly sweet, slightly zesty and the sour mash bourbon whiskey flavor can be noticed.  This is BBQ yum!  ...  Shawna