This is a variation on a traditional sweet-spicy sauce. Baste it on ribs in the last 10 minutes of cooking. For color, and to make the flavor pop, just before serving the ribs, sprinkle a little orange zest on top.
Makes 1 ⅔ cups.
MAKE AHEAD: The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
Adapted from “Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling,” By Meathead Goldwyn (Rux Martin Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016).
Ingredients
¾ cup sugar
½ cup water
¾ cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
½ cup tomato paste
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon chipotle powder
Directions
Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, then add the vinegar, tomato paste, orange juice, cocoa powder, Worcestershire sauce, vanilla extract, salt and chipotle powder, stirring to combine. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then cool to room temperature before using or storing.
Nutrition | Per 1-tablespoon serving: 30 calories, 0 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar