For a while now, I’ve been wanting to make a scratch barbeque sauce infused with chipotle flavor; kind of give it a Southwestern or Mexican twist. Recently, I pulled the trigger and made it happen (as usual, over country-style pork ribs…so delicious). The sauce has a nice balance of sweet, heat, and acid, and the chipotle flavor is surprisingly prominent, without being overpowering. But consider yourself warned: it has some serious kick. If you’re sensitive to spicy food, or prefer a milder barbeque sauce, in the recipe below don’t be shy about cutting back on the black pepper and the chipotle powder by as much as 50%.
Here’s how to make it:Heavy 1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tsp molasses
1 tsp chipotle powder
Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Voila! Chipotle BBQ sauce.
If making something like country-style ribs, reserve half the sauce for drizzling over the cooked meat later. Use the other half to marinate the pork and brush while grilling. Makes enough for 4 country-style ribs.
Enjoy!
– Pete
This sounds delicious. I made barbeque beef shortribs last night. I braised them in red wine (about half way up the ribs) and topped them with homemade bbq sauce (I can’t remember where I got the recipe, but it’s tomato-y tangy and sweet).
The chipotle sounds like it would be dynamic too! I’ve really fallen in love with the smokey flavor of chipotle.
I’ve learned to like chipotle flavoring a lot, but I’d probably be one who’d need to cut back on the amount in this recipe. These ribs do look fantastic!
BTW, I just read an announcement on your upcoming cookbook. Boy, is that one going to make you guys popular!! I hesitate to mention the subject here because I don’t think you’ve mentioned it before … don’t want to spoil a surprise! But, it’s out on the interwebs!
Shirley
Hey Amanda… Welcome back from your trip! Hope things are settling down back in Maui. I’m loving homemade BBQ sauces these days. The smoky chipotle flavor definitely comes through. Red wind braised short ribs with a tangy tomato BBQ sounds divine. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Hey Shirley… Yeah, don’t be shy about cutting back! I like the heat, but it was too hot for Kelli. The recipe as written has some real kick! (More to come soon on the new cookbook… it’s ALMOST official, at which point we’ll make a big announcement!)
Cheers, Pete
On the topic of chipotles, I was just reading your Artisan cookbook and was startled to see you had a recipe using chipotles in adobo sauce without a warning to find a brand that doesn’t contain gluten.
After searching online, I now know a few brands to look for, but I still haven’t actually been able to get my hands on a can that does not have gluten in it. Something to include in a third edition, I guess.
Hi Elisabeth… Thanks for your comment. It is true that some brands of canned chipotle in adobo sauce do contain wheat as a thickener in the sauce. As you know, with any prepared food product, it’s always important to check the ingredients to ensure that the product is gluten-free. (This is true for many, many foods beyond chipotles in adobo…)
As far as we know, the La Costena, Goya, Art of Chipotle, Roland, and Empacadora San Marcos brands of chipotles in adobo sauce are all gluten-free. We find that gluten-free canned chipotles in adobo sauce are a great ingredient in our arsenal, and one that other GF cookbook authors and bloggers use as well.
Cheers, Pete