by mannytheseacow » Sun May 18, 2014 11:32 pm
Rhubarb is coming out of our ears here so it's time for my annual rhubarb-eque sauce. I use it to not only use up my rhubarb but also use up any canned tomatoes that I still have left over from the winter before I start canning the new stuff for this year. I learned this method from a chef I used to work with. It extracts natural flavors from fruits and vegetables rather than using things like processed sugar or vinegar. In this case the sweetness comes from the onions and the tartness comes from the rhubarb, combining wonderfully into a nice tangy Carolina style barbeque sauce. I made a 5 gallon batch of this for our hog roast last weekend. This recipe here makes about 4 qts to can and another quart or 2 to keep on hand fresh. With summer grilling coming, a bigger batch might be better.
Cook 8 cups of diced onion and 8 cups of diced rhubarb in 2 tbsp of bacon fat. Cook gently and stir constantly; do not allow to brown. When this mixture has cooked for a while and reduced significantly, add:
¾ cup of garlic
½ cup Worcestershire
3 Tbsp of Coleman’s dry mustard
1 cup of paprika
¾ cup kosher salt
¼ cup cayenne pepper
Continue cooking until well incorporated. Add to this 4 qts of canned tomatos, or a #10 can of catsup, if you prefer. Adjust seasoning. If you like it sweeter add brown sugar, if you like more pucker add cider vinegar. Let this reduce until you get the consistency/flavor you are liking. You can pack this hot directly into sterile jars.
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