Michigan Apple BBQ Sauce

[Max1]

I started this out by looking at TACs recipe for his Sweet and Spicy Apple Sauce. I had to put a twist of my own on it. It turned out pretty good, you can still taste the apple in it, and works wonders with pork. I used apple sauce as a base instead of ketchup.

Recipe is as follows:

Michigan Apple BBQ Sauce:

Ingredients:
32oz. bottle of unsweetened apple sauce
2.5 cups apple juice
2lb bag of light brown sugar
8Tbsp garlic powder
8Tbsp onion powder
4Tbsp worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins works best)
2tsp chilli powder
2tsp crushed pepper flake
1tsp cinnamon
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan combine apple sauce and apple juice, and bring to a simmering boil, on medium heat.

2. As apple sauce mixture starts to boil, whisk in brown sugar. After brown sugar is incorporated into mixture, reduce heat to a simmer.

3. As the mixture starts to simmer, whisk in the rest of the ingredients, whisk until well incorporated into the sauce.

4. After all ingredients are into mixture, taste, and add salt and ground black pepper to taste, reduce to a simmer, and let reduce by half.

I made this and tried it last night on some pulled pork. I am going to try it on some pork chops this Sunday, I fell that it will have a better flavor on a meat that is seared, and the sauce has time to caramelize onto the meat.

Feel free to try, and let me know what you think.....

 

[DJ]

Sound like a Keeper! Thanks!
dj

 

[bigwheel]

Yes..looks good thanks. What brand of Apple Juice and sauce?

 

[Max1]

Kroger Brand, LOL I be cheap, besides it all tastes the same... :P

 

[bigwheel]

Arraaahhhhaaa..no..it dont taste all the same. Quit being an el cheapie skate and use Tree Top brand least on the juice/cider ration. Tastes much mo betta than the competition. Now their apple sauce is hard to find but they do have it cuz that is the only thing on the menu fit to eat at the horspital. If I too was a penny wise pound foolish type person..I could live with Kroger sauce easier than Kroger juice. Dont make me come up there. Thanks. Dont even think of buying anything with the word Motts wrote on it. That stuff can gag a gut wagon maggot. Nearly ruined a big bunch of apple pie trying to use the crazy stuff. Sent her for Tree Top and she come back with that junk cuz it was on sale. I should back hand the fire out of her huh? Like to had my reputation tarnished on that deal. According to scientific taste evaluations mine has been deemed a muy heap better than the junk Junior Johnson peddles. Pal say old Junior forget the apples and overdosed that one with cinnamon. He is getting purty old and senile ya know?

 

[TAC1]

Max that is a great rendering of the sauce I was working on. Glad I could inspire you to experimentation, lol... and the different apple products have slight differences, but some people won't tell the difference or don't care. As is the the case with us penny pinching people...

 

[Max1]

Normal people that are not around name brand product, can not tell the difference in them. It should not matter what brand you make a recipe with. I use cheap brands all the time. I recently did a comparison test. I put 2 of the same sauces, made right next to each other, one with el cheapo brand, and one with name brand products. To my surprise the el cheapo brand won out. Figure that one out. This test was done with my family, 3 of which are classically trained chefs, and they could not tell the difference, I doubt the normal everyday schlep could.

 

[bigwheel]

Yes Max your are fulla sheet..lol

 

[WileyP]

Max, first let me thank you for posting that recipe. Applesauce-based BBQ sauce is a natural, especially from a State that is so famous for its apples. I can remember visiting family friend's estate on the Lake Michigan shore late in the summer and sneaking into the orchard to steal apples and cherries.

My question to you would be one of quantities. It appears as if the initial pre-reduction quantity will be in the neighborhood of 7 cups, give or take. Do you really feel that 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in 7 cups of base has any effect on the outcome? Same goes with the chili powder and red chile flakes - Do you actually end up with the earthy overtones of the chili powder or the piquant reaction from the flakes? I only ask because there is a full quarter cup of both onion and garlic powder and it seems those don't over-spice the final sauce. I know that cinnamon can really get in the way of other levels of flavor, but with applesauce as a base, one would think a tablespoon or two would work nicely without getting in the way. Same with the chili powder and flakes.

Also, do you end up with about a quart after the reduction?

Thanks!

WileyP

 

[Max1]

All that I can BW is that believe what you want, and if you feel the need to overspend go for it. The fool is only as smart as the amount of money he has.

No the sauce holds the other ingredients well. I would make the sauce as it is instructed, and if you want to add more ingredients, but make sure you taste it before you go hog wild. It also reduces well, i think I wound up with maybe a quart and a half.

 

[WileyP]

Thanks for the quick answer back, Max - I'll try it as-is.

Wiley

 

[Max1]

Not a real big issue. Have fun with it, best used on Pork Chops and Pulled Pork.