SPECIAL SYDNEY EDITION: White Peach Sangria and Porterhouse Steak with Tamarind Barbecue Sauce and Basil-Marinated Tomatoes

I have not eaten barbecue food in forever. We don't have a balcony or a yard or anything in the UK. Logistically, we just can't do it. So, I haven't had proper BBQ food for about two years. You could say I had the jones for it by now.

One huge benefit with staying with our friends is that we KNEW they had a grill prior to coming here. I KNOW that Travis would grill his breakfast on it (if he liked eating breakfast) if he could. The only people besides Americans who regard the BBQ grill as a sacred altar are Australians. They are just as serious about grilling as the US.

We went to the local butchers which, among other things, had a whole section devoted to wagyu beef. This is astonishing because it is the best beef in the world and you can just pop into the local butchers and get some. I was drooling notcieably.

We settled on some giant porterhouse slabs. I normally wouldn't eat this much meat at once, but since I hadn't grilled in TWO YEARS I figured I would go for it. Well...

This was amazing. The sauce had what I call 'ninja heat', which is to say that you don't get the spice of the sauce until a good 5 seconds later. Up front is just saucy, sweet goodness. I sweetened it a touch with some honey to balance the heat. The beef was of amazing quality and went down like gangbusters.

The sangria was fresh, clean and awesome. We woke it up with some fresh mint and that really tied the whole thing together. Thanks to the ladies for making this great, refreshing drink.


White Peach Sangria
1 ripe, large white or yellow peach
2 bottles dry white wine, preferably Spanish
1 cup orange juice, preferably fresh
1 cup pineapple juice, preferably fresh
⅓ cup brandy
¼ cup triple sec
3 cups sliced peaches, oranges, lemons, limes and/or apples
¼ cup simple syrup (optional)
Ice (optional)

Peel the peach and remove the pit. Put the peach in a blender with a few tablespoons of water, just enough to make the mixture blendable, and puree until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher. Add the wine, orange and pineapple juices, brandy, triple sec, and half of the fruit and stir to mix. Taste for sweetness, adding simple syrup if needed. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, strain out the fruit that's been sitting in the pitcher and discard. Stir in the remaining fruit and serve straight up or over ice.

Porterhouse Steak with Tamarind Barbecue Sauce and Basil-Marinated Tomatoes

SAUCE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
8 canned plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and black pepper

TOMATOES
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup basil, chiffonade
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
salt and black pepper

STEAKS
8 porterhouse steaks, 10 ounces each
olive oil
salt and black pepper

SAUCE
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ketchup, water, mustard, sugar, molasses, tamarind concentrate, cayenne, ancho chile powder, paprika, salt, and pepper, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until thickened, about 20 minutes. May be refrigerated for 1 day; serve at room temperature. Makes about 4 cups.

TOMATOES
Combine the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and vinegar in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. May be refrigerated for 1 day; serve at room temperature. Makes about 4 cups.

STEAK
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high. Brush the steaks with oil, and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the steaks 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium rare. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, brush them with the Tamarind Barbecue sauce and grill for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the grill, brush again with the sauce, and place on a large serving platter. 5erve the Basil-Marinated Tomatoes and any extra sauce alongside.