Homemade Mayonnaise

Homemade mayonnaise is so simple, I can’t imagine ever buying another jar of mayo. It’s superior to store-bought in every way I can think of, and cheaper to boot! Even if you’re a person who doesn’t like mayo, I suggest you give this recipe a try and then decide. Just think of it as a hollandaise sauce, except you use oil instead of butter. You can also personalize the recipe and make your mayo unique by adding lavender, garlic, rosemary, thyme, dill, and even horseradish! All you have to do is make a flavored-oil (heat the oil with the product you want to flavor it with, let it cool to room temp, and strain it) and then use it in your mayonnaise recipe.

I use my immersion (or stick) blender whenever I make mayonnaise. I’ve written about immersion blenders before, and I highly recommend you go out and purchase one (you can get one for around $25). I would imagine that it’s possible to use a food processor or a blender, but I would drizzle the oil in slowly instead of adding it all at once.

Check out the video at the end of the post and see how easy it is to make.

Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: Zero
Difficulty: Very Easy
Notes: I suggest using a neutral oil, such as cannola, but feel free to use any oil you have on hand. If you want to use olive oil, I suggest using a “light” version instead of extra virgin, which tends to have a stronger flavor.

Ingredients:

1 cup oil
1/8 tsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar, or any combination (I like to use apple cider vinegar)
1 egg yolk

Procedure:

Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a measuring cup (or the beaker included with your immersion blender), then insert the immersion blender. Slowly pour the oil over it and wait for it to settle over the original ingredients (remember, oil and vinegar tend to not mix well, so the oil will settle on top), about 5 – 10 seconds. Blend for 15-20 seconds, then start moving the blender up and down to ensure you get all of the oil incorporated and stop when it reaches the desired consistency. The mayo will be a bit tangy at first, but it will mellow out after a few hours in the refrigerator.

Leave the mayonnaise on the kitchen counter, at room temperature, for at least one hour (two is better). Don’t worry about bacteria or spoilage, there is plenty of acid in the mayo to kill anything that would harm you. Then place in a glass jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks (mine rarely lasts that long).

Buen Provecho!

Carolina Pig Jig

Last weekend was the Carolina Pig Jig at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. Basically, for a $10 donation, you get to stuff your face with all the BBQ you can eat, and then some. The event started around 11am, but we didn’t get there until around 11:30am and found that it wasn’t as packed as it was last year (a good thing, if you ask me). I waited in line for 20 minutes last year just to get in but we were able to just walk right in this year.

The contestants are set up in a horseshoe, with some two or three tents set up in the middle, each packed with tables and chairs (people need a place to sit and eat, I guess). We grabbed our plates, sporks, and napkins and set off to try as much ‘cue as we could. Some of the competitors had ribs, brisket, chicken, or desserts, but I was there for the pig. I tried all but five locations last year, and was so stuffed that I couldn’t walk for a week, so I decided to take it easy this year and pick and choose the ones I thought looked the best. I probably only tried about half of the offerings, but that was enough for me. Honestly, the first place we visited (Rosebud Lodge #282) was the best, by a long shot! They offered two types of Eastern NC ‘Cue and they were both delicious! One was whole hog and the other was just the pork butt, if I’m not mistaken, and they were even so kind as to leave the skin in the mix, YUM!

I also had an opportunity to sample the offerings from the 2009 Grand Champion, Excelsior Lodge #21. I thought they had the best ‘cue, by far, last year, too, and even voted for them in the People’s Choice award. However, their ‘cue wasn’t as good this year as I remembered from last year. It was kind of bland and the skin mixed in with the meat was soggy and chewy. It had good flavor, and was probably top 5 in the competition, but it wasn’t far-and-away the best, as I thought it was last year.

It was a great event, one that I’ll definitely return to next year (it will be my third year in a row). Only next year, I will probably be eating this guy’s relative: