Here’s a fun riff on the classic Kansas City sweet red barbecue sauce with an exotic undertone. You’ll know the raspberries are in there, but give a prize to the guest who can guess the secret ingredient that makes it so appealing. And the best part is this sauce is really quick and easy.
Liquid smoke is optional in this recipe, so let’s talk about it. Liquid smoke is a dominant player in the flavor profiles of most of most popular BBQ sauces: Sweet Baby Ray’s, KC Masterpiece, Bull’s Eye, Jack Daniel’s, Open Pit, etc. Many commercial meats, bacon, like hams, jerkies, and sausages are created with liquid smoke. It appears on labels as "Natural smoke flavor".
Without liquid smoke most people feel a barbecue sauce is missing something. Purists consider it an evil adulterant. It is simply smoke that has been cooled, gathered by a condenser, and aged in barrels. When smoke hits cold meat it condenses on the cold meat. The process for liquid smoke is pretty much the same as the way they make whiskeys. So if you know someone who derides liquid smoke, take away their Scotch.
This sauce is excellent without it but if you are a fan of the popular commercial sauces. Add it. It works.
Makes. About 2 cups
Takes. 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup ketchup
¾ cup Smucker’s Red Raspberry Jam
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
½ teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons liquid smoke (optional)
About the jam.I normally don’t specify brands and I do not accept endorsement offers. I call for the Smucker’s because it has a great natural flavor and it should be easy to find. Use it to replicate my recipe. Feel free to use another jam of your choice (blueberry and cherry are nice). Go for something without skins and seeds. Beware that it may be sweeter or less sweet than my choice so you may want to start with less and add more to taste.
About the hot sauce. I use Tabasco Chipotle. Use whatever you like, but Chipotle has an affinity for raspberry. In fact, this recipe is even better if you use chipotle in adobo sauce, but I did not include it because there are so many brands and they vary in flavor, acidity, and heat. If you use it, go easy at first and add more as you taste.
Method
Add all the ingredients except the liquid smoke to a saucepan, whisk together, and simmer for 15 minutes. Sample it and adjust the ingredients to your taste. Want more heat, reach for the hot sauce. Want it sweeter, add sugar or more jam. Simmer a few more minutes. Then add the liquid smoke if you are using it. Pour it into a very clean bottle and store in the fridge for months.
Liquid smoke is optional in this recipe, so let’s talk about it. Liquid smoke is a dominant player in the flavor profiles of most of most popular BBQ sauces: Sweet Baby Ray’s, KC Masterpiece, Bull’s Eye, Jack Daniel’s, Open Pit, etc. Many commercial meats, bacon, like hams, jerkies, and sausages are created with liquid smoke. It appears on labels as "Natural smoke flavor".
Without liquid smoke most people feel a barbecue sauce is missing something. Purists consider it an evil adulterant. It is simply smoke that has been cooled, gathered by a condenser, and aged in barrels. When smoke hits cold meat it condenses on the cold meat. The process for liquid smoke is pretty much the same as the way they make whiskeys. So if you know someone who derides liquid smoke, take away their Scotch.
This sauce is excellent without it but if you are a fan of the popular commercial sauces. Add it. It works.
Makes. About 2 cups
Takes. 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup ketchup
¾ cup Smucker’s Red Raspberry Jam
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
½ teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons liquid smoke (optional)
About the jam.I normally don’t specify brands and I do not accept endorsement offers. I call for the Smucker’s because it has a great natural flavor and it should be easy to find. Use it to replicate my recipe. Feel free to use another jam of your choice (blueberry and cherry are nice). Go for something without skins and seeds. Beware that it may be sweeter or less sweet than my choice so you may want to start with less and add more to taste.
About the hot sauce. I use Tabasco Chipotle. Use whatever you like, but Chipotle has an affinity for raspberry. In fact, this recipe is even better if you use chipotle in adobo sauce, but I did not include it because there are so many brands and they vary in flavor, acidity, and heat. If you use it, go easy at first and add more as you taste.
Method
Add all the ingredients except the liquid smoke to a saucepan, whisk together, and simmer for 15 minutes. Sample it and adjust the ingredients to your taste. Want more heat, reach for the hot sauce. Want it sweeter, add sugar or more jam. Simmer a few more minutes. Then add the liquid smoke if you are using it. Pour it into a very clean bottle and store in the fridge for months.
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