David Stemmle wants you to know he isn’t really hung up on Cool Ranch Doritos.
In an interview earlier this year, Stemmle offhandedly mentioned an early incident in his taste education in which he suddenly understood the flavor of a favorite snack was derived from another food. The reporter fixated on Stemmle’s epiphany, and made the anecdote a centerpiece of his story, much to Stemmle’s chagrin.
“It wasn’t even a big deal,” says Stemmle, still wondering how munching on Doritos as a teenaged Pizzeria Uno server could qualify as lede material.
If Stemmle had become an engineer or a baseball player, everyone would probably ignore the Doritos thing. But he created Headstart Gourmet, a line of bottled butter-compound sauces that delivers all the taste of high-end cooking without any of the mess. Just as Cool Ranch Doritos saved junk-food fans the trouble of slathering their Doritos with ranch dressing, Stemmle’s white wine, red wine and Orange Creole sauces mean home cooks don’t have to bother with making reductions.
Stemmle, 31, hit upon the idea of bottling his butter compounds after a salmon sauce he prepared for a party drew spontaneous applause. He now works out of the kitchens at Blue Ridge Food Ventures, preparing his signature sauces for retailers including Whole Foods and A Southern Season in Chapel Hill. Although Stemmle’s products are not yet available in Asheville, he’s running a holiday special: He’ll ship one bottle of each flavored sauce to any North Carolina address for $20. “That’s a little less than it would cost in the store,” he adds.
Stemmle is pushing his sauces for the holiday, since he believes they elevate even the most pedestrian dish to a gourmet treat. Because the sauces are based on classical beurre rouge and beurre blanc preparations, they’ll complement the most tradition-bound menus.
“My parents are using it for Thanksgiving,” Stemmle said last month. “It’s saving them time, and they’ve got a lot on hand.” He suggests basting a holiday turkey or ham with a bit of his butter: “I don’t know if you’ve ever put butter on a turkey, but it will infuse while the turkey’s cooking and help crisp the skin.”
Many of Stemmle friends and customers have found other ways to use his butters. While he initially found their innovations scandalous, he says he’s now more accepting of unconventional applications. “When the company started, I was very narrow-minded,” he admits. “But I realized the butter’s really good as a sandwich spread. Some people are sautéing with it, and they’re putting the orange butter on their corn. People are being way more creative than I was.”
The following recipe for pork chops would be a noble addition to any traditional holiday table. And if it seems overly complicated, there’s an online video of Stemmle making the dish at http://www.headstartgourmet.com
Grilled Pork Chops with Craisin Green Beans, Mashed Yukon and Sweet Potatoes, Raspberry Honey Mustard Beurre Rouge
4 tbsp. dried cranberries
8 oz. fresh green beans
2 large sweet potatoes
2 large Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 c. half-and-half
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
4 oz. Raspberry Honey Mustard Headstart Gourmet Beurre Rouge
1. Sprinkle pork chops with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp. olive oil.
2. Peel and dice potatoes, add them to a medium pot of well-salted cold water. Bring water to a boil to cook potatoes until fork-tender—about 25 minutes—which should be enough time for the next two steps.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, blanch the beans (add the beans to boiling water for about one minute, drain the beans, and submerge them in ice water to stop the cooking).
4. Grill pork chops over high heat and low flame to desired temperature. Rest the chops for 10 minutes before cutting.
5. Drain potatoes, add the half-and-half, and mash.
6. Sauté the cranberries and blanched beans for about one minute—just to heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Arrange all the components on a plate as artfully as you like.
8. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk the Raspberry Honey Mustard Beurre Rouge until it’s smooth (less than one minute).
9. Pour the sauce over the meal and enjoy!
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