With grilling season coming up, now is the best time to start getting your orange chipotle barbecue sauce ready. I like to make orange chipotle barbecue sauce because it is sweet, hot, and versatile enough to go on anything you can get onto your grill.
When to Make Your Sauce
I like to spend most of my grilling time cooking and talking to my friends, so whatever I can get done beforehand, I do get done beforehand. If I am serving iced tea, I brew it the night before. As far as this orange chipotle barbecue sauce goes, I like to let it rest in the 'fridge at least 24 hours. This sauce keeps pretty well, so I would make it Thursday for a Saturday barbecue.
When to Use Your Sauce
Last. Use it last. If you use it too early, it will burn and you will end up with little chunks of carbon instead of a tasty dinner. The best way to add flavor to the meat and poultry that you are grilling is to use either a rub or a marinade. The best way to utilize this sauce is to brush a little on your food just before it is done and cook it for one minute on each side. Then, have some extra sauce available on the table for your guests.
Making the Sauce
I usually make a ton of this stuff because my guests take home whatever doesn't get eaten. I'm giving you a half recipe here. You will need:
- 4 ounces butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 ounce minced garlic
- 1 gallon ketchup (yes, one gallon)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 quart orange juice
- 1 cup honey
- 1 pound brown sugar
- 1/4 can of chipotles (more or less depending on how hot you like it)
- Use a very large pot and sauté the garlic and onions in the butter.
- Puree the chipotles and add them to the garlic and onions.
- Simmer briefly.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Orange Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
This sauce is a nice balance of heat and sweet and is really good with chicken or ribs. Keep lots of it handy and you will have a great grilling season.
Notes
Chipotle is sold in 6 or 8 ounce cans. two or three peppers should be more than enough but you can add more or less depending on whether you like your suaces very hot or rather mild.
