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Giving up sugar does not mean giving up taste. I had a major hankering for barbecue sauce recently. While preparing for the sugar detox, I realized I would miss out on any barbecue sauce recipes that I found online because they all contained some form of sugar, which is a big no-no on the sugar detox. I set out to create a recipe that was not only delicious, but one I wouldn't feel guilty about using during the sugar detox. The sweetness comes from carmelizing the onions and apples together along with the addition of the balsamic vinegar.
Since there are apples in this recipe, I made sure to limit my serving to about a tablespoon or so per meal, while on the detox. I also limited my fruit on the days I ate the sauce. This recipe received rave reviews when I tasted tested it. It's tangy, a bit spicy, with just a hint of sweetness. If you like it a bit spicier, add extra ancho chili to taste. Either way, I'll bet you'll be saying, that's yumtastic!
Ingredients
1 dried ancho chili
2 Granny Smith apples, about 1.5 pounds, 3.5 to 4 cups peeled, cored and diced
1 medium onion or several small, 1 pound, 2 cups peeled and diced
2 tablespoons butter
Pinch of salt
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup tomato sauce
Directions
First, make the roasted garlic. If you need a recipe, mine can be found here.
Remove the stem and seeds from the dried ancho chili. You might have to break the chili into pieces to get to the seeds. Cover the chili with boiling water and let it soak it while the onions and apples cook, a minimum of 20 minutes.
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan, like a dutch oven. Saute the onions and apples in the butter over low to medium-low heat. Add a pinch of salt to help them release their juices and begin to carmelize. Cook the onions and apples, stirring occasionally, until they are nicely brown but not burnt. This will take some time. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Add the 4 cloves of roasted garlic, the ginger, paprika, pepper, salt, cumin, fish sauce and tomato paste. Stir and cook until the flavors begin to come together. Drain the ancho chili and add it to the pan. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the warm sauce to a blender, in batches if necessary. Puree the sauce. Once all of the sauce is pureed, simmer for a few more minutes to reduce the sauce a little, if needed.
