I don’t like ketchup.
Is that un-American?
Almost everyone else I know douses french fries with ketchup. They use it on hamburgers. Even hot dogs.
NONONO, hot dogs are supposed to get mustard!!
My husband Ed gets the ketchup out whenever I grill a steak, make pot roast or serve anything he doesn’t really love, like fish.
NONONO, you don’t splash ketchup on branzini!!
Do you?
A neighbor of mine poured ketchup over scrambled eggs and into his mother’s homemade chicken soup.
OHNO! Absolutely not.
During the Reagan administration the USDA declared ketchup a vegetable, suitable for school lunch.
WHAT??????????
Fortunately, that decision was later reversed.
Okay ketchup lovers, do your thing. Have ketchup on whatever you wish. I am not convinced.
Except I got this new kind recently. I will confess here that it was given to me by Traina Foods, who asked my stubborn, anti-ketchup self if I would try it. If they could convince me I suppose, it might be a winner.
It IS!
No, I still would not, IMHO, ruin homemade french fries with ketchup of any kind. And I wouldn’t use it for steak.
But this stuff is splendiferous with braised brisket or other kinds of pot roast, beef stew and grilled burgers. It’s got more of a tang than standard ketchup, so the taste is roasted-toasted and tomato-y, not sweet. It’s thicker than most other ketchups too.
If you see this in the stores, it’s worth a try. Here’s a good, warm-you-up winter Beef Stew recipe you can use it with:
Basic Beef Stew
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2-1/2 to 3 pounds beef chuck roast
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 cup red wine
3-4 carrots, cut into chunks
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Traina Foods sun dried tomato ketchupPreheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the flour, thyme, salt, pepper and paprika in a dish. Cut the meat into large chunks, about 2-inches. Dredge the meat in the flour mixture, coating all sides. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large, heat-proof casserole over medium-high heat. Using a few chunks at a time, cook the meat on all sides for 5-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not crowd the pan. Remove each piece to a plate as it browns. When all the meat has browned, add the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Pour in the wine. Return the meat to the pan. Cover the pan and place in the oven. Cook for 1-1/2 hours. Add the carrots and potatoes, cover the pan and cook for another hour or until the meat and vegetables are very tender. serve with sun dried tomato ketchup.
Makes 4 servings