Cooking with rum is versatile, delicious and sensational for Caribbean recipes, marinades, glazes and delectable sweets. The combination of spiced and dark rum is an amazing way to add extra flavor to nearly any recipe. Light rum will not overpower the flavor of your food unless far too much is added. When preparing a marinade or glaze for vegetables or meats, the combination of dark and white rum is sensational. This also works well with tropical and Caribbean dishes.
Types of Rum
Rum is incredibly versatile, distilled from either molasses or sugarcane and produced all over Latin America and the Caribbean. There are four basis types of rum. Light rum is also referred to as silver or white rum due to the light flavor and lack of coloring. Multiple filtering is required to ensure all impurities have been removed and the aging period is fairly short. Mojitos are commonly prepared using light rum.
Gold rum is referred to as amber rum and is aged for a long period of time in wooden casks. This provides a richer, sweeter flavor and the signature color. Black rum is also called dark rum and is aged longer than any other type of rum. The extended aging period provides a deep, sweet and smoky flavor and a rich dark color. Dark rum is often used to make Tiki drinks. Spiced rum needs as much time to age as black rum. The difference is it has a spicy, sweet taste from the caramel coloring and spices that have been added.
Choose a Rum that Compliments Your Dish
When you cook with rum, it is important to choose a rum with the right flavor to compliment your dish. A light rum is a beautiful compliment to the citrus and mint in grilled mojito mahi mahi. A gold rum is a lovely compliment to a sweet, caramel cake and spiced or black rum are exquisite with nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. The right rum will make your cooking savory whether you are cooking seafood, pork, chicken, beef or vegetarian.
Desserts
Rum is used for numerous classic desserts including rum raisin ice cream, bananas foster and tiramisu. Rum is also incredible in a chocolate sauce and spiced or dark rum will add a lot of flavor to your baking. Rum can be added to other flavors by soaking fruits, spices, vegetables or candies for a few days with rum. The result is a new flavor with an amazing taste. Vanilla extract can even be made using rum as the base for a nice flavor.
Frozen Desserts
It is important to note the freezing point of alcohol is lower than water so it may not freeze right. Be careful not to add too much rum to your frozen desserts because it may cause the ice to melt. Although a good portion of the alcohol will burn off while cooking, it will not burn off completely. The longer your dish cooks, the more alcohol will evaporate. Dishes not requiring as long a period of time for cooking will have a more potent rum taste.
Using Rum with Meat & Seafood
The rule of thumb is dishes with a strong flavor like pork or beef stew work beautifully with dark and aged rum. Poultry and seafood pairs best with a white rum. It is very important to select a brand that is high quality. A cheap rum will make most of your cooking taste bitter. A good idea is to enjoy a small glass while preparing your meal. This will ensure you are a happy chef and the bottle has been vetted. Once your fish or meat is fully cooked, try deglazing your pan to lighten or strengthen the flavor once the alcohol has burned off.
It is not necessary to burn off all the rum with every dish. Dishes with a short cooking time will have more of the flavor along with a unique aroma. You can even use rum to spice up a dressing or a cold sauce. Simply add just a little, then continue until you have the taste you desire. Aged rum has a complexity excellent for marinating chicken or pork with a robust paste. This will bring out numerous flavors including cinnamon. brown sugar, orange zest, cumin, jalapenos, ancho and coriander.
A simple seared ham steak becomes divine when topped with a sauce containing garlic and ginger. The most delicious bits will be released by deglazing the pan and adding just a touch of molasses. One of the most incredible recipes you can make using rum is cinnamon French toast. The rum adds an entirely new flavor and numerous chefs have market this recipe with their own unique style and talents. For some dishes, you should use rum the same as wine. This includes beef or ribs that you are going to cook for a long time.
As your meat cooks, the juices in your meat will meld with the rum to create a magnificent flavor. The hint of sweetness is always an important aspect of cooking with rum. The most important thing you can do is let your creativity run wild and free. Overdoing and overthinking will not be kind to your creations. Rum should accentuate your meals but not the main focus of any dish.
A Flambé Pork Tenderloin Recipe
A flambé pork tenderloin can easily become one of your most cherished recipes. You must marinate then sauté your pork and deglaze the pan drippings with rum prior to cooking it down using heavy cream. This dish has an enticing, spicy flavor you can ramp up by using an aged rum. This recipe is for two. To begin, you will need:
1) 12 ounces pork tenderloin medallions
2) 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3) 6 ounces aged rum
4) 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
5) 1 tablespoon kosher salt
6) 6 tablespoons olive oil
7) 2 teaspoons garlic powder
8) 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Combine the dried oregano, olive oil, garlic powder and cumin in a bowl. Coat the pork medallions with this mixture and marinate it for twenty minutes. After removing the pork from your marinade, use your salt to season then sauté on medium heat in a pan until it turns a rich brown. Flambé the pork with the rum and reduce your sauce. Turn your heat to medium-low and add your heavy cream. Continue to cook slowly for roughly seven or eight minutes. Serve your pork with a delightful sauce.
Rum Marinade for Pork or Chicken
A good marinade will draw out the flavor of the spices, notes of citrus and caramel and a dark or aged rum. The recipe below makes a large batch so you may want to scale it down a little. You can mix just the dry ingredients and store them in your spice cabinet until it is time to mix them with the garlic and jalapeno. You can even complete the recipe and freeze it so it is all ready the next time you use your grill. You will need:
1) 1 cup dark rum
2) 1/3 cup light brown sugar
3) 1/3 cup kosher salt
4) 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
5) 1/3 cup ground black pepper
6) 6 ounces minced garlic
7) 2 teaspoons orange zest
8) 1/3 cup ancho powder
9) 1/3 cup whole coriander seed, ground and toasted
10) 1/3 cup whole cumin seed, ground and toasted
11) 9 ounces minced jalapeno peppers
Combine all the ingredients except the rum. Add your rum to form a paste and rub on your pork or chicken. Let your meat marinate overnight.
