Pineapple BBQ Sauce

BBQ sauce is a staple ingredient in our house.  We love to have it on burgers of all kinds or with dipping foods.  Until now, our favorite BBQ sauce has been from Trader Joe's (I think they only have one kind), but I've been meaning to try making my own for awhile.  When I saw this recipe recently, it looked like a great one to try, especially because I also had a can of pineapple I was looking to use.

This BBQ sauce has a sort of sweet/sour/spicy flavor.  It doesn't taste like a traditional BBQ sauce because of the pineapple, but it's really tasty.  I couldn't stop trying it as I was making it!  The sauce should last for about a week in the refrigerator.  I'm going to try freezing some for longer storage.  If that works well, it'll be great to make a big batch and freeze portions of it to take out as we need it.  I'm also going to be on the lookout for a non-pineapple BBQ sauce.

Pineapple BBQ Sauce

yield: about 2 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced (to yield about 1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 1/4 cups pineapple chunks
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced + 1 tablespoon chipotle adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 cups no-sugar added pineapple juice (if pineapple is from a can of pineapple in juice, you can use the juice from the can, but will need a bit more)
• 2/3 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari (use tamari for gluten-free)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1) Heat oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat.  Once hot, add onion, ginger, and garlic.  Cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.

2)  Add pineapple, minced chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce and stir to combine.  Add in the pineapple juice and stir.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.

3)  Reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Mixture will reduce slightly.

4)  Add remaining ingredients and whisk well.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes until sauce has thickened.  Stir every so often.  Note that the sauce will thicken more as it cools.

5)  Remove from heat and let cool.  Blend in a blender if desired.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for one week.  For longer storage, you could try freezing it, but I haven't tried that yet.

(recipe adapted from edible perspective)