Żubrów-B-Q Sauce

The other day, I made a unique barbecue sauce with a Polish twist. I took a favorite vodka BBQ sauce recipe of mine, but substituted my favorite flavored Polish vodka: Żubrów-B-Q Sauce, made with Żubrówka Vodka (It's pronounced Zhu-BRUFF-ka). Żubrówka  is also called "Bison Grass" vodka because it gets it's flavor from a grass that grows in Poland called "Bison Grass," a favorite food of Polish (European) Bison, a cousin to American Bison (or buffalo). Żubr is the Polish word for Bison. Hopefully it all makes sense to you.

But, with a play on the spiciness of American Buffalo wings, I've made this spicy BBQ sauce and christened it, Żubrów-B-Q Sauce. Here's the recipe:

• 1/2 cup Żubrówka (Polish Vodka--accept no imitations!)
• 1 Pint (16 oz) Ketchup (I prefer Hunts with no HFCS)
• 2/3 Tbsp. freshly roasted and ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Powder (the hotter the better, I believe)
• 1/2 Tbsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and let simmer 20+ minutes to meld the flavors. Cool and server. Keeps several months in the fridge--if you can get it to last that long. Recipe is easily doubled. 

Pine 22

On a recent Thursday evening, we popped in at Pine 22 for a quick bite and were not at all disappointed. It's a neat concept--build your own burger (or BBQ, or chicken, or...well, you get the idea). Add some fries or another side or two and and voila, a meal. I was there with Tommy and our friend Bill as we were attending an art show opening at City Arts Factory right across the street. The place was busy but not crowded. Oh, and they server beer and wine, too--and not just any beer, but with a selection of craft beers. Yumm.

Our food was very good. The pulled pork was tender and juicy with a lot of flavor. The burger was juicy as well. All of their food is organic, grass fed, yada-yada if you're into that sort of thing, though at the very end, I don't think the pig, cow, or chicken really cares because it is...well...the end for them. But what ends up on your plate is certainly delicious. Next time we're at City Arts Factory, you know where we're gonna head for a quick bite to eat as well as a tasty beer!