Last Friday, I took the girls to Olive Berry Acres for some strawberry picking.  It's an hour drive, but well worth it.


We picked 15 lbs of berries, which did not seem like too much at the time, but was an amazing amount when we got home!


I spent most of Saturday preparing strawberry dishes, including Strawberry Malts, Strawberry Rhubarb Blondies (with basic modifications to make it dairy-free), strawberry shortcake, strawberry lemonade, strawberry jam, and strawberry muffins.  I still had some berries left, and at the suggestion of a friend, decided to make some barbecue sauce.  I followed the recipe from Closet Cooking and was pleasantly surprised with the awesome flavorful sauce!



Roasted Strawberry Barbecue Sauce

You will need:

• about 4 cups of strawberries, capped and sliced into halves.
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 TBSP maple syrup
• 2 TBSP strawberry jam (we used the homemade stuff we made Saturday!)
• 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped (this is from a can) (add more for a spicier sauce)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP ginger powder
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 TBSP cilantro, either freshly chopped or dried

Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.  Lay out your strawberries on a foil covered baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, allowing the juices to ooze out and slightly carmelize on the foil. 

 

While the strawberries are roasting, mix the remaining ingredients in a sauce pan.  If you are using fresh cilantro, leave it out for now.


Bring these ingredients to a boil.  Add the strawberries and caramelized juices, scraping every last bit of deliciousness from the foil and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.


If you didn't add in the cilantro earlier, add it now.  Pour mixture into a blender and blend until it has the consistency you like.  Pour sauce into a jar for storage or use immediately.


I used mine to enhance the pork chops I was grilling. The verdict:  Everyone liked it!  It was a great blend of sweet and tangy and spicy, giving the pork chops a wonderful smoky flavor.