Let me start by saying that I love BBQ sauce. Unfortunately it’s one of those things that we forget about quite fast as most store bought variations are loaded with refined sugar, soy sauce, and a whole host of other unsavory ingredients that really make it undesirable. I’ve found a few natural brands at stores like Whole Foods or even at New Seasons Market (still one of my favorite supermarkets from one of the many great cities that I’ve spent time in) during my years in Portland, but those tended to priced a little too high for what they were. I’ve tried quite a few recipes for homemade versions and some have been good and some have been just downright awful.
I knew that when I saw this recipe from Simone of Zenbelly Kitchen in San Francisco that it would be a winner. I was especially intrigued by the addition of coffee. I’ve added coffee to some different sauces in the past, but I’ve never thought of adding it to a BBQ sauce — let me tell you, it works great. This is fairly sweet, but the fact that the sweetness is coming from honey and molasses works for me. I now have three jars of this stuff in my refrigerator and I look forward to using it up over the next few weeks. I might even give some to some friends to try as they are always asking me for ideas and I am always never shy about sharing.
If you’re in the mood for a nice tangy BBQ sauce that is not only gluten-free but that also focuses on healthy ingredients, this is the one for you.
I first learned the secret to great BBQ sauce while working at the cutest little bistro ever near Ithaca NY: Simple Red Village Bistro, just a short walk from my apartment in Trumansburg. Actually, everything was just a short walk from my apartment because the entire town was about a mile and a half from one end to the other. But don’t let that fool you; there was plenty to keep me there. The tiny village had everything I needed; a couple of food markets, a variety of cute cafes, the tallest waterfall in the North East (yes, really) and way more bars than were necessary for the size of the town. Not to mention my place of employment, where I learned a whole lot about cooking from a talented and fiery woman named Sam.
This BBQ sauce is based on the recipe I learned there, but is adapted to reflect my mostly Paleo way of eating. I’m sure this recipe is too high glycemic to call it Paleo, but I’m happy with the fact that it has just a few simple ingredients, none of which are ketchup. And it’s a sauce, after all, meant to bring flavor and depth to the food that was lucky enough to be graced with it’s presence. Not intended to be drank.
