Monday, October 3, 2011

Plum BBQ Sauce

I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to give this a try, maybe it's because plums were on sale last week for $.59-$.69 lb. or maybe I was just feeling like stepping out of my comfort zone again, either way, it was a big step for someone who has always relied upon store-bought (or in my case coupon-bought) BBQ sauce.

Though this homemade version definitely has me thinking...thinking why didn't I give this a try sooner? Not sure of the reasoning there, but one thing is for certain, this will not be my last foray into BBQ sauce making at home, I've been wondering about a few other variations, but that's another project for another day. Today, I humbly present to you: Plum BBQ Sauce.

Think Asian style BBQ sauce meets Southern Sweet. It works, it definitely works.

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil (or canola) ($.05)
1 small onion, minced $.05)
1 T. ginger, minced (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)(($.05)
1 clove garlic, minced ($.05)
salt and pepper to taste ($.05)
1/8 C. molasses ($.20)
5 medium sized plums - roughly 1 lb. peeled and chopped small ($.65)
1/4 C. sugar (brown or white, either will do nicely)($.10)
3 T. sesame marinade (free after coupons)
1-2 T. soy sauce ($.05)
1/4 tsp. each: cumin, chile powder, black pepper, and paprika ($.10)
pinch of cinnamon
1 T. balsamic vinegar (or rice wine vinegar) ($.05)

Instructions:
Add olive oil to small sauce pan and heat over low, add minced onion and ginger - and season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add remaining ingredients except vinegar. Simmer over low for 10-12 minutes, taste and adjust any seasoning amounts, add vinegar, simmer another 2-3 minutes. Sauce is done when it is slight chunky but all the fruit has cooked down. Remove from stove and pour BBQ sauce over meat and serve or put in a glass jar and refrigerate.

Will last in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Yields: 3/4 pint
Cost: $1.40

Serving ideas:
Works well as a dipping sauce for chicken or pork, bold enough to stand up to beef.
Use as a finishing sauce for a stirfry.
Drizzle over cooked chicken pieces and top with sesame seeds for a fun take on sesame chicken.
Use in place of store bought plum sauce in your cooking.

2 comments:

  1. Wow - this sounds good.

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  2. Going to give this a try tomorrow night - can't wait to see how it turns out.

    ReplyDelete