Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue sauce is sometimes considered to be a sweeter, tangier and spicier version of tomato ketchup. The condiment often features tomatoes as the dominant flavor, but you don’t have to follow that trend when you put your own refreshing spin on classic barbecue sauce recipes. Rhubarb barbecue sauce gets its primary tang from rhubarb stalks, which are more acidic than tomatoes.

To balance rhubarb’s sharpness, this recipe adds sweeteners, sauteed onion, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and hot pepper sauce for complexity and heat. It also sneaks in tomato ketchup as a basic flavoring shortcut. The combination tastes satisfyingly layered when cooked down and mopped on our best barbecue recipes.

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce Ingredients

• Rhubarb: Fresh or frozen rhubarb cooks down quickly for barbecue sauce. If using still-frozen rhubarb, you may only need 1/3 cup of water in the pan, and it will take a little longer to soften.
• Onion: Onions become sweeter when sauteed in canola oil, which offsets rhubarb’s tartness in this barbecue sauce recipe. Yellow onions are best, but a white variety would also work.
• Garlic: Mince garlic well to keep this barbecue sauce smooth. A garlic press or grater often produces smaller pieces than you can cut with a knife.
• Ketchup: One of the crazy facts about ketchup is that it’s more than just a condiment. Ketchup plays that role here, introducing its entire range of flavors into the sauce.
• Sweeteners: Barbecue sauce usually gets its sweetness from a fair amount of sugar. Brown sugar and dark corn syrup sweeten this rhubarb barbecue sauce recipe.
• Cider vinegar: With so much natural pucker power coming from the rhubarb, this recipe calls for less cider vinegar than many barbecue sauces. Pure cider vinegar tastes sweeter and more balanced than apple cider-flavored vinegar, which is made by adding coloring and flavorings to distilled vinegar.
• Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce has a distinctive taste that comes from salty fermented anchovies blended with other sweet and tangy ingredients and spices.
• Dijon mustard: This popular prepared mustard has sharp and mellow notes that add spice to barbecue sauce without adding heat. It keeps indefinitely in the fridge—even homemade Dijon.
• Hot pepper sauce: Barbecue sauce often has a little heat, which is supplied here by hot pepper sauce. Choose a mild one for a touch of heat or an eye-watering one for a more powerful kick.

Directions

Step 1: Soften the rhubarb

In a small saucepan, bring the rhubarb and water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the rhubarb is tender, five to six minutes. Remove the rhubarb from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Step 2: Puree the cooked rhubarb

Place the rhubarb in a blender or food processor. Cover the blender jar or work bowl and process the rhubarb until it’s smooth. Set the rhubarb aside.

Step 3: Saute the onion and garlic

In the same saucepan, cook the onion in the oil until it’s tender. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute longer.

Step 4: Mix in the remaining ingredients

Add the ketchup, brown sugar, corn syrup, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, hot sauce and salt. Whisk in the rhubarb puree until it’s blended.

Step 5: Thicken the sauce

Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for five minutes. Use the rhubarb barbecue sauce as a basting sauce for grilled meats and store it in the refrigerator.

Editor’s Tip: If you prefer a thicker sauce, keep cooking until it reduces to your desired texture. Rhubarb barbecue sauce will become even thicker as it cools and sits in the refrigerator.

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce Variations

• Make it boozy: Stir whiskey into the sauce, choosing a peaty one for smoky flavor or bourbon for sweetness. Golden rum also adds sweet notes to barbecue sauce. Use porter or stout beer for hints of chocolate or coffee. Start with a couple of tablespoons from your chosen bottle and adjust to taste.
• Add fruit: If you love strawberry-rhubarb pie, soften and puree a cup of sliced strawberries with the rhubarb. Other fruits that pair well with rhubarb and make barbecue sauce taste great include apricots and sweet or tart cherries.
• Get smoky: Stir in a smoky hot sauce, or replace it with chipotles in adobo sauce. Mince the canned chilies well and stir in the adobo sauce to taste—it has heat all on its own. For mild smokiness, try a teaspoon of smoked sweet paprika.
• Smooth it out: To minimize chunks, wait to blend the rhubarb until after you’ve sauteed the onion and garlic. Process all three until smooth, then cook them with the other ingredients.

How to Store Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

Store rhubarb barbecue sauce in the refrigerator. Place it in a clean jar and screw on a tight-fitting lid. Label the jar so you don’t grab it by mistake when searching the fridge for a sweet pancake or ice cream topping.

How long does rhubarb barbecue sauce last?

Rhubarb barbecue sauce lasts up to one month when kept covered in the refrigerator. When you label the jar with its contents, include the date you made it. Instead of taking the entire jar to a sun-exposed grill, use it in a cool kitchen or transfer just what you need to a small bowl, leaving the rest in the fridge to ensure the maximum storage life.

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce Tips

Is it better to use fresh or frozen rhubarb for barbecue sauce?

Use fresh rhubarb for barbecue sauce when it’s in season, usually in spring. To harvest rhubarb from the garden, grab each stalk near the bottom and gently twist and pull until it separates from the plant. At the store, look for firm, shiny, blemish-free stalks. The drier the cut ends, the longer it’s been out of the ground. Out of season, frozen rhubarb works just fine in barbecue sauce. You can cook the frozen rhubarb, but if you choose to thaw it first, set a colander over a bowl to collect the juice. Add the fruit and juice to the saucepan for the most flavor.

Is rhubarb barbecue sauce safe to can?

We haven’t tested this rhubarb sauce recipe for canning, so it’s best not to. Even though rhubarb is an acidic food, the amount of processing time needed for this thick sauce remains unknown. This rhubarb barbecue sauce should be stored in the refrigerator.

What’s the best way to use rhubarb barbecue sauce?

Use rhubarb barbecue sauce at the grill, basting it on chicken breasts, pork chops or baby back ribs toward the end of the cooking time. Pour the tangy sauce over a tough cut of beef and make slow-cooked barbecue brisket, or mix it into ground beef or turkey for a smoked meat loaf. Use it in any side dish recipe that calls for barbecue sauce, such as quick barbecued beans or mushroom bacon bites. Indoors, use it to slowly cook oven-baked ribs or glazed chicken wings, or stir it into a slow cooker as the finishing touch for pulled pork. Combine it with shredded chicken for ultra-speedy barbecue chicken sandwiches.