Making it Better: Mustard

     I've been pondering the components of a sandwich a lot recently.  The "gourmet, yet casual" sandwich has been getting a lot of attention in the media.  Many chefs and restaurant owners are leaving behind a life of fine dining to reinvent the simple classics that are in millions of lunchboxes out there.  Some folks are going to big lengths to make these sandwiches great.  Spending days, weeks, or even months to confit, brine, cure, age, smoke, etc.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate and love some of the delicious ways chefs are preparing the all-important meat on the sandwich, but are there not a lot more things to consider?  I think so.
     The meat may be extraordinary, but I firmly believe that what makes a truly memorable sandwich is the fusion of individually wonderful components.  If the bread isn't sturdy enough, or the sauce isn't spread evenly, or the textures disagree, or the meat/cheese/bread ratio is off, then having one great ingredient just isn't enough.  Furthermore, I don't think a sandwich requires a giant list of toppings as long as each item is just done right.  
     So, in the spirit of making the little things better, I made mustard this week.  Sure, it's easy to find specialty mustards on the market shelves these days, but some can be quite expensive.  Other than buying the dry mustard, I already had the ingredients in my pantry.  I have been craving a great Cubano lately, and this mustard would be perfect pressed into soft bread with warm pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles.  The mustard was quick, easy, and better than the commercial variety I already had.  Most importantly, I love the idea of making my own version of a condiment that is so easy to just toss in the basket at the store.

Spicy Mustard
Yield: 16 oz.

2.25 oz dry mustard
1/2 oz sugar
1 tsp salt
6 oz eggs
8 oz malt vinegar
1/4 tsp favorite hot sauce-  I used a very spicy hot sauce made from St. Augustine, FL datil peppers
1.5 oz honey- I used a delicious dark sourwood honey from Savannah Bee Company

1. Combine 1st 3 ingredients. Add eggs and mix until smooth.
2. Whisk in vinegar, hot sauce, honey. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
3. Beat in a double boiler until thick and creamy. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
4. Transfer to clean container. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.


For a little experiment I set aside some of the mixture after step one to make pear mustard.  After a trip to Hood River in October, we came back with cases of pears and apples.  One thing I made was a pear and ginger coulis that I froze several containers of.  So, I omitted the hot sauce in this batch and added some of the thawed coulis to the mustard as it cooked in step three. It has a distinct pear taste with the tang of the mustard that would add another great layer of flavor to a sandwich.