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Are you a big fan of smoked flavours and want to know a little more about what goes into creating the tastiest smoked flavours? Well keep reading because we’re giving you a behind the scenes look into how we create the authentic smokey taste in our products. There are several components to the process that we’ll talk about, including the use of traditional wood smoking vs the use of liquid smoke, as well as the use of different types of wood that is used to add to the flavour. Traditional process vs liquid smoke When creating flavours and sauces with a smoked flavour, there are two main options you can use depending on your resources. Firstly, there is the traditional way of getting smokey flavours – actually smoke the ingredients in some form of a “smoker”. This is how we create the deep flavour in the tomatoes used in our smoked products (e.g. Smoked Tomato Sauce, Smoked BBQ Chilli Sauce), the chicken for the MGK Tasting Room and Café Chicken BLT Burger, and the chillies in our hot sauces. The smokey flavours are amazing to taste and when you compare them to liquid smoke you can really tell the difference. However not all companies can produce smoked products in such large quantities, and therefore use liquid smoke. The liquid smoke is exactly what it sounds like, bottled smoked flavouring – similar to vanilla essence – tastes pretty close but still not comparable to the real thing, except for a slight chemical taste. There isn’t really anything wrong with using liquid smoke (unless it’s mislabelled on the bottle), some just have a preference for authentic and quality flavours. At MGK, as we manufacture all the products ourselves and produce on a smaller scale, we’re able to keep it traditional – just as we like it. ^ Our delicious Chicken BLT Burger available at our Tasting Room (9 Queen St Williamstown, South Australia). Succulent Barossa chicken is soaked for 24 hours in MGK’s own brine, smoked and slow-cooked for 4 hours over South Australian Mallee leaving the chicken juicy and full of flavour. YUM! The wood used in the process Different woods that are used in the smoker can give off different flavours which can enhance the ingredients natural flavours. Here at MGK we use South Australian Mallee as we want to keep as many ingredients as possible local. Mallee is a strong favoured wood that gives off a heavy smoke. It is important to get the amount of smoke introduced to the ingredients correct. Otherwise it can overpower. Mallee is a group of Eucalyptus endemic to Southern parts of Australia. Dense and durable, the Mallee suited the dry terrains of the South Australian land, able to grow consistently and even sprout new shoots after fires. During European settlement, a lot of the mallee root was cleared to make way for vegetation and farming purposes. Despite this, European settlers were shocked to discover “the roots of such mallees were seen to provide abundant quantities of clear, usually tasteless, drinking water shortly after being dug up by [Aboriginal Peoples]”1. ^ Dave smoking Pork Ribs at home! References Noble, J. C., Kimber, R. G., 1997. On the ethno-ecology of mallee root-water. Aboriginal History Journal. Australian National University Press. DOI: http://doi.org/10.22459/AH.21.2011 More info about the Mallee: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/education/programs/mallee.pdf

We have put together this recipe for succulent, slow-cooked, pulled BBQ chicken using the MGK BBQ Sauce (either Smokey Bourbon or Bourbon & Orange can be used) and the MGK Worcestershire sauce. Tasts amazing on 🌮 tacos with pico de gallo, cheese, and sour cream; 🍔 or on a burger bun with coleslaw! YouTube Video here:

MGK Rubs & Marinades are a delicious blend of carefully selected herbs and spices that compliment any dish. MGK suggest rubbing your meats at least an hour before cooking, overnight is even better. With a 2 year shelf life, these are a pantry staple! And with these flavours, you'll find an excuse to use them in every meal! ;) Dry vs Wet rubs: you can use each rub as the dry powder as is, or you can add beer, wine, spirits, mustard, soy sauce, and anything else that sounds yummy to turn them into a wet rub. SMOKED MEAT RUB This delicious blend of spices contains a Sugar base to form a wonderful level of sweetness mixed with a blend of Cumin, Paprika, Nutmeg and a number of other herbs and spices to make up a delicious flavor. Perfect on: ▪️ Anything you would put salt on ▪️ Any meat you plan on smoking ▪️ Steaks ▪️ Fish ▪️ Veggies (think potatoes, carrots, broccoli etc.) ▪️ Casseroles ▪️ Roasts Shop here SPICED BBQ MEAT RUB MGK's Spiced BBQ Rub contains Chipotle which adds a wonderful smokey flavor with a nice touch of heat. Perfect on: ▪️ Red meats ▪️ Chicken ▪️ Veggies ▪️ Casseroles Shop here SPICED RUB Contains a wonderful blend of Cumin, Oregano, Brown Sugar and has Chipotle. Perfect on: ▪️ Fish (for a nice zing taste) ▪️ Veggies ▪️ Chips ▪️ Casseroles ▪️ Ribs Shop here CAJUN SPICE RUB This is a mildly hot Cajun Spice mix for those who like it a little hotter as it contains a small amount of chilli flakes. It has a nice flavor of Oregano and Black Peppers and chilli flakes to form a delicious blend. Perfect on: ▪️ Red meat ▪️ Pork ▪️ Lamb ▪️ Anything you want chilli on Shop here GARLIC AND ROSEMARY RUB An ideal rub to sprinkle on anything you can think of, a mix of garlic and rosemary that will satisfy your taste buds. Perfect on: ▪️ Chicken ▪️ Pork ▪️ Lamb ▪️ Pizza's ▪️ Potato slices on the BBQ ▪️ Kebabs Shop here Let us know what other meal inspirations/cooking recipes you'd like to see from us in the future!

😋 Make this delicious dip for your next gathering, featuring our MGK Sweet Chilli Sauce! YUM! 😋 Ingredients: 1 Block of Cream Cheese 1 Tomato 1 Avocado 1 Red Onion Spring Onion Lemon Juice to prevent avocado browning + Salt and Pepper if you wish Enjoy! The MGK Team

We often get asked by our customers about the various methods of Smoking Meats & Cooking over Hot Coals. We thought we would share some tips on how we do our Beef Briskets. The results are amazing. Firstly, What is Brisket. Brisket comes from the cow at the bottom of the neck and wraps around towards the front legs. It has long been considered a tough cut of meat only good for stewing however, over time with the growth of Smoking and Low & Slow Cooking Techniques has become a BBQ favorite that has an outstanding flavor and tenderness when cooked correctly. The Briskets we purchase are around 2.5kg. If your Brisket is smaller, or larger you will need to adjust cooking times accordingly. Take your Brisket and trim some of the excess fat. There are many arguments about trimming or not trimming and you can skip this step entirely however, we find it better to trim a little of the thicker areas, but leave a good layer none the less. Note - Don't panic about the amount of fat on a Brisket, it is normal. Brisket can be a tough meat so needs to render a good amount of fat during the cooking process to keep the meat moist. Take a jar of MGK's Mustard and cover the Brisket generously on all sides. We generally use our Honey Mustard as the Honey adds a wonderful flavor however, any of our Mustard's can be used depending on what flavor you are seeking in the end. Our Wholegrain Mustard is also awesome as the Malts from the Dark Ale combines with with Mustard add a new dimension. They can be found here in our online store. Cover generously both sides. Now cover the Brisket with a decent covering of MGK Meat Rubs on all sides. Any of our rubs can be applied depending on taste. We like to use the Smoked Meat Rub or the BBQ Spiced Rub. Cover the Brisket and place in the fridge overnight to allow the meat to absorb the flavors of the Mustard and the Meat Rub. This can be achieved in a few hours if needed however, we recommend overnight if possible. Before cooking remove the brisket from the fridge and allow the meat to adjust to room temperature. It is not recommended to put any cold meat directly onto heat. We cook our Briskets over hot coals Low & Slow. We bring our kettle to 120c and place the brisket on the cooking rack over a tray of water to keep the moisture going. Tip - Add any liquid you like to the water tray to enhance the flavors. Beer, Wine......anything you like. The Mop We like to Mop our Brisket every hour or so to keep up the moisture to the meat. This step is crucial to the end result. For our mop we use; 1 Teaspoon of Salt 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar 1 Tablespoon MGK Meat Rub 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic Half a can of Beer or thereabouts. We like to use a Dark Ale to add those malts. 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar Tip - You can adjust the Mop ingredients to anything you like. There are no rules. These Mop Buckets are awesome. Cook the Brisket for around 10 hours or until the internal temperature is 80c to 85c. This is a little higher than your normal beef temperatures as you need to render those fats we spoke about earlier. Tip - throw some wood ships of your choice on the coals every few hours. We use Red Gum and SA Mallee to give a wonderful smokey flavor. The Texas Cheat For the last hour of cooking wrap your Brisket in foil and place it back in over the coals. This will seal in all the moisture you have added over the cooking time and give a finish that is unbeatable. Final Step - Slice, Eat and Enjoy those incredible flavors. For something different. Try your meat with Coleslaw. The freshness of the Coleslaw with the meat is incredible. We like to have the leftovers the next day on a fresh bread role with Coleslaw. Awesome! Cheers & Enjoy MGK

So here's a quick recipe tip for when you want to add a different dimension to your chicken drumsticks or wings. Take your drumsticks or wings and place them in a bowl or large container. The container needs to be big enough to toss and stir everything together so BIG is great. Tip in a good serving of MGK's Worcestershire Sauce, enough to put a good covering over everything. We use up to half a bottle. Then pour in a good quantity of MGK's Smoked Tomato Sauce, or even MGK's Smoked BBQ Chilli for those that want that extra heat. Again, for 1kg we use a good half a bottle. Add a good handful of MGK's Smoked Meat Rub or Spiced BBQ Rub to create a nice slurry over the entire amount of chicken. Once again, depending on how much chicken you have but there is no real limit. Place your drumsticks in the oven at 180c until the meat is falling off the bone. They are even better smoked Low & Slow, 100c or even lower, over a few hours using SA Mallee as the smoking wood, or simply cooked on the BBQ. Again, smoke until falling apart and tender. The flavor combinations are awesome and add a new dimension to your chicken. Enjoy. MGK

So this is a simple and short article outlining the use of our Smoked Tomato Sauce on your pizza base. When you make your pizza bases, instead of using the normal tomato paste on your pizza base, smear a good covering of MGK's Smoked Tomato Sauce over the base. This gives a wonderful "Smokey" flavor to your pizza not unlike a Wood Fire Pizza. If you like a little chilli then you could also use our Smoked BBQ Chilli Sauce or if you are really into your chilli then Satan's Breath or Satan's Fury. Just depends on how hot you like it. This is the recipe we use for our Pizza Bases. It is a very standard recipe however, there is no limit to what you can add to develop your favorite flavors. Ingredients 375ml (1 1/2 cups) warm water Pinch of caster sugar 2 teaspoons (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast 600g (4 cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 teaspoon salt. Use Sea Salt for additional flavor 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil, plus extra for brushing Method Combine water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and oil. Use a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix until the mixture is combined. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Brush a bowl lightly with oil. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in the prepared bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size. Dust work surface with flour. Knead dough and form into a long cylinder. Divide into thirds. Use a rolling pin to roll each third into a 20cm disc, then add your MGK Smoked Sauce and any toppings you like and bake at 180 C. Enjoy. MGK.

MGK has recently added 4 new Mustard Products to our range. As such we thought it a good idea to give a few tips on how to best keep Mustard to ensure a long lasting flavor and to get the longest possible life out of your Mustard Product. The simple fact is Mustard cures over time, not unlike a good red wine. Upon initial manufacture Mustard is quite bitter and as such we try our best not to put new batches on the shelf until a decent curing time has occurred. However, at times of high demand some products may hit the shelves earlier than we would normally like. After purchase, if your mustard is still a little bitter then we suggest to leave the mustard in the cupboard, in a cool dark place, for a week or two or even three. Just depends on how you like your mustard to taste. Some of the hotter mustard's like our Wholegrain Mustard, due to the use of whole mustard seeds, it will actually get hotter over time. Once the mustard has reached a mature taste that suits your taste buds place the mustard in the refrigerator and the curing process will halt. This will maintain your flavor just the way you like it and the product will keep for up to a year or even longer. Hope you enjoy your mustard. #MGK #michellesgourmetkitchen #mustard