I’m spoiled in a lot of ways. Not the least of which is that I have family “in the biz.” Well, not that business. No, they’re not actors or in show business at all, but they are in the sugaring business.
And oh, the wonderful maple syrup they give me that’s boiled in that sugaring shack on the hill. This year the cold spring didn’t help the sap flow, and I fully anticipated not getting a bottle of syrup at all. But, sure enough. My mother called me and said the wonderful phrase, “Uncle Fred has a bottle of syrup for you.”
Because syrup from my family is such an awesome commodity, I hoard it like crazy. But knowing that some new syrup was coming my way, prompted me to run into the kitchen and play a little more freely with last year’s batch.
I’d been craving barbecue – something. So I pulled pork chops out of the freezer and boom! We had grilled pork with an incredibly spicy and sweet barbecue sauce for dinner. Note, when I say “spicy” that’s not a joke. This will make your eyes bulge, and then notes from the sweet maple syrup level it out. If you’re not really into hot barbecue sauce, you may just want to use one chipotle. But wow. I’m giving a batch of this to my uncle and aunt in exchange for the new bottle of syrup. I can’t get enough of this sauce.
Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Yield: ¾ cup of sauce and serves 2.
Ingredients:
3 dried chipotles
¾ cup boiling water
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup amber maple syrup
½ small red onion, very finely diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions:
Place chipotles in a small bowl, and cover them with boiling water. Cover tightly with wrap and let sit until plumped, about 8-10 minutes. Remove stems, and place in a blender with the ketchup and maple syrup. Process until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and add onion. Cook over medium heat until the sauce comes to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 15-20 minutes. When the sauce is thick and syrupy, pour over grilled pork chops or chicken.
(Photo by Launie Kettler)