Sweet & Smoky Blueberry Barbeque Sauce

As I’m typing this post I practically have a splint around my left index finger.

I don’t know why, but for weeks I’ve laid in bed at night thinking about food that I’m going to make for the blog and for dinners around our house, and when I get to the chopping veggies part I have this weird vision of cutting my finger really badly.  It’s almost subconsciously, and then all of a sudden my vision of beautifully chopped vegetables is clouded by, “OH CRAP I CUT MY FINGER!”  So so so very weird.

And then yesterday?  Yesterday I was chopping onions to make meatloaf and BAM! the finger cut happened.  I’ve always been fairly calm when there’s a physical “emergency” going on, so I just put the knife down, rinsed off the cut and put pressure on it to stop the bleeding.  The worst part about bad cuts isn’t always the actual event, though, it’s the fact that you have to live with it for X number of days after.  So here I am with a sore index finger, unable to type properly (my right pinky is going to be sore from all of the backspacing) and a huge fat band-aid that Weston keeps grabbing at because it’s new and different and he wants to stick it in his mouth.

The vision of cutting myself though?  Gone!  Strange, right?

Enough of that though – I doubt the reason you’re here today is to learn about my random first-aid woes.  It’s probably because you, like me, love a good barbeque sauce no matter what the time of year.  Or maybe even because you love any use for the fabulous little blueberry.  Or because you think the title sounds really odd and you want to know what the heck this Heather’s Dish character is talking about.

Heck, it could even be all 3 reasons, and I don’t blame you.  When I thought about this sauce I wasn’t totally sure I was in my right mind, but after making it and devouring it on top of every piece of chicken, fish, pork or beef I’ve had for the past 2 weeks?  Well, turns out I’m not as crazy as I thought I was 🙂

This sauce is thick, sweet, smoky, and it has a great texture from the blueberries.  If you’re wanting a super smooth sauce you can always strain the blueberry seeds/skins out with a cheesecloth, but I think the texture makes it even more appealing.  Regardless of the texture the flavor is addicting and is something you can enjoy year-round thanks to the availability of frozen blueberries!

SWEET & SMOKY BLUEBERRY BARBEQUE SAUCE

• 12 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
• 1 whole ancho chile
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground chipotle
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

First things first, reconstitute the ancho chile by placing it in the bottom of a heat-proof bowl and covering it with boiling water.  Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and let it sit for about 30 minutes to soften.  When it’s reconstituted remove the seeds and stem and chop roughly.  Add the blueberries, ancho, onion, garlic and a little bit of the ancho water to a food processor and process until smooth.  Add to a sauce pot along with the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, cumin, chipotle, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Add a little bit more of the ancho water to make the mixture fairly watery, then bring to a boil over medium-low heat.  Allow to simmer, uncovered, stirring constantly, for about 30-4 minutes until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.  I like mine thick and rich, so I let it go the full 45 minutes.  Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold with anything and everything you want!