I know that barbecue season is drawing to a close here in California. I know there are places in the US where people’s grills are under two feet of snow, Nonetheless, here at Hot Eddie’s we grill rain or shine, night or day, cold or heat. Kinda like the Post Office “…Neither snow nor rain nor dead of night will stay these grillers from their appointed coals”. Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere, the ‘season’ is ramping up to full swing, so this sauce comes at a timely moment. In the spirit of never-ending summer, here is a killer Southwestern Barbecue sauce. It is great with smoked brisket, on ribs, on hamburgers, steaks, chicken, turkey sandwiches, or just splash it in your baked bean recipe. It is tangy with a touch of sweetness and a bit of a kick. No pictures because it is too darn easy.

We had a barbecue sauce taste-off recently and this was the winner.

Southwestern Barbecue Sauce – Makes 5-6 cups. Prep time 10 minutes. Cook time 30 minutes,

1 thinly sliced onion

2 fresh poblano peppers, seeded and chopped

2 fresh jalepeño peppers, seeded and chopped

2 dried ancho or pasilla peppers, seeded, and torn into pieces

2 dried Guajillo or New Mexico peppers, seeded and torn into pieces

1 chipotle pepper in adobo plus one teaspoon of the sauce

½ cup strong brewed coffee

1 12-oz. bottle of beer, preferably dark ale (I used Fat Tire)

3 cups ketchup

⅓ cup maple syrup, grade B perferably

1 Tbsp dark turbinado or brown sugar

⅓ cup red wine vinegar

⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon cumin powder

1 Tablespoon chili powder, homemade is best

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 Tablespoons liquid Mesquite and/or Hickory smoke

Combine onion, poblano, jalepeños, dried chiles, chipotle, coffee, and beer in a heavy 4 quart saucepan. Be sure to remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Place over medium-high heat and bring to the simmer. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes till the onions are translucent.

Add the ketchup, maple syurp, sugar, vinegars, cumin, chile powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to the boil lower heat and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and add the liquid smoke. Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a stand blender till smooth.

Let cool, cover and refrigerate.

That’s it. Makes about 6-7 cups of sauce. Freeze some for later. Keeps in the fridge for about two weeks or more.