The Big Green House

Monday, July 22, 2002

 
Hello. Welcome to the Big Green House.
Not sure how you got here? Me neither.
Not sure what to expect? Ditto.

Well, as long as we�re both here, I might as well give you my recipe for barbecue sauce.
It�s nothing to write home about, but it�s quick, easy, cheap & tasty. Not unlike myself, in some respects�

I should warn you that I don�t generally measure ingredients when working from my own recipe; I just pour whatever it is into my hand until it looks about right. (Unless we�re talking about liquids, of course, but I�ll often eyeball them, too.) So, any measurements given here are approximate. I�ll try to err on the side of caution, since you can always add more & it�s pretty difficult to remove an ingredient once added.

You will need:
One tablespoon olive oil
A shallot (I use about half of one, but they probably won�t sell you just half. Half a small onion would probably work, if you can�t scare up a shallot.), minced
One or two cloves of garlic, minced
One bottle ketchup (or, if you prefer, catsup. I use about 2/3 of the bottle, but maybe you�re going to make more than I usually do. Or maybe you�re going to make some fries, too. Hell, you�ll find a use for the extra stuff. Just be sure to get the salt-free kind; that way, you control what the end result tastes like. And it�s all about control.)
2 teaspoons chile powder
1 � teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chipotle powder (This is the one I wish I�d measured, as this is where all your heat is gonna come from. I probably use a little more than that, but I don�t know your tolerance for heat. If you�re unfamiliar with chipotle, it�s smoked jalapeno. I buy it at the local supermarket, but you may have to hunt around for it. If there�s a tienda in your town, start there; otherwise, you can pick it up online. You may substitute cayenne, of course, but you�ll lose the smoky goodness of the chipotle. Your call.)
2 teaspoons dried oregano (Get the Mexican kind if you can, as it has a more robust flavor.) (Hey, it�s my recipe, so I get to spout off like that if I want to.)
One teaspoon dried rosemary (If you�ve got fresh, use it. That goes for the oregano, too.)
Salt, to taste
One bottle of beer (Well, let�s be reasonable here; you�re most likely gonna want more than that, if for no other reason that to wash down the barbecue. I�m just talking about what goes into the sauce; what goes into the cook is your business. I�ve found that this recipe works best with something fairly bitter, like an IPA (scroll down.) If you don�t drink, don�t worry - all the alcohol will be cooked off.)
Something to put the sauce on (Duh.) (I�ve only ever used this on chicken, but I don�t know why it wouldn�t work on ribs.)

And here we go. Heat a large skillet. Add the oil; when the oil gets hot, add the shallots & saut� until they�re transparent. Add the garlic; saut� quickly, so you don�t burn it � say about 20 seconds. Now add your herbs & spices (for those of you who haven�t been paying attention, that would be the chile powder, cumin, chipotle, oregano, and rosemary) and saut� them for about 15-20 seconds or until they start to smoke. At that point, stir in the ketchup. This is a good time to add salt. Once the ketchup has been thoroughly incorporated, pour in about half of the beer, reduce the heat, cover & simmer about 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Give it a taste & adjust your seasonings accordingly. I like to reduce the sauce down to a pretty thick glop, but to each their own.

I usually end up with enough to grill an entire chicken & about as much left over. Your mileage may vary.




bmarkey 7/22/2002 09:36:00 PM