With most of the leaves on the ground now instead of the trees; and in some places there’s even snow on the ground – so what do you think I want to talk about? Barbeque, grilling and marinating! Yes, now is the perfect time to start thinking about the spring and summer grilling season. It’s cold outside, but May is just around the corner. In the last year, I’ve noticed a trend, consumers are looking to get more “sauced” than in the past. Yes, they are cooking at home more – and surprisingly, even cooking out and grilling year-round. They are looking to get that restaurant quality at home. One way they are doing it is by using more brines, marinades and sauces; especially barbeque sauces. Based on the growing consumer demand, I’ve worked with key suppliers to develop a planogram of the top-selling items in each of these categories. Let’s break it down by section. First we’ll look at brines and why consumers are discovering – or shall I say rediscovering this meat enhancer. BAlANCiNG By OSMOSiS … OR BRiNiNG Brine is a salt-water-solution in which meat, poultry and even fish soaks in prior to cooking. The main purpose of brining is to add enough salt and water to the meat so that during cooking it remains moist, even if the meat is slightly overcooked. Essentially, brining creates a sort of “cushion” for cooking times and temperatures. Most meats naturally have some salt (or sodium) in them, by immersing them in brine, they absorb more salt, and any added flavor, through osmosis. This process of osmosis slightly over-saturating the meat with salt and flavor which is then balanced out once the meat is cooked. In the past, brine was primarily a salt and water mixture. Now there are flavor-infused options available, such as apple chipotle or lime jalapeno or smoked habanero. These are all flavors from the Sweetwater line that I’ve added to my newest planogram. There are even brines for specific types of meat like beef, chicken or pork. I’ve included ones from Fire & Flavor. These brines are especially formulated to ensure that the now leaner cuts of meats that consumers are looking for retain some of the moisture that could be lost when a lot of the fat was removed. FlAVORFUl iNFUSiONS Sometimes a brine just isn’t enough. For tougher cuts of meats, marinades are the better choice to infuse flavor. Unlike brines, marinades must have intense flavor – and it must be intense enough to penetrate the meat and enhance the overall flavor and aroma profile of it. Some are for soaking the meat in for a couple of hours or even overnight and others can even be injected directly into the meat. And I’m proud to say, the selection that is available through KeHE has some of the top on trend flavors, including some long-time favorite injectables from Stubbs and Tony Chacheres. Then there are the traditional types of marinades that range from all natural ones from Kendall Rose and Allegro to specialty and gourmet ones from Daddy Hinkle to Olde Cape Cod. And the flavors range from Asian inspired teriyaki pineapple to hot ‘n spicy. TOPPiNG iT All Once meat has been brined or marinated and then grilled, the favorite way for US consumers to top it off is through a great barbeque sauce. When it comes to barbeque sauces there are as many varieties as there are parts of the country. Based on where we live (or originated from) within this great country of ours, our flavor profiles for the types of barbeque sauce changes. There’s the big three: Memphis style, Texas style and Kansas style – but there are so many more styles, and flavors, to choose from (so check out the sidebar at the end of this article for more on regional barbeque sauces). I could go on and on about barbeque sauces and the new KeHE Grilling planogram, but I find that a picture is worth a thousand words – and our editor won’t let me go on past a thousand words so take a look at our planogram below4 ft Condiments -Grilling- National Shelf: 8 Shelf: 7 Shelf: 6 Shelf: 5 Shelf: 4 Shelf: 3 Shelf: 2 Shelf: Base1 If you’d like more information or specific details about this planogram, please don’t hesitate to contact your KeHE Account Representative or reach out to me directly at jim.zografos@kehe.com May-July 2014 OnTREnD 73