This Cherry Rum BBQ Sauce is a great fusion… Canada meets the Caribbean. Freshly picked cherries from Niagara On The Lake, combined with sugarcane juice and all of her byproducts – Molasses, Rum and Demerara Sugar. Read on.. you’ll love the supporting cast of ingredients which goes into making this insanely GREAT homemade BBQ sauce.
You’ll Need…
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion (diced) 2 cloves garlic (crushed) 2 scallions (chopped fine) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup Demerara sugar 2-3 tablespoon molasses 1 cup sugar cane juice (with ginger) 1/4 cup honey vinegar (apple cider vinegar will work) 1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup 1 cup dark rum (1/4 cup to finish also) 2 tablespoon honey (+ 1 tablespoon) 1 cup cherries (seeds removed) 2-3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon dry mustard
In a deep saucepan heat the olive oil on a medium flame, then add the diced onion and garlic. Immediately reduce the heat to low so we don’t burn the garlic and add the scallions along with the black pepper. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
It’s now time to add the cherries (I guess you can use canned cherries if you wish – I’ve never tried that) and stir well and follow up with the orange juice.
Turn the heat back up to medium high and basically all you have to do now, is add all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil.
Important: If you cannot get sugar cane juice, use apple juice. If you have pure sugarcane juice, grate in about 3/4 teaspoon of ginger.
40 minutes later, turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree to the consistency you like. For me it was smooth, but thick.
To finish with that pronounced RUM flavor, hit it with a further 1/4 cup of rum and for a lovely balance, add the remaining tablespoon of honey. Allow to cool and store in sterilized containers in the fridge. Can easily last 2-3 weeks.
Did you know that our annual July Month Of Grilling is into its 11th year this year? Stay tuned… I’ve got some delicious offerings (as usual) this year for you.
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As we kick off another year of July Month Of Grilling, I was very excited to find ripe guavas in a local grocery store as I’ve got several recipes I’ve been meaning to share with you all, involving guavas. The scent of ripe guavas takes me right back to my childhood days on the islands and climbing the guava tree in our front yard (no longer there unfortunately) with my little brother and racing to the areas of the tree where the guavas were mature and ready to pick. Besides passion fruit, I don’t think there’s not another tropical fruit which naturally lends itself to the complex (flavor) nature of a good BBQ sauce.
You’ll Need…
12 Guavas (ripe)
1 lime (juice)
1/4 cup raw brown sugar
small stick cinnamon
3 cloves
3 cups apple juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 scallions (finely chopped)
6 sprigs thyme (no stems)
1/2 large Vadilia onion (diced fine)
2 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon molasses
1 1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/2 cup apple juice
Wash and trim off the tops off the guava (refer to the video below), then cut into segments. In a deep saucepan place the apple juice, guavas (keep the seeds it’s ok), brown sugar, small stick of cinnamon, lime juice and 3 cloves over a med/high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as you start seeing bubbles, reduce to a simmer and let it cook for about 25-30 minutes.
The goal is to enhance the apple juice with the lovely flavor of the ripe guava. Note : Your kitchen/home will smell like Christmas. In another deep saucepan on low heat, add the oil, followed by the scallion, garlic, thyme and onion. If you don’t have the sweet Vadilia onion, you may use a Spanish or regular onion. Cook on low for about 4-5 minutes. Please add the smoked paprika (I used a hot one) and stir well.
You now can go in with the tomato paste (heat still on low) and cook for another minute or two. Stir as the natural sugars in the tomato paste may cause it to stick and potentially burn.
Deglaze with the apple juice and apple cider vinegar and turn the heat up as we want to bring it to a boil now. Add the black pepper, salt, molasses and chili sauce. Stir well.
As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer. The guavas should be fully tender now and the apple juice infused with it’s flavor. Strain and save back some of the fleshy part of the guava (I used about 12 pieces…no seeds).
Add this guava nectar to the pot and bring to a boil. Be very careful when straining the guava as it can splash and burn you. Then reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 35-40 minutes.
The last step is to break everything down with a stick blender. Pulse it a few times, taste it for salt and adjust to your own liking. I didn’t have to do anything to mine. Store in a clean glass jar in the fridge for up to one month. If you don’t have a stick blender you can cool it down a bit then use a traditional blender. Or skip that step and use a whisk or potato masher to break down the pieces of guava.
The subtle kick from the smoke paprika added the perfect heat for me, but you can certainly add some finely diced scotch bonnet pepper or your fav hotsauce to the brew. Additionally you may add some liquid smoke if you want the deep smoky flavor to the finished guava bbq sauce.
Please note that as the Guava BBQ Sauce cools it will thicken naturally.
Don’t forget to stay tuned in as we explore another month of exciting and delicious foods off the grill, influenced by the culinary culture of the Caribbean.
A tropical-inspired barbecue sauce made with ripe guavas, spices, and herbs, ideal for enhancing grilled meats and vegetables.
Ingredients
Instructions
Video
Wash and trim the tops off the guavas, then cut into segments.
In a large saucepan, combine the guavas, 3 cups of apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, and lime juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes until guavas are soft.
In a separate medium saucepan, heat olive oil over low heat. Add scallions, thyme leaves, Vidalia onion, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until fragrant.
Add hot smoked paprika to the sautéed mixture and stir well.
Stir in tomato paste and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t burn.
Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Increase heat to bring to a boil.
Add black pepper, salt, molasses, chili sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Strain the guava mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the saucepan with the sauce base, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.
Bring the combined sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes until thickened.
Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth. If using a traditional blender, allow the sauce to cool slightly before blending.
I do hope you’re enjoying this year’s installment of July’s Month Of Grilling as I am. The heat, smoke and raw flame of the grill excites me. Maybe it brings out the primitive instincts in me (caveman)? I’m a huge fan of the orange chicken you’ll find at Chinese restaurants… battered chicken pieces fried then tossed in that sticky orange sauce. With that in mind, you’ll find similar flavors is the grilled orange chicken version, but a more clean tasting and with a slight kick from the scotch bonnet pepper.
You’ll Need…
3 lbs chicken thighs (drums work well too)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions
2 sprigs thyme
1 cup orange concentrate
1 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 lime (juice and zest)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper diced fine.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Note: Remember to wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and do wash your hands with soap immediately after. Don’t include any seeds as that’s were the true heat is. If you don’t have scotch bonnet pepper you can use about 1/2 teaspoon of your fav peppersauce (hot sauce).
Trim the chicken pieces of excess fat and skin. I opted to remove the skin, but in all honesty grilling with the skin on makes for juicer chicken pieces. Wash the chicken pieces and drain dry. Then season with the finely chopped scallions (green onion or spring onion), salt, black pepper and thyme. Let that sit for about 15 minutes.
It’s now time to prepare that lovely sticky orange bbq sauce we’ll be finishing the grilling with. In a medium sauce pan on medium/low heat add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Whisk well, then reduce to a gentle simmer and let it reduce for about 10-15 minutes on that low heat (keep whisking often). Remove off the heat and you can reserve 1/2 the sauce for making chicken wings or pork tenderloin (store in the fridge). Or you can certainly double up on the chicken and use all of the sauce. BTW this orange bbq sauce makes a great dipping sauce for chicken strips/nuggets.
Let’s now get to the grilling part. Basically all you have to do is the grill the chicken as you would normally do, and the last five minutes is when you’ll bring that orange bbq sauce into use. My grill was at about 375-400 F and I grilled for about 20-25 minutes remembering to flip the pieces of chicken every 5 minutes or so.
The cooked chicken pieces is then tossed in the orange bbq sauce, then placed back on the grill to caramelize and get nice and sticky.
For an extra kick of flavor grill some lime or lemon wedges and allow your guests to squeeze on some of that lovely citrus juice as they dig into what I believe is the best orange glazed bbq (grilled) chicken.
If you don’t have a grill or simply wish to do this indoor in your oven, place the seasoned chicken pieces (leave the skin on) on a lined baking tray, skin side down and roast for 15 minutes at 375F. Flip over and cook another 12 minutes (more time for bigger pieces) . Then toss in the orange bbq sauce and place back in the oven under the broil setting for a few minutes. Keep an eye on it as the high heat from broiling and the sugars from the bbq sauce can cause it to char quickly.
One of the things I like best about having been exposed to traditional Caribbean cooking from day 1, is that it allows me to use basic principles of cooking and apply it to the variety of flavors I grew up enjoying. When you think about grilling on hot coals in the Caribbean, the first thing which comes to mind is “jerk”, but there so much more to grilling in the Caribbean. In this BBQ sauce you’ll obviously see elements of a ‘jerk’ marinade, but I’ve used the basic steps of a tomato based BBQ sauce to merge the two into one of the most delightful bbq sauces I’ve ever tasted.
I no longer have the pleasure of having a cut oil drum filled with coals and meat sizzling away on a metal grate, but I get similar results on the gas grill I use during the summer months.. and during those cold snowy days when I MUST have a good piece of grilled chicken (neighbors must think I’m nuts).
You’ll Need…
5 scallions (green onions)
7 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scotch bonnet peppers (no seeds)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 large onion diced
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
It does seem like a lot of ingredients, but I assure you you’ll be very pleased once you get a taste of this Caribbean BBQ sauce. Start off by chopping the onion, scallions, scotch bonnet pepper and thyme. Be sure to wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water.
Heat the oil in a deep pot and add in the chopped ingredients, grate in the ginger and add the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice). Turn your heat down to low and allow this to cook for about 4 minutes. We’re building a wicked flavor base at this point.
Basically all you have to do now is add all the other ingredients, turn up the heat to medium and bring it up to a boil.
When it comes up to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pot. Allow this to cook for 25-35 minutes, but remember to stir very often. You should have a sort of chunky sauce at this point. You can allow it to cook for a further 10 minutes and end up with a rustic/chunky sauce. I used my stick blender to pulse it into a more smooth consistency. You can also pour it into a conventional blender and give it a few pulses until you achieve the consistency you like.
In the pics above you’ll notice I used this wonderful Caribbean style BBQ sauce on some ribs and they were absolutely fabulous. The scotch bonnet peppers gives it a wicked kick and the balance of spices and fresh herbs takes this to a level on it’s own. It’s rich color alone is enough to get your taste buds going! Not only is this a wonderful BBQ sauce, but it acts as a great dining sauce as well. Store in the fridge in a air tight container for up to 3 months.
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