Got a sauce that needs fixing? I’ve got the answer! Balsamic vinegar saved the day and my dinner.
The other day, I made my typical pot roast in the slow cooker. The house was full or good smells all day long. But, when I went to mix up the gravy, it wasn’t as flavorful as I expected. In fact, it was a little too tart, presumably from the red wine I used for deglazing the pan.
What to do? What to do? Roast beef and mashed potatoes just call for gravy, don’t they?
Instead of despairing, I remembered something I have read in recipes a hundred times over:
Add a little Balsamic vinegar to finish the sauce.
I had never tried it before because hubs isn’t a huge fan of sweet. And Balsamic can be sweet. But, he’s also not a big gravy user, so I figured I was safe.
And oh my goodness.
That sauce went from blah to beautiful in just 1/2 tablespoon. It was amazing! The Balsamic vinegar that Holland House sent me was just the ticket to saving dinner that night. And the leftover gravy and pot roast went into a vegetable beef soup a few nights later that had all the FishKids humming.
I’ve since added a few dashes of balsamic to red sauces and salad dressings that we’re quite “right”. It seems to be an almost magic elixir!
Currently, Holland House, a maker of vinegars and cooking wines, is running a Facebook sweepstakes in conjunction with The Meal Makeover Moms. Three winners will get a “meal makeover” and at the end of the promotion, one Facebook fan will win a cooking set, valued at $500. Very cool, indeed.
I’m convinced that balsamic vinegar totally gave our supper the lift it needed.
What’s YOUR relationship with Balsamic?
Have you ever added a dash of vinegar to save the day?
Tami says
Totally agree about the balsamic! My favorite vinegar, by far. I make glazed pork chops, with balsamic and maple syrup. Yum!! Also great on roasted chicken.
Thanks for the tip!!!
Beth in OH says
What’s my relationship with Balsamic vinegar? We have an open love affair! Most everything I make has balsamic vinegar & minced garlic.
Princess Kate says
I use this brand constantly. I have a great recipe for what I call momma’s beef tips and gravy and I use the Holland House Red Wine for that one. Family loves it. Thanks for sharing.
Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents says
Great tip! Thanks! I re-posted on Facebook as my Daily Duh and linked back to this post. 🙂
Martha Artyomenko says
I love vinegar. I love balsamic the most!! I eat vinegar straight on almost everything! It is the best condiment!
Amy @ A Little Nosh says
I mix olive oil, balsamic, and honey together for a delicious quick dressing!
Lisa S says
Thank you so much for this post. What a great idea. I was making Dave Ramsey soup (http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/11/dave-ramsey-soup.html) which I market to the kids as rainbow soup. I like to add a little cream to my soups for richness, but I was out. But I had sour cream. So I dropped in two big dallops, a hearty splash of balsamic to cut the sour, big shakes of hungarian paprika, smaller shakes of curry and cayenne, and it was fantastic. Thank you.