Reminiscing About The Boar & Castle Restaurant & Sauce

Emails continue to pour in from folks who miss their Boar and Castle Sauce and want to be notified if this venerable old steak sauce is ever available again. Many of these emails include touching memories of the Boar & Castle Restaurant, which closed in 1979 after over 50 years of serving delicious hearty fare in Greensboro, North Carolina. Some people recount romances (perhaps sparked by the sauce??), while others fondly recall favorite menu items featuring the sauce. Here are a few of those reminiscences:

“I have been searching every grocery store for my life-long addiction, Boar and Castle. I cannot imagine a burger without it. Please let me know if EVER you get information regarding its availability again. My father proposed to my mother at the famous establishment many, many years ago and it has always been in my family's pantry for well over 50 years. I am mourning a terrible lose right now! Thank you for keeping me informed.” --W.O.

“I would love to purchase a bottle of Boar and Castle Sauce. Is it available? Please let me know. I use to love their hot dogs back in the 50s.” --W.O.L., Lavonia GA

“Please let me know when I will be able to buy Boar and Castle sauce. Live in Alex City, AL but grew up at the Castle. NEED THAT SAUCE!! Thanks.” --A.C.

“Please let me know if Castle Sauce becomes available. It is my favorite sauce--first had it at the Boar and Castle in 1965 and have continued to purchase it ever since.” --E.S.

“Please notify me if this becomes available again. I love the sauce and remember those butter steak sandwiches and the Castle Burgers. We have been searching for it as we only have a small amount left.” --J.B.

“Please don't discontinue Boar and Castle Sauce! I have used it for years and won't have anything else to put on my hamburger! I grew up eating castleburgers and buttered steaks at the Boar and Castle. Please inform me when I will be able to purchase it again. Thanks” --V.T.

"BRING BACK BOAR and CASTLE SAUCE…. Once you taste the sauce, you're hooked for life.” --N.B., Carolina Beach, NC

Going by the flood of fan mail that keeps coming in, that last writer wasn't exaggerating! I don't think any other North Carolina product has ever had such a loyal following. If you have a Boar & Castle Sauce story that you'd like to share, or if you'd like to be added to our waiting list, please email us at "salesATcarolinasauceDOTcom." You can also leave a comment on this blog, but if you do so, please DON'T post your email address unless you really do want to make it available to the whole world. If you email us, we will ONLY use your email address to notify you if Boar & Castle Sauce becomes available again.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Dem Bonz Barbecue Sauce

The little town of Laurinburg, North Carolina is the home of our newest BBQ sauce, the finger-licking-good Dem Bonz Barbecue Sauce. Its creation was truly a labor of love, as the original family recipe was tweaked and improved with the input of friends and family over a ten year period to produce a sauce that's bursting with sweet tomato flavor, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of vinegar tang. Because the base is tomato rather than vinegar, Dem Bonz Barbecue Sauce is rich and thick, not thin and watery, making it ideal as a finishing sauce that you brush on during the last 15 minutes of cooking. This sauce is simply fabulous on ribs, chicken and hearty cuts of meat, with the tomatoes and honey caramelizing as you grill to create a delicious coating that seals in the juices. Not too sweet, not too hot, not too tart, and without any added smoke, Dem Bonz beautifully brings together the flavors that make crowd-pleasing cookouts and barbeque. But don't limit yourself to using this sauce as a finishing sauce: You can also dip or mop or marinate with Dem Bonz, use it instead of ketchup with fries or burgers or meatloaf, splash it into baked beans for added richness and depth of flavor, and even dip hush puppies, chicken nuggets or fish sticks in it for the kids. Heck, it's even good on fried okra! Get a bottle today, while it's on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Spicy Baked Beans From Scratch

Sure, you can grab a can of baked beans and a can opener and be done with it, but why not take the time to make baked beans from scratch, without all those chemicals found in commercial brands and with better flavor? Simply use your crock pot and you'll be amazed at how little effort is involved. It's best if you simmer the beans and cook in the crock pot on low the night before, but you can also prepare this recipe the morning of your meal if you start early enough and set the crock pot on high. This recipe assumes you have a 3 1/2 or 4 quart crock pot, and serves 6 to 8 people. If your crock pot holds 5 or 6 quarts, simply double all the ingredients.

Ingredients
1 lb dry pinto beans, great northern beans or navy beans
1 quart cold water
1 cup chopped sweet onion (you can use yellow or white if sweet onions are not available)
1/4 lb thick-cut bacon (all natural if available), cut into 1" pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup sliced jalapeno peppers (fresh or canned/jar)
1 cup water
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 to 1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

Pick over and rinse the beans. Place in a large pot or Dutch oven with 1 quart cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hrs or until the beans are tender. While the beans are simmering, cook the bacon and chopped onion in a skillet until the bacon is thoroughly cooked and the onion is at least translucent. Remove the bacon and onions from the skillet and set on a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the excess grease. Once the beans are tender, drain the beans and place in the crock pot. Add the onions, bacon and remaining ingredients, stir, and cover. Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours (overnight), or cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. Stir before serving.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're feeding folks who like to add hot sauce to their baked beans, I recommend Samson's Sauce or Durn Good Hot Sauce for mild to medium heat, and Blue's Habanero Reserve Hot Sauce for folks who want a medium to hot burn. For garlic fans, you can't go wrong with Burning Asphalt Sweet & Hot Garlic Sauce, with a medium to hot burn. And for serious chileheads or fearless eaters, my recommendation is Conquering Lion Hickory-Smoked Habanero Mango Hot Sauce.

Back to School Sale Ends Saturday!

Just a friendly reminder that our Back To School Sale ends this Saturday, August 30th! Don't delay in taking advantage of this special deal: Use the blog coupon to get 10% off the product total when you order at least $40 in products from the Carolina Sauce Company (this includes any combination of hot sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, salsa, and all our other zesty products. Some products are already on sale, and you'll get another 10% off the already-low sale price when you take advantage of this special offer and use the coupon found in my original blog post about this Sale. These bargains won't last -- in fact, they end in two days!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Golden Grilled Chicken

This zippy recipe comes to us from the makers of Capsicana Zing Gourmet Sauce, one of the all-time best-selling sauces at the Carolina Sauce Company. It multiplies easily, so try it this Labor Day for your BBQ or cookout, and I promise you rave reviews from friends and family!

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 cup Capsicana Zing Gourmet Sauce
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt to taste (optional)

Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Add the Zing Sauce, olive oil and salt (if using), zip the bag, and shake to mix well and coat the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Grill on medium heat away from direct flames, brushing with marinade occasionally. Turn two to three times every 10 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and fully cooked.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Old-Fashioned Freezer Slaw

Are you looking for an old-fashioned, homestyle cole slaw recipe for your Labor Day picnic or cookout? Then give this venerable old recipe a try, from Greg's grandmom's recipe files. Make it the day before you plan to serve it, for tastiest results. And it can keep in the freezer in an airtight container for several weeks!

Ingredients
1 medium head of cabbage, grated
1 tsp salt
1 carrot, grated
1 green bell pepper, grated
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbs celery seed
1 Tbs mustard seed

Place the grated cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix well to combine. Let stand for 1 hour. Squeeze out as much "juice" or liquid from the cabbage to get it as dry as possible. Combine the grated carrot and pepper with the squeezed cabbage, and set aside.

Make the dressing: Combine the sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Tie the celery seed and mustard seed into a small cheesecloth bag and drop into the vinegar solution. Boil 1 minute, then remove saucepan from heat and let stand until lukewarm. Remove the cheesecloth bag and then pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture. Stir to combine, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate until cool (overnight is best, to let the flavors meld). You can store this slaw in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Buy Giardiniera, Get $100,000!

Purchase Capone Family Secret Giardiniera from the Carolina Sauce Company online store and receive $100,000 for each jar you buy! Not only is this delicious, authentic Italian giardiniera from Chicago currently on sale, but we're giving away a $100,000 bill with every jar! Don't tell me this offer sounds too good to be true -- What, you think there's a catch? Well, ok, there is: Although it's true that we'll send you a $100,000 bill with each jar of Capone Family Secret, the bills aren't actually legal tender, as you can see from the photo on the right. But the recipe for Giardiniera Pizza that you'll also receive with your order is the real deal, and you can make it with either the mild giardiniera or the hot giardiniera. But don't delay in placing your order, as we only have a limited number of these Al Capone novelty $100,000 bills!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Ann's Durn Good Buffalo Chicken Grill

Love the taste of Buffalo wings but hate the mess? Then you'll love this recipe, from the folks who make Durn Good sauces and seasonings! Here's a tasty way to cook boneless skinless chicken breast with a zippy sauce inspired by Buffalo style wing sauces.

Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
4 Tbs butter
4 Tbs Durn Good Hot Sauce
Durn Good Original Blend Seasoning, to taste

Cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks and place in a resealable plastic bag. Melt butter and mix with the hot sauce. Let the mixture cool a bit, then pour into the bag, seal and shake to coat the chicken chunks. Heat a griddle grill or saute pan to medium high and add chicken chunks. Sprinkle generously with Durn Good Original Blend Seasoning. Stir fry until done, about 4 to 6 minutes. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Searing Steaks on a Charcoal Grill

Searing a steak to seal in the flavorful juices requires extremely high temperatures, much higher than you usually get from a charcoal grill. But you don't need to spend big bucks on a fancy infrared grill to perfectly sear a steak. Here are some different ways that you can get your coals hot enough to sear a steak:

*Put your coals in a chimney starter and light them like you normally would. Once the coals are glowing red-hot, place the grill grate directly on top of the chimney. You now have a small area of very intense heat on which to sear your steak.

*If you need a larger area of intense heat, pour the glowing coals from the starter chimney onto your grill but instead of evenly distributing them, use long tongs to stack up the coals so that they are directly below the grate. Place the grate on the grill over the coals, and now you can sear the steaks directly over the coals.

*If you're a real daredevil, start with the previous tip, i.e., a stack of glowing coals directly under the grilling grate. Use a blowdrier (yes, the appliance to blow dry your hair) set on HIGH to blast hot air from the side onto the coals while you sear the steak over the coals. The forced hot air will cause the coals to burn much hotter. NOTE: As always, make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy. FYI, Greg saw this tip on the Food Network, but admits he hasn't tried it himself. He mumbled something about not wanting to burn down the deck....

After your steak is seared (about a minute on each side, but it depends on the thickness of your steak), you can then spread the coals out for normal grilling in order to finish cooking the steaks to your preferred level of doneness.

Over the last 3 weeks, Greg has been in charge of cooking our pregame meals (we play hockey, or as they call it down south, "ice hockey", twice a week) on game nights and has made seared steaks rubbed with Char Crust Seasoning. Interestingly, our teams have been undefeated during this time, and we've both scored more goals and assists. Coincidence?? Or is there a magic ingredient in the dry rub???

Zestfully yours,
Gloria