The Glaze

I am now going to share with you a nugget of culinary delight. This is an Alton Brown creation, and I am passing it on to you, my readers (both of you, from what I can tell) because of its unadulterated deliciousness. This one's a keeper. It is: The Glaze.

You will need:
1 whole vanilla bean
1 cup of brown sugar (AB says use dark, I use light, you take your pick)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (three limes if you're Mark, four limes for everyone else)
A pinch of kosher salt

Split the bean and scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds and the pod in a small saucepan with the brown sugar, lime juice, and salt. Whisk together over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat when the sugar has completely dissolved. Let sit for two hours. Remove the bean pod and store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

We've used The Glaze on beef. We've used it on pork. We've used it on salmon. We haven't used it on chicken yet, but give us time. It was designed to be used on grilled pineapple, and I imagine it's pretty darn good there too. It would probably be good on an old shingle. It has the most unique flavor I've ever tasted.

The vanilla bean makes it kind of expensive, but it goes a long way and it keeps a long time. So make yourself up a batch and start glazing away. You'll thank me later.