Growing up, I couldn’t stand mustard. Hated it. It was spicy and gloppy and it usually looked like a bucket of yellow paint. Even a smidgen on a sandwich, burger or hot dog was enough to make me reject the whole meal. Er, you might have guessed I didn’t just learn how to be “difficult” yesterday!
I still don’t like the yellow shellac in a squeeze bottle, ubiquitous in the U.S. from street carts to beach burger huts. (A Google search points me to a Mustard Museum in Wisconsin, by the way. You’re welcome!) But Dijon and I have struck a perfect harmony in the last couple years as I have realized it has nothing to do with that jaundiced stuff, and everything to do with two of my favorite things on earth: France and wine.
You can use in salads and dressings. You can smother potatoes in it and think you’ve died and gone to heaven. You can slather it on flatbread before topping it with caramelized onions, for a unbearably good cocktail party snack.
Or, you can do as Bobby Flay suggests, and make a fantastic marinade for beef, chicken, pork or you-name-it. We tried this out the first time on Father’s Day, and loved it. (Yes, I am aware that Father’s Day was 40 days ago. Didn’t I warn you this was catch-up week?) We’ve made it two more times on chicken skewers and brought them to barbecues for a easy, tasty dinner, not to mention a fun way to take a break from the barbecue sauce grind.
Grilling sauces and marinades, previously: Ina Garten’s barbecue sauce and hoisin barbecue sauce
Garlic-Mustard Glazed Skewers
In probably one of my favorite Epicurious comments to date, someone complained that “the mustard flavor is overpowering” in this glaze. And while I don’t disagree, I have to question the logic of someone who made a recipe that is more than 50 percent mustard and was surprised. That it tasted like mustard.
But poking fun aside, that was my warning that if you don’t really like Dijon, this is not the recipe for you. However, if you do–and oh, I do–this is amazing, garlicky and smoky-spicy (if you use hot, smoky paprika, for a great kick) and well-seasoned, with just a modicum of salt.
Bobby Flay suggests you put this on beef tenderloin skewers. I say you put it on anything you please, and usually use chicken breast or thigh cutlets cut into big chunks. The glaze is supposed to cover 2 pounds of meat but we have little trouble stretched it to 3 pounds. I bet it would be delicious on tofu too.
Makes about 1 cup glaze.
- 1/4 cup coarse or whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken cutlets, in big chunks, or beef
To make and grill skewers: Soaking wooden skewers in water helps prevent them from burning on the grill. Thread meat onto skewers; I try to leave a finger of space between each chunk so that they will cook more evenly. Pour some glaze into a separate bowl and brush skewers generously with it. You cannot reuse what you’ve dipped a brush that touched raw meat with, so best to add more to the bowl as you use it up, rather than dipping the brush into the full amount and finding you had to waste the leftovers. Grill over medium-high heat until cooked, turning regularly for even color.
Serve as is.
I am 100% with you on this yellow mustard has no place in my kitchen. EXCEPT, in Cuban sandwiches…… :D yum.
I will definitely be trying this mustard-based recipe!
That looks delicious! I have to admit, as much as I love your desserts, I really enjoy it when you post dinner recipes as well. Thanks!
Ha! I used to feel the same way about pickle relish. Not sure why. Kids are funny that way… Now I can’t live without chutneys and relishes.
I also love the Frenchy tradition of just keeping a crock of great Dijion mustard on the table for general slathering. It’s a must-have for a simple picnic-y lunch of meats, cheeses, pates, pickles, etc.
Looks yummy, Deb. I tried your pork chops adobdo yesterday and used my smoked paprika in that. Its a keeper! I’ll be eating the remaining chop sliced on my salad for lunch today. Thanks for sharing.
By the way, do you have a resouce for those spice tins at a reasonable price and are the lids easy to remove?
Dijon is one of my favorite things to slather on anything that is destined for the grill. I love it mixed with white wine (more, yes….) to soak a pork loin AND provide for a nice crusty topping when shot under the broiler.
And that yellow stuff? Yeah, it’s not the best mustard out there (i’m still trying to find THAT) but nothing tops a brat better, along with caramelized onion, dill relish and a few hot peppers.
I just came around to mustard recently as well. My mom always wanted a plain McDonald’s hamburger with only mustard, and I always wanted a cheeseburger with only ketchup, and naturally, our picky specifications weren’t met very often. I have vivid memories of trying to scrape off mustard from the buns when I was a kid, but the mustard usually had soaked into the bun anyway. The only thing worse for me was when they accidentally put on those horrid minced onions, ugh! You still won’t find me squeezing the yellow kind on a hot dog, but I love Dijon in salad dressings and part of a sauce for pork chops. And on ham sandwiches!
That looks amaaaaaaazing. I really wish I had a grill/a balcony/backyard/grill pan.
Boy, do I wish I had a grill! That looks very good.
I bought some of those spice tins online to hold fennel pollen for gifts — they were very reasonably priced at a few places.
This looks delicious! Also, I can highly recommend that Gourmet recipe for the caramelized onion flatbread. It is so delicious.
http://ourkitchensink.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/onion-tart/
I just learned to like dijon in the last year or so. This seems like it would work well as a glaze on roasted vegetables. I grew up a staunch ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise hater (talk about difficult). I’m working on coming around on the others. I’m thinking homemade mayonnaise may help me banish the memory of miracle whip ruining my grilled cheese sandwiches as a kid…
probably stupid (I only recently came around to mustard as well) but what’s the difference between dijon and whole grain?
I thought that the whole grain mustard that I’ve bought in the past (like the stuff in the picture) was (a form of?) dijon.
I also hate yellow mustard, but upon your reccommendation, I’ll try to be brave and taste some Dijon the next time I come across it.
BTW, I was inspired by the recent pizza posts and baked one for my boyfriend Wednesday. It turned out great (my roommate declared it the best pizza she’d ever eaten!).
I too hated yellow mustard when I was younger, to the point where if it were near my plate I would gag. Somehow, something has changed over the years, and now I’m completely obsessed with it. Dijon, Spicy Brown, really any kind of mustard (well, yellow is still just kind of eh, but will do in a pinch) just tastes amazing to me. This recipe looks great, can’t wait to try it.
And may I just say, (I know I’m obviously not the first) but the photography in this blog is absolutely stunning. Thank you for posting everyday this week! It’s been an absolute treat!!
I read once on a food blog (erm… maybe ceres and bacchus?) that the best dijon mustard, the closest to the real French stuff, was Trader Joe’s brand. While I can’t vouch for it being the closest to the french, I can say it is absolutely spicy and favorful and highly recommended and my favorite dijon.
This looks delicious… I’ll have to try it.
I hated mustard as a child along with tuna, beans and relish — all things I absolutely love as an adult. I go through mustard like a fiend and love cooking with it. This glaze seems so versatile & I’d love to try it on flatbread like you suggested.
This reminds me of a food phobia – I’m scared of drying out meat on the grill. If you put this on chicken – how long do you let it marinate (or do you)? And… how long do you keep the chicken on the grill? Thanks!!
This looks incredible. Is there any way one use this marinade if, say, they live in a Brooklyn apartment and have no grill?
Oh, yum. I think this is going to be one of those things I should always have on hand, like simple syrup or creme fraiche. Thanks for sharing!
This looks great! I’ll probably try it this weekend.
Funny about not liking mustard when you were young. My youngest child told people she was allergic to mustard as a way of ensuring that she never had to taste a drop. Some people actually believed her too! She was about 3 at the time but now at the ripe old age of 16 she has developed a certain tolerance. In fact one of her favorite meals involves coating salmon with a mixture of mustard and orange marmalade.
I was having trouble coming up with an idea for dinner (with guests) tonight and this post saved me…so, I’m making the glaze with chicken, beef & pork skewers.
Thanks for choosing to post it today. :)
I have 3 unopened bottles of Dijon in my fridge right now, and have been on a mustard using kick for days now trying to ween them down. I wonder if this could work on my indoor grill plate?
carly – a jar of super-fresh trader joe’s dijon is sinus-clearing, isn’t it? it mellows out the longer it’s been open, but the first time you use a new jar, it’s almost thermonuclear! also, have you ever tried making your own honey dijon with it? i do, with local honey i get from the farmer’s market. it’s wonderful on a ham sammie.
i too hate the so-called ballpark mustard, but i’m way down with any other kind.
my goodness, you’ve been prolific lately (I say sheepishly). This one in particular strikes my love for pragmatic (grilling summer ease) and fussy (trip to Dijon, anyone?). I still kick myself for not grabbing a tourist-trap mustard jar while in Dijon – I was being too cynical at the time, and this just rubs mustard in the wound. Back to eBay I go….after the BBQ.
I live about 20 minutes away from the Mustard Museum. It is actually a kind-of fun place. AND there are about 300 different types of mustard there, so it’s worth it just for that. I love the locally stone-ground mustards.
That does look good…we’ll for sure be trying that at home as it requires items that we typically have on hand. Giada has a similar sauce used to cover broiled salmon that is also quite tasty.
Looks delicious! Your photos are amazing, btw. What camera do you use, if I may ask? Thanks!
I still can’t get into mustard as a condiment, and I’m ancient. I can use it, though sparingly, as an ingredient, so I’ll have to pass on this recipe. One exception: Hot dogs, and it’s got to be that school bus yellow mustard. Weird, huh?
If you’re ever in the neighborhood visit the museum! It’s really nice and there is a great soda fountain on the same block!
thanks. i’ve been trying to do something with a mustard glaze. this looks great. :)
It sounds delicious. Do you think it would work well with tofu? I’ve been vegetarian for years and have fully embraced tempeh, beans and lentils of all kinds, but am yet to discover a healthy way to make tofu tasty other than the old standby of throwing it into a vegetable stirfry with a bit of soy sauce.
I love mustard glazes for chicken – this one looks garlicky delicious.
Ah — this looks delish. The honey-mustard-smoked paprika combo seems like it would be a winner.
And don’t scoff at the Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb. :) It’s totally worth a gander… and will give you more info than you ever thought possible about mustard.
Audrey in Oregon — I get the spice tins either at the Container Store or from this website. Though they are most certainly cheaper at the latter, however, I often feel that whatever I save I’m paying in S&H, so either-or!
Kristin — So awesome! I made it for a dinner party several months ago and FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES OF IT. (Grr.) I’ve been meaning to make it again since, but it just seems like such winter food. Yours looks gorgeous. (Like, way better than mine did.)
Ariel — This Saveur article gets into all of the differences in Dijons. Um, I found it fascinating but I’m weird like that.
Court — You can put it on the meat either an hour or five minutes before you grill it. (We’ve done both and noticed little difference.) Sadly, I can’t tell you how long chicken skewers need to cook because it depends on the heat of your grill, how big the pieces are, etc. etc. I would just slice a middle piece and see what it looks like.
Sabrina — Yes. Put a cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet/roasting pan in a hot oven. Just like a grill! Er, mostly.
Deborah — Thanks! All of our camera information is over here.
Laura — Sure, why not? I find that most things that work with meat, work with tofu.
Lo — Not scoffing! I love the fact that such a place exists.
Sadly, the link to the Saveur article on mustards now yields: Page Not Found.
Fickle internet!
I adore mustard…I need to make this!
Deb,
I’m usually a lurker here. Like Ariella I don’t live far from the Mustard Museum and I concur with her assessment. It is a fun place to visit and the owner Barry Levenson is very knowledgeable about his mustards. If you ever get to Madison WI (home of the only Vom Fass in the US http://www.vomfass.com) you must make the trip out to Mount Horeb.
Fran
I LOVE whole grain mustard and those look DELICIOUS!
I’ve never really liked mustard either, except maybe once every 3 years on a hot dog or something. but lately i’ve discovered dijon as well, and that in small amounts, it’s not too bad when involved in a recipe of some sort. i recently made a dijon chicken recipe that called for maple syrup as well, and it turned out pretty good, and well…not too mustard-y.
I had exactly the same experience with mustard–I hated it my whole life and then at 25 I turned around and now I can’t get enough. And it was tasting real dijon while in Paris that changed my mind. The kabobs look great–I’ve been trying to decide what to make for dinner tomorrow and now I think I’ve got a pretty good idea. Thanks!!
What could be finer that an gently seared eye fillet of steak with a good dob of Dijon. But for some reason mustard and chicken together, sits less comfortably on my tounge…hmmm not sure why that is.
I LOVE mustard – it has the ability to transform the most ordinary of things to something bursting with flavor. My son says I have a fridge full of condiments, I think about 50% of those condiments are variuos mustards. Great recipe.
I hate yellow mustard too! I do have a growing fondness for dijon and other grainy style mustards of all stripes, particularly in applications like this. Can’t wait to try it this week!
The colors of the food in your pictures just grab me in! I wish the food in my blog looked as good as yours (still tastey though, ha ha) Love your food!!
These are all my favorite ingredients (savory, anyway)! I love mustard so much, and think of some foods – e.g., hot dogs – as mere conveyances for mustard. My husband makes homemade mustard for me, since he knows I love it so much. This looks so great!
I tried this today on some pork chops.
FABULOUS!
Thanks for the motivation to get me cooking again!
Winker, you and I had the same idea–we grilled pork chops tonight and used this marinade, and it was indeed fabulous. Thanks for passing this recipe along, Deb.
Well, add my voice to Ariella’s & Ms. Amethyst’s–I’ve lived in Madison for four years, and just got myself out to Mt. Horeb over Memorial Day weekend this year. The mustard museum is great! I can’t believe no one’s mentioned the FREE SAMPLES–belly up to the mustard bar and the server will give you unlimited tastes of anything in their store out of their cooler. I went over and said, “What’s good?” and got to try all sorts of awesome mustards. It really was a lot of fun.
And I was just at Vom Fass earlier this week, Ms. Amethyst! I’d never even heard of it, but I was eating lunch at Atlanta Bread Company, and decided to stop in there and also at Penzey’s (both of which are in the same strip) it was pretty awesome!
*sigh* Mustard….mmm…
I made this (sans rosemary because I didn’t have any) with chicken pieces tonight. All roasted up and freakin’ delicious. Thanks!
i made this yesterday using chicken and it was REALLY good. definitely a keeper.
and deb, thanks for doing all the testing i don’t have time for–i have never been disappointed by anything you’ve recommended!
I knew I would like this recipe before I read anything, just from looking at the pictures. I mean, whole grain mustard, rosemary, garlic, and all together on a grill… I really don’t need anything else to be happy! We just got a grill, too, so I’ve been on the lookout for any recipes I can use on the grill. Can’t wait to try it!
Deb – I made this yesterday with chicken and it was so good! Thanks for the information about your photog equip.!
unlike you i love mustard, even the classic yellow stuff! i like hot dogs with just a line of yellow mustard down the middle.
unfortunately for me, the hubby hates mustard in all shapes and forms and i can’t make this recipe in our household because then the husband would starve (although a little starvation wouldn’t hurt given that he has gained a few…)
other things that i like that hubs doesn’t: cheese (all kinds), salmon, lox, canned tuna, and mayonnaise.
Oh wow. I made this last night and it was amazing!
Made this for a party over the weekend. I used extra firm tofu that had been well pressed. Marinated overnight in the fridge. Added sweet onions & zucchini when I made the skewers (with just olive oil, salt, and pepper). The taste was great (even though, despite what almost every tofu cookery writer will tell you, tofu does not really “soak up flavors.”) I had a surprisingly hard time finding true whole-grain mustard. Whole Foods had a “stone ground” option, which is what I went for, but no true whole grain variety.
I made this last night, and it was incredible. I wanted to eat it straight out of the bowl. We used chicken, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini and squash and served it with an avocado-grapefruit salad. So, so good.
I don’t even like mustard, and loved this recipe, which by the way is a great recipe for a first time griller like myself. I added a tbsp of maple syrup for a little extra sweetness. Absolutely delicious!
This glaze/sauce is delicious. We grilled chicken skewers and loved the flavor – only downside is that some of the glaze sticks to the grill, so we might try grilling the chicken on foil (although that may defeat the point) or broiling it when it gets colder because we wanted every drop of sauce! As always, thanks Deb – another hit.
I’ve been to the mustard museum in Wisconsin! It’s in Mt. Horeb, WI. It’s a fabulous place with many different kinds of mustard. I’m not a HUGE mustard fan, but there are all sorts of different ones and a shrine to all mustards! It’s crazy! This looks perfectly and easy and delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Tried this marinade out yesterday for a New Years Eve BBQ on chicken skewers – was fabulous! The mustard wasn’t overpowering at all, and was liked by many of our guests who are fussy eaters. Will be using it again!
I made this using…SKINLESS, BONELESS BREASTS!! and it was really good. So, even if you hate chicken breasts Deb, this marinade was really awesome and the chicken was delicious. I love Dijon mustard and bought whole grain mustard especially for this, so I was happy that I loved the dish. I used smoked paprika (one of my favorite spices) so between the mustard and paprika flavor, I was in heaven. I’ll be trying this with pork and beef over the summer, and more chicken too ;)
Deb, don’t know if you’ll see this but wanted to THANK YOU!!
I, too, never was a mustard lover.
For a very special dinner last night I made pork loin with your mustard sauce and it was fabulous!
My son visited with his new wife and I prepared dinner for them and my sister and her husband. We all thought the pork was the best ever and my sister decided to scrap her menu for the big birthday bash with jazz band she’s having next weekend for her husband and about 75 guests! Yes, she’s making pork loin with the mustard glaze.
I omitted the garlic since two of the group are not fond of it. I know. Anyhow, I substituted fresh thyme for rosemary, didn’t use regular dijon, just the grainy kind, and omitted also the vinegar because I forgot to take it. But it was still so delicious. I don’t ever make pork roasts anymore and haven’t enjoyed meat for ages, aside from poultry. But this was in a different category!
Thanks again. Your blog is my favorite of all food blogs and has been for a couple of years. Your recipes are dependably excellent, your writing is engaging and photography beautiful. I’m so glad you won awards. You certainly deserve them.
Just an FYI-I’m a WI girl-and have been to the famous mustard museum! It’s a great time! If you’re ever near there-Madison has one of the best farmer’s markets, and I think there’s a honey museum nearby as well!
*grins* I use Dijon on potatoes, in sandwiches, in scrambled eggs, and even in Kraft Dinner when I’m so desperate as to eat it. Yet another recipe of yours I’m bookmarking. Thanks!
Epazote is supposed to aid with digestion. It is available from Penzey’s Spices online and in their stores.
Just used this marinade on steak kabobs. Wow, perfect on the grill.
I’ve made this recipe about a dozen times and it is AMAZING. You wind up with tender oh-my-GOD amazing kabobs that take so little time it’s criminal.
winner!
I’ve been obsessed with this on steak kabobs since you 1st posted it. It’s my absolute favorite.
This was SO good!
Just made this for dinner sans rosemary bc the local grocery was out of it, used chicken, it was great! Cant wait to try it on steak now!
Marinated the chicken in this at lunch and grilled it up for dinner. I wish I had used less salt (I didnt follow the recipe that closely), but it had such great flavor with the mustard (just grey poupon and some mustard seeds) and the rosemary. Thanks!
Slathered this sauce on skirt steak, grilled it up, and it was excellent!
this was one of the best sauces i have ever tasted. i licked the mixing bowl clean!
I made this tonight … Our first time grilling this year! We live less than 20 minutes from the aforementioned Mustard Museum. But, I was drawn to your recipe just the same. Very delicious! Perfect texture – clung to chicken. Kids, ages 9 and 6, loved the chicken and asked for more! Thank you!
This glaze was amazing!!!!!!
Looks awesome… Have to say though that I used to despise yellow mustard as a culinary student, however, as my skills and palate developed, I have come to absolutely love it for its acidity and complexity. I have made some of the most amazing marinades and dishes that have used yellow mustard. It’s kinda crazy, but it has gone from a bottle that would sit in my fridge for a year to one that now sits there for only a couple of weeks before I am out of it.
I made last night and it was fabulous only I included capsicum onions and mushroom to chicken and came off a treat thanks
Amazing!! We had it on some pork chops for Valentine’s Day, and it was incredible.
This is the greatest marinade! it imparts such a strong yummy flavor! I am normally a “dipper” but the kabobs I made with this were so good I didn’t dare dip them! (I made mine as chicken, pepper, onion and mushroom kabobs.)
This marinade is delicious on tofu and chicken. I wonder how it would be on halloumi!
Dumb question : can I put this on salmon and roast it?
J.M.S I just did this with salmon and it was wonderful
The link is broken in Deb’s response to Ariel (re: diff between mustards); here’s the live one: http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Avez-Vous-du-Vrai-Poupon
Yum, mustard! Do you think this would work with salmon steaks??
Made this yesterday for some chicken skewers and my guests were putting it on sweet potatoes and veggies also. The combination of flavors is perfect!
I only had red wine vinegar so it was a little vinegar heavy but that didn’t seem to bother anyone
Well… I accidentally added cayenne instead of paprika (that’s what I get for using my fancy unlabeled spice jars). Any chance you think this can be redeemed?
Divide it into a few batches and add more of the remaining ingredients, perhaps? The marinade should freeze well.
Wow. This was so good! We loved it in grilled chicken thigh skewers. Served with grilled veggie skewers and roasted sweet potato, but it would also have been great over rice.
I love a strong mustardy flavor, especially on grilled meats!
This is my go to “I have chicken in the fridge and don’t know what to make” recipe. It’s much tastier than plain dijon or honey-dijon marinade, it’s so easy to make and I always have everything in my pantry to make it (although I always use dry rosemary instead of fresh).
Would agave or another sweetener work instead of honey?
I haven’t used it here but wouldn’t expect it to be a problem.
Made this last night exactly as written…delicious! I made the glaze early in the day. No need to remember to marinate the chicken in advance. Loved it and so easy…all ingredients are staples in my kitchen! OOOOPS, no white wine vinegar so used red wine vinegar instead.
I used this marinade on chicken/mushroom/eggplant skewers, roasted them in the oven (because we aren’t allowed a grill on our apartment balcony) and then added everything with some of the leftover marinade to cooked pasta along with toasted pine nuts for a great pasta salad. So delicious!
Ya know, I have a pork tenderloin in the freezer that is just crying out for this!
Deb, a rather foolish question I assume but is there any reason this wouldn’t work well as a marinade instead of a glaze?
I don’t see why not but I find the taste adheres better as a glaze.
Fabulous on pork tenderloin with your Beach Bean salad (no sopresetta). It made the perfect summer dinner. We have a Traeger and and love to cook pork tenderloin on it and and are always looking for different treatments and this one is perfect – fast, easy and doesn’t require time in the marinade in advance. Just a great meal!
I don’t have an outdoor grill. Any other suggestions – Oven? panini grill?
Oven or panini grill will work!
Could I throw all of this along with the chunks of chicken into a resealable bag and leave over night? Or will leaving in the marinade too long start to do something scientific (i.e not good for eating) to the chicken?
Some people find that it can overly tenderize the chicken. This isn’t something that bothers me, so I’d go for it.