Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Espresso BBQ Sauce Fail

I found this recipe for espresso barbeque sauce over at A Good Appetite. I thought since Mrblocko likes coffee so much, it would be the perfect sauce to use in the BBQ pulled turkey. I made it and took a test taste. It was quite bitter. I thought, well maybe after it sits overnight in the fridge it will improve. Lots of things improve once their flavors have a chance to marry.

The next day I took another test taste. Nope, still very bitter from the espresso. I thought maybe it was just me, since I was not a big fan of coffee. Surely Mrblocko would like it? Even Mrblocko thought it had a bitter aftertaste. Maybe if you are a super mega coffee fan, or need to find new and interesting ways to infuse caffeine into your system, you would get a enjoy this type of BBQ sauce.

One final note. The result of this recipe may have been due to expired ingredients. My instant espresso was all hard packed into the jar, and not loose and fluffy like it was when I first bought it. I'm guessing this was a result of going from the excessively humid summer to the excessively dry winter. The container was about a year old. It was not, however, past the expiration date so who knows.

Espresso Barbecue Sauce from A Good Appetite
1 c ketchup
1 T molasses
2 T red wine vinegar
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 T brown sugar
2 T instant espresso powder

Mix everything together in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and  espresso. Let simmer gently about 10 minutes to meld flavors. Makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 comments:

  1. See, to me espresso is too much anyway. When I order the frozen coffee drinks, which I so do love, I order them with less espresso. Maybe try using regular instant coffee?

    Oh wait, I have all your instant coffee ;)

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  2. I have no idea why it would have turned out bitter for you so strange! I know a bunch of other people who have made it & no one else has ever mentioned that problem so maybe it was the espresso powder. Perhaps trying brewing a little & see how it tastes.

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