Recipe of the Week: Zinfandel BBQ Sauce

Zinfandel BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 to 6 shallots, minced (enough to make 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups Zinfandel  (that leaves 2 cups in the bottle for the cook)   ***
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste
• 1/4 cup honey, or to taste  ***
• 1 tablespoon Sweet Sophie Maple Syrup  ***
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper   ***

*** In stock at The Wine and Cheese Place

Directions:

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat until just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add all but 3 tablespoons of the wine and boil over high heat until reduced to about 2/3 cup.

Reduce the heat and stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Sweet Sophie, salt and pepper. Gently simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, 10 to 12 minutes, adding the remaining 3 tablespoons wine after 6 minutes. Correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.




This sauce is great for basting or marinating before grilling but also makes a great dipping sauce for your favorite finger foods.