Coffee and Garlic BBQ Rub Seasoning

Product: Trader Joe's BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee and Garlic
Price: $1.99 (3.5oz)

Recently, BBQ has become more than just an event every other month when friends come by. For some inexplicable reason, I entered into the next stage of open fire cooking...smoking! Not sure how it happened but I went from having one propane grill to a total of seven grills and smokers of varying size and shape. As a result of this hobby (actually, it's more an obsession), I began refining my taste buds for sauces and seasonings. I've made my own, I've bought off the shelf and have generally learned a lot about "flavor profiles."

So one day I want into TJ's and lo and behold, they have their own brand of BBQ rub. And it has coffee and garlic! Despite an unashamed coffee chugger, I never ventured to try a coffee rub on any of my meat. So when I saw the rub, I knew I had to try it. I immediately pulled one off the shelf and picked up a tri-tip from another store.

Let's face it, Trader Joe's meat section is a bit lacking. And tri-tip is by far my favorite meat to grill for a "quick" meal. I used quotes because my prep and technique is not actually all that quick, as I use the reverse sear technique for all my large beef pieces. Anyway, I went to another store that offers a bigger and better selection of USDA Choice quality and above. I picked up a nice looking tri-tip and was on my way.

Prep was simple enough. After some light trimming, I sprinkled on a decent amount of the rub all around the meat. I let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours, then I took it out while I started the grill.

I used my Weber kettle for 2-stage indirect heat for the reverse sear method. On the indirect side at approximately 275-300 degrees, I cooked the tri-tip for about 50-60min. Once the internal temperature got to about 125, I put it directly over the coals to create a sear.

Looks great, right? So how did it taste? To be honest, it was better than average. It wasn't mind blowing but it packed in a nice subtle flavor. In fact, you can tell the steak came out a little "earthy" which I attribute to the coffee. Overall, a very nice rub especially for the price. But my recommendation is to add some salt onto the meat before the actual rub to get the most of this experience. 

Sriracha Sauce

Product: Sriracha Sauce
Price: $2.99

Spice is the spice of life, as the saying goes. One of my must-have items in my kitchen is the garlicy, vinegary, peppery, fire-in-a-bottle known as sriracha. Also known as "rooster sauce" for the rooster on the label, this sauce originates from Thailand and is common among many South-East Asian eateries. If you've ever eaten at a pho joint, then you've seen sriracha. What distinguishes this hot sauce from other common hot sauces you might have in your fridge and pantry is the tangy, garlic burn that creeps up on your tongue. It's a lot more intense than it initially lets on. It's tangy, it's spicy, it's garlicy, with a hint of sweetness. Simply put, it's fantastic.

So, then, here we are with Trader Joe's entry to the sriracha fray. Actually, Trader Joe's Sriracha Sauce is the only competitor to the original that I know of. Nonetheless, it's here. So how does it stack up with the original? Let's start off with the obvious.

They're both red. They're both spicy. They're both named "sriracha." They both come with green caps. Unfortunately, that's where the comparison ends. Right away, I noticed the difference in both sight and taste. Trader Joe's sriracha is not like the original. To be triple sure, I asked my office-mates for their opinion. In fact, I solicited their thoughts through a taste test. Check out the pic below.

"A" has a much thicker consistency than "B." "A" has a distinct garlic taste, while "B" has a vinegar tone. Being the amateur sriracha connoisseurs that we are (not really), we knew right away which is the real deal. "A," the original sriracha sauce, won decidedly with an overwhelming 4 of 4 votes. It's not the biggest sample size, but it was good enough for me. 

Save yourself $3 and pass on Trader Joe's sriracha sauce. Get the original and enjoy sriracha as it's meant to be. 

Speculoos Cookie Butter

Product: Speculoos Cookie Butter
Price: ~$3.50

I don't even remember how cookie butter came into my life. All I know is that my life is that much more fulfilled.

Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter is somewhat difficult to explain, especially to those who are not familiar with the Belgian cookie treat with the same name. Speculoos, the cookie, is like a shortbread gingerbread cookie without as much spice. Trader Joe's then turned into a spread and that's how we have cookie butter!

Cookie butter, or "gingerbread spread" as I like to call it, can be enjoyed with pretty much anything. My favorite is to simply spread it on toast. Others I know have tried it with ice cream, cookies, and other treats but I find the sweet on sweet taste is just a bit too much for me. Of course, there are also others that just eat it by the spoonful. Wow.

This Trader Joe's treat is really really good. You'll love it...if you can find it. Most stores are low in stock, if they have it at all.