ELXR welcomes the extremely talented paleo recipe developer and food photographer Ronny Joseph, founder of The Primal Gourmet, to The Dispensary for this post featuring an incredibly tasty homemade paleo BBQ sauce for Father’s Day! Check out his website Cook Primal Gourmet and follow him on Instagram at @Primal_Gourmet for more delicious recipes and stunning foodie pics.
In the world of BBQ, sauce is boss! And on Father’s Day, dads are the boss: Why not give the boss a boss sauce?!
While convenient to buy, artificial ingredients heavily outweigh the natural ones in most store-bought BBQ sauces. And you’ll also encounter various forms of refined sugars, namely high-fructose corn syrup, which doesn’t exactly spell “food” in our books! Luckily, there’s a delicious, easy, and more natural alternative! Though it requires a bit of time, the reward is well worth the effort. And for a special occasion such as Father’s Day, wouldn’t you say it’s worth it (and yes, that is a guilt trip.)?
Balsamic-Maple BBQ Sauce {Paleo//Sugar-Free}
This Balsamic-Maple BBQ Sauce is sweet, tangy, smoky, packs a bit of spice, and dances all over your tongue! You can slather it over grilled portobello mushrooms, veggie skewers, thick-cut slices of pineapple, or serve it over with favorite veggie-burger.
Precise measurements are included here as a guideline for your first go. Feel free to experiment the next time you make it by adding or subtracting spicy, sweet, and smoky flavours, using an apple cider vinegar instead of balsamic, switching the maple for honey, or even, though not strictly paleo, adding a splash of bourbon on a special occasion to help propel the sauce to a whole other dimension!
Ingredients
1 cup white onion – diced
2 cups passata (look for strained tomatoes in a glass jar)
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup all-natural maple syrup
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
4 tbsp avocado oil*, or extra light olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
Method
Add onions and avocado oil to a cold pot and set over med-low heat. Sweat the onions for 10-12 minutes until they have softened but not coloured. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
Bring the heat down to low and add-in the passata, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, yellow mustard, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 25-30 min for the flavours to marry. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot regularly to avoid burning.
Transfer to a clip-top or mason jar and let come to room temperature before refrigerating for up to one week.
*Words from the wise Ronny, of Primal Gourmet: Avocado oil has a very neutral flavour profile, which works very well in this recipe. Also, avocado oil is very safe for cooking, as it does not turn rancid when heated like many other oils. Extra light olive oil may also be used, as it has a milder flavour than the darker extra-virgin olive oils.
