Unforgettable Apricot Barbecue Sauce
If you like fruit-based sauces (and who doesn't?), then you should definitely experiment with apricot barbecue sauce. Saturday, June 02, 2018
If apricot barbecue sauce sounds weird to you, allow me to counter your objections by reminding you that fruit-based barbecue sauce has a long and honorable history in outdoor grilling. Raspberry, apple, strawberry, and other fruits act as the bases of many a tangy and tasty sauce.
And besides, as I've pointed out before, nearly all barbecue sauces contain fruit, because, from a botanical standpoint, tomatoes are actually fruits (berries, to be specific). So the "fruitiness" of an apricot BBQ sauce shouldn't stop you. Now, if you have objections to the flavor... well, that's different. However...
Speaking of Flavor
Most people actually find apricots rather tasty, so no real worries there. If you've never had apricots, you should know that they taste something like peaches, only a little thicker and heavier. They're related to both peaches and plums, and the truth is, they adapt well to saucing -- at least in the barbecue style.
A good apricot sauce really compliments the flavors of both pork and chicken. I happen to think it adds a piquant tang to fish as well. I haven't tried it on alligator, but I suspect it would work there, too; sauces that work well for fish generally apply to 'gator too, you know.
A Spicy Apricot Recipe
Here's my favorite apricot BBQ sauce recipe, which always gets rave reviews when I present it. For six cups, you'll need:
2 pounds of apricots, pitted and chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
2-1/2 cups of brown sugar
2 cups of cider vinegar
1 cup of white wine
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
Toss everything in a big pot and set it to boiling for five minutes; then lower the heat and allow the mix to simmer for an hour and a half. Stir occasionally while the sauce reduces down.
When the sauce is ready, you have two options: you can either strain it through a sieve and toss the solid portion, keeping the liquid as your sauce, or you can puree the whole thing in a blender.
The latter option will result in thicker sauce and more of it, but either way, it's delicious on your grilled meats: sweet, spicy, and tangy all at once. If you want to kick the heat up a notch, that's easy: toss a few jalapenos or (if you're really adventurous) some roasted habaneros into the mix.
I think you'll like this sauce; if you don't, I'll eat my chef's hat. With apricot barbecue sauce, because it tastes so darn good!
|
