Our good friends Kenny & Elaine got a new smoker recently and were gracious enough to share their first bounty with us – some lovely smoked brisket. As I was gathering produce for the side dishes I planned to make to accompany it, I couldn’t help grabbing another bag of fresh sweet cherries. I know they won’t be in season for much longer, and I really enjoyed the chicken recipe this week for lunches.
I came across this recipe from The Joyful Foodie, and used it as a starting point. The rest was inspired by an awesome cherry chipotle rub that E.J. and I used to use before we went Paleo. Enjoy!
Paleo Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Sweet and spicy BBQ sauce made with seasonal sweet cherries
Ingredients
- 1 tsp coconut oil (or other friendly oil)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 small can tomato paste
- 1 cup pitted sweet cherries
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Directions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil and saute onion until soft
- Add garlic and cook for a minute or so until fragrant
- Stir in tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes
- Reduce heat and add cherries and paprika, breaking up the cherries as the soften. Cook for 10-12 minutes until cherries release their juice
- Add vinegar and cook 1-2 mins more
- Remove from heat and add honey, chipotle powder, salt & pepper
- Let the mixture cool, and then transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.
