MY EASY HOME-MADE BARBEQUE SAUCE

This sauce has been a part of my repertoire for almost as long as I can remember. It’s perfect for marinating chops, ribs, chicken or even for making extra-special sticky barbeque cocktail sausages for parties. Another great idea is to use the sauce to marinate a side of fresh salmon – see NOTES below..

I often serve it with my easy Fried Rice – here’s the link..https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/my-quick-and-easy-fried-rice/

It’s sweet yet spicy, and the brown sugar gives it a lovely, almost smoky flavour. I’ve no doubt that you’ll find many more uses for it as time goes by, so stash this little gem of a recipe away for a rainy (or sunny!) day

EQUIPMENT:

• A large mixing bowl
• whisk
• Grater
• A baking tray and some tin foil for cooking.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 heaped dessert-spoons of light Muscavado sugar
• 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1 dessert spoon of Tomato puree (I use sun-dried tomato puree, because that’s what I always have in the house)
• 3 dessertspoons of Soy sauce
• A splash of tabasco sauce (just one!)
• 2-4 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
• 1/2 a red chilli – seeds removed and finely chopped
• 3 dessertspoons of oil (I use rapeseed)
• a splash of red wine
• 2 tablespoons of runny honey

METHOD: – it’s rocket science, this bit – 😉 :

• Put all the ingredients into the bowl
• Mix everything together with the whisk.
• Taste it, and see if it’s spicy/sweet enough for you. I sometimes add the juice of half a lime.

• Put your chosen meat –  Below are some  fresh pork ribs from St George’s Market – in a single layer on a foil-lined baking tray, or some lovely Corn-fed Chicken Supremes –

 

 

• Pour over the sauce, and turn the meat in it so every bit is covered, then :

EITHER:

• Allow it marinate for as long as you like (in the fridge), turning once or twice, then follow the instructions below.

OR:

• Pour it over, turn over the meat, then cover the tray with another sheet of foil, and  stick it into the oven
• Give it 40 minutes@180 degrees Fan.
• Take out the tray, remove the foil, give everything a good basting, then return to the oven uncovered.

• Give it another 30 minutes or so with no foil on, turning a couple of times as the marinade evaporates.

 

• Turn the heat up to 200 and baste every so often until your dish is browned, sticky and delicious      (about 10 minutes, but check so that it doesn’t burn).

• Remember that there’s sugar in it, so be careful – it will be very hot! Let it cool for 5- 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

NOTES:

• Another one of our favourite ways to eat this is to open out a couple of Pork fillets and use this marinade to make a delicious barbeque pork dish – I serve it with my Fried Rice recipe ( link below)https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/my-quick-and-easy-fried-rice/
• Marinated Side of fresh Salmon: leave the skin-0n salmon marinating, face downwards, for 30-40 minutes, then turn it over and cook on a sheet of foil for 10-15 minutes. While that’s happening, reduce the marinade by half to a syrup, then serve the cooked  salmon with the sauce poured over
• It works like a treat for cocktail sausages; just pour it over cooked sausages and give it about 20 minutes at 180 – again, it’s very hot coming out so let it cool before serving, especially for younger guests.
• I use mustard powder, because I have it handy, but made-up mustard will do fine.
• The tabasco sauce or chilli can be left out for younger audiences.