North Carolina childhood aside, when I crave barbecue, I normally veer towards the Kansas City-type sauces - thick, smoky and sweet (with a little heat and tang). I mean, who doesn’t love Sweet Baby Ray’s?
So even though I’ve cooked ribs here, it’s all about this sauce. It’s got that rich sweetness I like with a bit of an Asian flair and as much heat as you like.
This recipe makes more than enough for a few racks, so save it - it will be great on chicken, pork chops or even a burger another day.
Of course, if you’re hosting a Super Bowl party, it’s also plenty for wings!
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. neutral oil
1 medium red onion diced, about 1 cup
2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 – 2 cups mango peeled and diced (2 large mangoes)
6 oz. pineapple, diced
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
3/4 cup honey
6 ounces apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sambal oelek*
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
METHOD
In a heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.
Sauté onions for 4 – 5 minutes to soften them, then add garlic and ginger, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Add diced mango and cook for one minute, stirring frequently to keep anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
* Indonesian sambal oelek is merely freshly ground hot red chiles with some salt and vinegar for flavor. You can use any chili paste or hot sauce you prefer.
Add remaining ingredients to pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about a third.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Using an immersion blender, pulse the sauce in the pot just enough to break up the mango and pineapple a bit. But you don’t need to completely puree it. I enjoy the bits of onion and fruit (as you can see in the photo).
Cool completely before storing in airtight glass containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
I served my ribs with a wedge of banana cornbread (trust me), and some kimchi.
If you’re in the mood for something different, try this cornbread. The ingredients make it sound more like a cake, but it’s not sweet at all - very earthy and rich.
INGREDIENTS
2 overripe bananas, mashed
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk room temperature
¼ cup maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coarse cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400.
Prepare an 8” x 8” pan with baking spray or parchment paper.
In one bowl, mix all the wet ingredients well. In another, mix well the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, powder, salt and cloves.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula just until everything is incorporated. Don’t overmix.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, testing with a toothpick.
Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
The sauce is actually great on the cornbread as well.
Enjoy, and uh, Go Eagles!
Comments