Potent Primal BBQ Sauce

If you haven't discovered Stubb's BBQ sauce, you are missing out. It's the cleanest, tastiest stuff on the market. Yes--I did just say tastiest--and coming from a former Sweet Baby Ray's-enthusiast, that's A LOT.

However, Stubb's is not Whole30 approved. In fact, we've not seen a Whole30-friendly BBQ sauce at any store, any time, any where. So, we make our own during Whole30 challenges, and this time, I think we made a good one. :)

Why do we love this sauce so much? Well, it's got bold tomato flavor, the natural sweetness of which is subtle but delightful. Then there's the slightly smokey, lingering heat from the roasted jalapeño and spices. Finally, it has a great tangy bite from the garlic, mustard, and lime juice. 

Warning: This sauce is not for the faint of heart. If you don't like spice or heat, don't bother reading the rest of this post. You're wasting your time.

Just kidding! You could easily modify this to suit your tastes, whether you like more kick or less in your sauce. (Follow the recipe below, and then water it down a smidgen with chicken broth or amp up the heat with more spices once you've tasted it.)

Potent Primal BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 Campari tomatoes, sliced in half and seeded
• 2 Jalapeños, sliced in half and seeded
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat, melted
• 1/4 Teaspoon sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 1 Teaspoon organic spicy mustard
• 1 Teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 Teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon sea salt
• 1 Cup organic chicken broth
• 1 and 1/2 limes, juiced
• 1 6-oz can of tomato paste

Method

First, roast the tomatoes, garlic and jalapeños:

• Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the tomatoes, garlic and jalapeños in a baking dish or roasting pan (we used a shallow glass baking dish).
• Drizzle the bacon fat over everything.
• Sprinkle the 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt over everything.
• Roast for approximately 15 minutes.

Set aside and allow it to cool. Then, move on to the rest of the recipe.

• Heat coconut oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
• Press the roasted garlic and add to the sauce pan.
• Immediately add the minced shallot. 
• Sauté until shallot is soft and translucent.
• Add the mustard, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, cumin and the 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Stir to blend in the spices.
• Then, add the chicken broth, lime juice, and tomato paste.

Stir again (use a whisk if you have one!) until smooth.

• Add roasted tomatoes and jalapeños, and stir.
• Bring everything to a soft boil, then reduce it to a simmer and lightly cover it with a lid.
• Simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat, and allow the mixture to cool.

Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor (we used our handy-dandy Ninja!), and blend until the whole mixture is smooth.

Wednesday for lunch, we slathered it on slow-cooked pork shoulder and served it on a bed of greens (baby spinach and spring mix, to be specific). It was delicious! Next week, we're thinking about using it on ribs and/or chicken. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have!