Strawberry Guinness Barbecue Sauce

So my wedding is coming here in 5 months and we were lucky enough to find a reception hall that lets me plan the entire menu (which I wanted to do). Since our wedding is on July 27th, I wanted to plan a menu that reflected our vintage/rustic/summery feel we are going for. To me, nothing screams summer quite like barbecue, so why not try coming up with an awesome barbecue sauce and grill up some chicken? Maybe have some corn on the cob and potato salad....the wheels are turning now and I feel like this will definitely go with our theme. So, right off the bat, I knew I couldn't just slather some chicken with some store bought barbecue sauce and call it a day. I mean, this is my wedding...I need something special! Then it hit me...strawberries...perfect for a summer barbecue sauce. Then of course, no barbecue is complete with out some beer, so I had to throw in some Guinness. After all of this deliberation, I finally had it, Strawberry Guinness Barbecue Sauce. Sweet, Tangy....it's quite awesome if I do say so myself. 

Of course, I couldn't just type up a recipe and use it...I had to try it. Hmmmm what to try it on....We are in the middle of hockey season and I'm watching the Pittsburgh Penguins like it's my job. Then inspiration hit me in the form of an Islay's Chipped Chopped Ham commercial...BINGO!! I'll make a Strawberry Guinness Barbecue Chipped Chopped Ham Sandwich! The perfect sandwich to munch on while watching the Pens and drinking a cold Yeungling! YINZ GOTTA TRY THIS!

What do you all think of the new recipe layouts?? I feel like this way is more organized than the way I was doing my recipes, not to mention a lot easier to print. Each ingredient will be split up by the procedure they are with. In the first example you'll notice a thick black line separating the top ingredients from the bottom ingredients, this implies a new procedure. Let me know what you think, any feedback will be wonderful! I blame my Mother for my love of Excel spreadsheets :)

Beerbanero Sauce

Essentially what we have here is a barbecue sauce that I made with Guinness and Habanero's. I was quite pleased with how this turned out. Had that classic barbecue sauce flavor with a nice kick to it with the addition of the habanero's. I just threw the sauce on some chicken breasts and baked them in my cast iron. Worked out really well!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, small dice
• 3 habaneros, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 cup Guinness 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and habanero's, saute until  fragrant and the habaneros are soft. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until combined. Allow to cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Use a immersion blender (blender or food processor) and blend the sauce until smooth. Let cool and refrigerate or put it on your favorite protein.

Directions for BBQ Skillet Chicken

Heat oven to 375°F.

Pound the chicken breast thin, to about 1/2" and season both sides with salt & pepper. Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add chicken, skin side down, and saute until brown, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken over and top with BBQ sauce, transfer to the oven and bake until the Thermapen registers 165°F. Remove from oven, slice and drizzle with some more Beerbanero Sauce, Enjoy!

Pulled Pork w/ Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ Sauce

So what can I say, I'm a Sous Vide Hipster, fanboy....whatever you wanna call me! Whenever people look at the name, they automatically think it's some technically difficult cooking technique. But, it is quite the opposite. I'm just so impressed with the results I am getting from my PolyScience Sous Vide Professional™, especially when cooking barbecue. I would have never thought that I could get really good barbecue from cooking in a vacuum sealed bag. I also used my PolyScience Smoking Gun™ with apple wood smoke to give my pulled pork that nice smokey flavor. Then to finish off the post, I've included my Chipotle Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce recipe....it's finger linkin' good!

Pulled Pork Ingredients

• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 5 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tbsp chili flakes
• 3 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 2 Lbs. Pork shoulder, trim off excess fat
• 2 Slices of bacon
• Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ (Recipe Below)

Directions (Sous Vide Method)

The day before cooking, mix together all the dry ingredients to make a rub. Generously rub the pork shoulder, covering the entire surface. Cover and refrigerate over night so that the rub liquifies, marinating the meat. 

Preheat water bath to 175 degrees F. Make sure you cover with saran wrap through the entire cooking process, especially if you can't keep an eye on it. At this temperature the water level will decrease rapidly. 

Wrap the pork shoulder with slices of bacon, place in a vacuum seal pouch and vacuum seal. Place in the preheated water bath and cook for 12 hours. 

Remove contents from the bag, discarding the bacon. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Pat dry the outside of the pork shoulder with a paper towel. Sear the outside of the pork to get a nice crust. Remove from pan and shred the pork. Serve with Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ Sauce or your favorite sauce. 

Direction (Oven Method)

The day before cooking, mix together all the dry ingredients to make a rub. Generously rub the pork shoulder, covering the entire surface. Cover and refrigerate over night so that the rub liquifies, marinating the meat. 

Preheat your oven to 300 degree F. 

Wrap the pork with bacon and put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it's falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F. Discard the bacon and shred the pork. Serve with Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ sauce or your favorite sauce. 

Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo, pureed
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30-45 or until thickened. Use right away or refrigerate for later use. 

If you want the sauce to be thicker. In a small bowl mix together 1 Tbsp corn starch with 1 Tbsp cold water to make a slurry (This is a thickening agent). Slowly whisk in the slurry a little bit at a time until it reaches your desired viscosity. Add more or less of the slurry as needed. 

**Note: A corn starch slurry (equal parts cornstarch & water) can be used to thicken any sauce, stock or soup.**