L.E.S Barbecue Sauce

Name: L.E.S Barbecue Sauce
Yield: Makes 3 cups
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion, finely diced; 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 cup (2 ounces) brewed espresso or 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 ounces boiling water; 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup whiskey; 2 cups ketchup; 1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

January 24, 2012

Sure, you can buy barbecue sauce, but wait until you try ours—it’s what we call QC, or quick cook. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your fridge or pantry. This tangy Lower East Side creation is the star ingredient in our BBQ Pork Balls (page 11), but it shines on its own with any grilled meat or bird.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup (2 ounces) brewed espresso or 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 ounces boiling water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup whiskey

2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt and cook stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent and the garlic is soft, about 10 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to brown (add a few tablespoons of water, if necessary, to prevent browning).
Step 2
Add the espresso, vinegar, and whiskey and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan and whisk in the ketchup and brown sugar until fully incorporated and smooth.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.

TagsSauce Condiment American Dairy Free Gluten Free Nut Free Vegetarian Vegan Easy Quick Blender Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Recipe notes