Blueberries are synonymous with summer for me. I have a childhood memory of picking them right off the bushes and my dad making blueberry pancakes. There are so many things you can do with blueberries besides making yummy pancakes – muffins, cobbler, pie, scones – the list goes on.

This recipe is an alternative to the more sweet offerings we typically see blueberries starring in. In thinking about how to use blueberries in a more savory way I started thinking about sauces for grilled meats. This recipe not only uses my favorite blueberries but also includes Ed’s favorite bourbon. It’s a nice combination of savory and tangy. I added one jalapeño pepper with seeds (the first harvested from this year’s plant) but you could add more if you’re looking for added spice.

We served this on grilled chicken thighs, brushing it on towards the end of cooking. It would also go well with other dark meat poultry (such as duck) or pork (tenderloin or ribs).

If you find yourself flush with blueberries, make a batch of this sauce and freeze it for later. It’s always good to have a few memories of summer.

Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free Options: While the ingredients used to make bourbon contain gluten many believe that the distillation process removes the gluten. As a result some with gluten sensitivities are okay with bourbon while others are not. If you’re concerned use a gold rum (distilled from sugar cane and gluten-free) in place of bourbon.

Blueberry-Bourbon BBQ Sauce

 

Blueberry-Bourbon BBQ Sauce
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Recipe type: Sauce
Author:
Serves: 2-1/2 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
  • ½ cup bourbon
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ⅓ cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
  1. In a 4 quart pan, heat olive over medium heat.
  2. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add a little water if the onion is sticking.
  3. Add garlic and jalapeño pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Add bourbon, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in blueberries, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses and allspice. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.
  6. Let cool about 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, blender or Vitamix and blend until smooth.
  7. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use – will keep for about 2 weeks.
Notes
* Freeze for up to 3 months.
* Want to make this gluten-free? Use an gold rum in place of bourbon.
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Source:  Variation on recipe from Eating Well