Basic BBQ sauce

This is a quick and simple sauce to prepare.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1 onion diced

250ml sherry vinegar

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cinnamon

3 tsp salt

1 whole star anise

1-2 Tbsp smoked paprika

2 Tbsp tomato paste

200g tinned tomatoes

Pinch of chilli or hot paprika (optional)

Method

The original recipe says to add all ingredients to a pot and simmer ½ hour. Next time I’d sauté the onions and spices in a little oil to release the flavours and then add the rest of the ingredients before simmering. If you do this, try using bruised cumin seeds and perhaps ¼ of a smashed stick of cinnamon or cassia instead of ground. The aromas will be worth it and I suspect the flavour will be rather enhanced.

Once cooked, puree - first put on an apron! and remove the star anise and any cinnamon stick if using). Pour into bottles or jars and seal. 

Use to marinate your meat before cooking on the BBQ.

Chook’s note: once you’ve made this sauce, or any other, adapt the recipe to suit your own taste – a little extra of this or that, hold back on other ingredients if you want to tone it down or add to spice it up. It's your kitchen and palate!