Brewtality

For thousands of years, the process of basting has been used to enhance flavors during cooking. Basting is a technique that’s used in grilling, baking, roasting, and other methods of cooking where meat is left over heat for extended periods of time. While modern cooking science has proven that improper basting can actually lead to drying out your food instead of moistening it, backyard pitmasters and home-cook chefs aren’t ready to cut the technique out of their repertoire entirely. We may have given up basting our turkeys, but we’ll never give up basting our ribs in barbecue sauce.

Grilling enthusiasts all have their favorite national brands of barbecue sauce, with brands like Sweet Baby Ray’s and KC Masterpiece selling millions of units every year. While some brands are little more than sweet, smoky ketchup, there are some fantastic grocery store sauces to be had. Because they are mass produced, most national barbecue sauces will contain preservatives and stabilizers to ensure a long shelf life, and none of them are going to be made with beer. Well, that’s not entirely true. Breweries like Yuengling, Mendocino Brewing, and Stone have all expanded their portfolios to include BBQ sauces made with IPAs, Imperial Stouts, and Red Ales. If you don’t mind paying $7 for a 14 oz bottle of the stuff, Stone’s Tangerine Express IPA sauce sounds pretty tasty. But THE BEST RED ALE BBQ SAUCE EVER California and Pacific Northwest areas before spreading nationwide. It’s a hoppy, moderate strength beer with caramel malty flavor; darker, more body, and generally less bitter than American Pale ales.” Killian’s Irish Red ale is available in most grocery stores as it’s made by MillerCoors and enjoys vast distribution. I recommend a version as it will have a deeper, more intense character than Killian’s has. For this recipe, I chose Absolution Brewing’s “Cardinal Sin”, a 5.7% and 37 IBU red ale that exhibits sweet notes of caramel and toffee; flavors that absolutely compliment if you’ve already gone through the trouble the smoky, rich flavors of grilled meat. to smoke your own racks of ribs, it’d give Amber lagers will work just as well for this you even more satisfaction to put together application. In any case, we’re going to your own sauce using ingredients you might reduce it and amplify its flavor, so choose already have in your kitchen. something you enjoy drinking.

The malty flavors of beer can add so I’ve made barbecue sauces from scratch, much savory complexity to a barbecue but this quick and easy “cheat” version is sauce, and greatly compliment the flavors just as tasty as anything I’ve put together. of whatever meat it ends up coating. While A touch of cinnamons adds a warm, savory you can use any brew you’d like for this spice and tons of character, while just a recipe, it’s optimized to compliment the bit of cayenne adds just the right amount flavors of a red or amber ale. of heat. This recipe is based on the Kansas

Some may choose to split hairs over it, City style of barbecue sauce; sweet, brown, but red and amber ales are the same thing. tangy and thick. According to the Beer Judge Certification This is a finishing sauce, used to baste Program, or BJCP, amber ales are “a modern your chicken or ribs after it’s most of the craft beer style developed as a variation way cooked, and allowed to caramelize and from American pale ales. Known simply as form a sticky glaze over your roasted meat. Red Ales in some regions, these beers were It also makes a fantastic dipping sauce for popularized in the hop-loving Northern chicken strips or whatever else you want

BY AARON RAMSON

coated in the best red ale barbecue sauce ever.

THE BEST RED ALE BARBECUE SAUCE

EVER - Makes 2 ½ Cups 2 cups ketchup 1 cup red ale ¼ cup molasses ¼ cup apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon cayenne 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium sized saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove from heat and use immediately or pour into a heat safe container (mason jars work well for this).

RECIPE NOTES

This will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and probably even longer.