Dr. P's California Barbecue Sauce


This infamous tamarind concoction was first made in Pasadena in 2002. It's a careful blend of Asian and Central American flavors, and was designed with an Asian flavor balance (hot, sour, salty, sweet) in mind. Plenty of umami, so it's good with grilled vegetables and white meats that don't have a lot of their own.

I think of this as a brushing sauce, to be layered on a slow-cooked item (e.g., pork ribs) so that the flavors can marry and complexify. I've never used it as a dipping sauce, but I know that would be good. By the time I'm done tuning the flavors, I can't stop tasting it.

This recipe makes about four cups, and can be readily scaled up.

Before we begin, a note about tamarind:

It's sometimes possible to find pre-pulped tamarind in a jar or a can, but it's rare enough that I find it simpler to just take the time and make my own from pods, which are available at any Mexican grocery.

1. Remove the papery outer shell from 1 pound of tamarind pods.
2. Submerge the sticky pods in 2-4 cups of water (the amount depends on how much cooking-down you want to do later).
3. Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour or so. Stir frequently.
4. When you see a lot of white seeds and not a lot of pulp chunks, remove from the heat and strain through a wide-mesh sieve (e.g., a colander). Keep the thick brown liquid; discard the seeds.
5. Reduce the liquid down to 2 cups.

Whatever you do, don't have a freshly manicured friend manually separate the pulp from the seeds. It can be done, but she will never, ever forgive you.

And now for the recipe:

SAUCE:

peanut oil —1/4 cup

shallots —6 (minced)
garlic — 6 cloves (minced)
ginger — 2 T (toothpicks)
chili-garlic sauce (Sri Racha) — 1/4 c
coriander seed — 2 t (ground)
anise seed — 1 t (ground)

hoisin sauce — 3 c
tamarind pulp— 2 c
lime zest — 2 t
honey — 1/4 c
soy sauce — 3/4 c
rice vinegar — 1/2 c

1. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high flame.
2. Add shallot, garlic, chili paste, ground spices and ginger; sauté 1 minute.
3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30-60 minutes (keep covered after the first 10 or so).
4. Purée with an immersion blender.
5. Adjust seasoning with salt, soy, vinegar and honey.
6. Cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator.


For Christmas of 2004, I made a big batch and bottled it for my friends, complete with homemade labels:




Posted: Mon - January 31, 2005 at 02:51 PM          

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