Dried Cherry Chili Colorado Barbecue Sauce This one is right in my wheelhouse. Having grown up in the south with parents from North Carolina and Virginia, barbecue was practically a religion growing up. Once I began really becoming a proper professional chef, I felt it was my responsibility to share the barbecue skills that I had absorbed with the public. This delicious barbecue sauce recipe is a huge hit, on any barbecues item I pair it with. Cherries are one of my absolute favorite fruits, and the earthy, sweet, and slightly hot flavor of chili Colorado provides a wonderful savory base.
Check out the Barbecue Chicken Wings Recipe
Looking to make your barbecued meats juicer and more flavorful? Head over to the Basic Brine for Grilled Meat Recipe
Summer and the grill are such natural partners, it’s almost a cliche, which I always feel is a perfect indication of truth. If you’ve never made barbecue sauce from scratch before, this delicious dried cherry barbecue sauce recipe is a great place to start. It has the balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and savory zest to bring out the best in any smoked or charred item pulled from the grates of the outdoor magical broiling machine. My mouth is watering now thinking of the crispy end bits, slathered with the piquant flavor of cherries, dried chilis, brown sugar and such.
This recipe is vegan and gluten free
Jump to RecipeIngredients
Basic Mise En Place: dried cherries, chilis, brown sugar, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, worcestershire.
Instructions For Dried Cherry Barbecue Sauce
The chilis need to be toasted aggressively to "awaken" the oils and give them a pleasant, roasted character.
This can be done over an open flame, on a grill, or even in a very hot sauté pan. You will know that you have done it properly when the outside skin has darkened, blistering in a few spots. If they smoke or flame up during this process, just remove from the heat, and blow out any smoldering bits. Once the chilis have cooled, remove the stems and seeds by hand, tear them into roughly one inch pieces.
This is when I wish we had smell-o-vision! It's important to re-constitute the dried ingredients in some hot (almost boiling), water for a few minutes to soften them. The aroma is intoxicating!
Dried Cherry Chili Colorado Barbecue Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan 2 quart
- 1 Blender
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 Measuring Cup
- 1 Measuring Spoon Set
- 1 Rubber Spatula High Temperature
- 1 Mixing Bowl 4 Cup Capacity
- 1 Kitchen Scale Ounce
Ingredients
Dry
- 1½ ounce Chili Colorado Whole, Dried (by weight)
- 2½ ounce Dried Cherries Preferably Tart (by weight)
- ⅓ Cup Light Brown Sugar
Fresh
- 2½ Ounce Yellow Onion Peeled, Small Diced, (by weight)
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Garlic Peeled and Minced
Liquid
- ⅓ Cup Dijon Mustard
- ½ Cup Tomato Ketchup
- ⅓ Cup Worcestershire Sauce Lea & Perrins
- 1 Cup Water
- ⅓ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Seasonings
- 2 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tbsp. Salt Kosher
Instructions
Cherries and Chilis
- Toast Dried Chiis, either over a flame, or in a dry skillet, until slightly blistered and pliable, (see photo and description in post)
- Place cherries and chilis into mixing bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat water until almost boiling, (160℉ to 180℉), pour over dry ingredients in bowl, cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow to steep for about ten minutes, until the dried fruit and chilis have softened.
Cooking
- Heat saucepan over high heat until a drop of water dances across the inside surface. Add onions, stirring vigorously so as to uniformly brown and caramelize them, Turn down the heat to medium low once the onions are golden brown.
- Add brown sugar, continue cooking until melted.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté briefly, just to heat through.
- Lower heat to medium-low, add all liquid ingredients to the pan, starting with the water and reconstituted chilis and cherries.
- Bring mixture to a simmer, add seasonings.
- Remove from heat. Allow to cool.
Blending and Storage
- Once cooled enough to touch, blend half at a time in blender, carefully pulsing on low speed until smooth, so as to avoid the mixture from blowing out the top.
- Cool thoroughly under refrigeration. Finished sauce will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator, tightly sealed.
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